(Rav Chisda): "Kevutzosav Taltalim" teaches that Tilei Tilim (mounds and mounds) of Halachos [regarding revealed laws, as well as hidden secrets] can be expounded from every Kotz (line in a crown on certain letters in the Torah).

(Implied question: Who can expound them?)

Answer #1 (Rav Chisda): "Shechoros ka'Orev" is one who is MaSHKim and Ma'ARiV (rises early and stays late) in the Beis Medrash;

Answer #2 (Rabah): This refers to one who is MaSHCHiR (blackens) his face like an Orev (raven) for Divrei Torah (i.e. neglects himself. We find that teeth turn black through fasting.)

Answer #3 (Rava): It is one who makes himself callous like a [black] raven on its family. (It does not show mercy on its children, for they are white);

Rav Ada bar Masnah was going to learn from his Rebbi. His wife asked 'what will I do for your children?' (She did not object. She merely asked how to help him fulfill his obligation to them.)

Rav Ada: Are there no more vegetables in the swamp?!

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): If not for the verse "u'Meshalem l'Son'av El Panav Leha'avido", it would be forbidden for us to say this! It is as if He has a burden on His face (the reward due to Resha'im for the few Mitzvos they did) that He seeks to get rid of! (He pays them in this world, so He need not pay them in the next.)

(R. Ila): "Lo Ye'acher l'Son'av", but He delays giving reward to absolute Tzadikim;

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): "Asher Anochi Metzavecha ha'Yom La'asosam" - today (this world) is for doing Mitzvos, but not tomorrow (the world to come). Today is for doing Mitzvos, and tomorrow is for receiving their reward.

(R. Chagi) Question: Why does it say "Erech Apayim" (plural)? It should say 'Erech Af'!

Answer: Hash-m is patient with Tzadikim (not to pay their reward until later) and with Resha'im (not to punish them immediately).

(Mishnah - R. Yehudah): It can be up to Beis Sa'atayim...

Question: Does Beis Sa'atayim include the place of the pit and Pasim, or just the pit? (Tosfos - all agree that the Pasim must be only two Amos from the pit. Ritva - they can be further. We ask if we allow Beis Sa'atayim in all, or Beis Sa'atayim for the pit and another Beis Sa'atayim for between the Pasim?)

If people focus on the pit, we may permit a pit that is itself a full Beis Sa'atayim, without concern lest people come to carry in a Karfef more than Beis Sa'atayim [that was not Hukaf l'Dirah];

If people focus on the Mechitzos, if we allow a total area above Beis Sa'atayim, people might come to carry in a Karfef more than Beis Sa'atayim!

Answer (Beraisa): The Pasim may be as close as desired, as long as a cow can enter Rosho v'Rubo to drink;

Question: How big an area may be enclosed?

Answer #1: One may enclose even one or two Beis Kor (or any amount);

Answer #2 (R. Yehudah): It can be up to Beis Sa'atayim, but no more.

Chachamim: Don't you agree that there is no limit for a Dir, Sahar, Rechavah or Chatzer?! (Rashi (18a) - also Pasei Bira'os are for Dirah, for the water is proper for people! Rashba - Pasei Bira'os are not for Dirah. Even so, there is a great need to be lenient about them!)

R. Yehudah: Those are different, for a [proper] Mechitzah surrounds them. Mere Pasim surround the pit.

R. Shimon ben Elazar says, the pit may be [70 Amos and a fraction, the side of a square that encloses] Beis Sa'atayim by Beis Sa'atayim - one may not distance the Pasim more than enough for Rosho v'Rubo of a cow.

Inference: R. Shimon ben Elazar allows Beis Sa'atayim for the pit itself, so R. Yehudah must allow Beis Sa'atayim for the pit and Pasim together!

Rejection: No, R. Yehudah allows Beis Sa'atayim for the pit itself.

Question: If so, what do he and R. Shimon argue about?

Answer: They argue about whether or not it may be long and narrow. (R. Yehudah permits, and R. Shimon forbids.)

(Continuation of Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Elazar): The general rule is, any unroofed enclosure used for Dirah, such as a Dir, Sahar, Rechavah or Chatzer, is permitted, even five or 10 Beis Korim;

Any [roofed] Dirah used for [guarding] an unroofed place, such as a shack in the field, is permitted only up to Beis Sa'atayim.

(Mishnah - R. Yehudah): If Reshus ha'Rabim passes through the Pasim, it must be diverted;

Chachamim say, there is no need for this.

(Gemara - R. Yochanan and R. Elazar): [Chachamim's opinion] teaches the strength of Mechitzos! (Public traffic is not Mevatel them.)

Question: R. Yochanan does not hold like Chachamim!

(Rabah bar bar Chanah citing R. Yochanan): Had they not locked the doors of Yerushalayim at night, it would have been Reshus ha'Rabim, and one who carried in it would have been liable. (Tosfos - even though Yerushalayim had Tzuras ha'Pesach, which is a Mechitzah, traffic is Mevatel it.)

Answer: He says that Chachamim's opinion teaches the strength of Mechitzos, but he himself holds like R. Yehudah.

Contradiction: R. Yehudah and Chachamim both contradict themselves!

(Beraisa): R. Yehudah said an even bigger Chidush. If one owns two houses on opposite sides of Reshus ha'Rabim, he puts a Lechi on each side or a Korah on each side, and he may carry in the middle.

Chachamim: We cannot be Me'arev Reshus ha'Rabim like this!

Answer - part 1 (for R. Yehudah): R. Yehudah permits to be Me'arev when there are two proper walls. None of the walls of Pasei Bira'os are proper.

Answer - part 2 (for Chachamim): Chachamim permit Pasei Bira'os because there are four Mechitzos. There, there are only two Mechitzos. (Chachamim hold that even a Lechi is not a Mechitzah. Alternatively, they permit only when there are four major Mechitzos - Rashba.)

(Rav Dimi citing R. Yochanan): Eretz Yisrael is not a Reshus ha'Rabim to be Mechayev one who carries in it.

Question (Abaye): Why isn't it a Reshus ha'Rabim?

Suggestion: It is because the steep rocks of Tzur surround it on one side, and a furrow 10 Tefachim deep on another side. (Ritva - the furrow is on an adjacent side. R. Yochanan considers the area between two parallel walls, e.g. a Mavoy Mefulash, to be Reshus ha'Rabim.)

Rejection: Bavel is between two rivers, i.e. Peras and Diglas, and the entire world is between the oceans [yet we do not say that they are not Reshus ha'Rabim]!

Abaye: Perhaps you refer to steep inclines of Eretz Yisrael!

Rav Dimi: (Yes!) I saw your Rebbi (Rabah) in the Beis Medrash when R. Yochanan said this:

(Ravin citing R. Yochanan): Steep inclines of Eretz Yisrael are not a Reshus ha'Rabim to be Mechayev one who carries in them, for they are [very] unlike the encampment in the Midbar. (The cloud leveled the ground.)

Question (Rachbah): If a mound slopes 10 Tefachim over a stretch of four Amos, and Rabim pass over it, is one liable for carrying there? (I.e. is it Reshus ha'Rabim?)

We do not ask according to Chachamim. They say that Rabim are not Mevatel Mechitzos (Pasei Bira'os) even when it is convenient to pass through, so all the more so when it is inconvenient!

We ask according to R. Yehudah. Perhaps he says that Rabim are Mevatel Mechitzos only when it is convenient to pass through, but not here, when it is inconvenient;

Or, perhaps he does not distinguish!

Answer (Rava): He is liable.

Question (Rachbah): If it is so steep that people need to hold a rope while ascending [and Rabim pass through it], is one liable for carrying there?

Answer (Rava): He is liable.

Question (Rachbah): If it is like the inclines of Beis Maron (very steep, and so narrow that people must walk single file), is one liable for carrying there?

Answer (Rava): He is liable.

Question (Beraisa): If Rabim enter through [openings or breaches up to 10 Amos wide on] one side of a Chatzer and leave through another side (Tosfos - there are openings on all four sides), it is a Reshus ha'Rabim for [being lenient about Safek] Tum'ah, but it is Reshus ha'Yachid for Shabbos.

Question: Who is the Tana of the Beraisa?

Chachamim would not need to teach this. They say that Rabim are not Mevatel Mechitzos (Pasei Bira'os) even when it is convenient to pass through, so all the more so when it is inconvenient!

Answer #1: It is R. Yehudah. (He agrees that Rabim are not Mevatel Mechitzos when it is inconvenient to pass through.)

Answer (and Answer #2 to Question (1)): Really, it is Chachamim. Their Chidush is that it is a Reshus ha'Rabim for Tum'ah.

Question (Mishnah): Mavo'os Mefulashos in pits and caves are Reshus ha'Yachid for Shabbos and Reshus ha'Rabim for Tum'ah.

Objection: Surely, there are not Mavo'os in pits!

Correction: Rather, Mavo'os Mefulashos that open to pits and caves are Reshus ha'Yachid for Shabbos and Reshus ha'Rabim for Tum'ah.

Question: Who is the Tana?

It is not Chachamim. They say that Rabim are not Mevatel Mechitzos even when it is convenient to pass through, and all the more so when it is inconvenient!

Answer #1: It is R. Yehudah.

Answer (and Answer #2 to Question (1)): Really, it is Chachamim. They teach that it is a Reshus ha'Rabim for Tum'ah.

Question (Mishnah): [Very steep] paths in Beis Gilgul (a place in Eretz Yisrael) or similar paths are Reshus ha'Yachid for Shabbos and Reshus ha'Rabim for Tum'ah.

Question: How steep must the paths be?

Answer (R. Yanai): It is so steep that a slave cannot carry a Se'ah (about 12 liters) of wheat and run in front of an officer.

Question: Who is the Tana?

It is not Chachamim. They say that Rabim are not Mevatel Mechitzos even when it is convenient to pass through, so all the more so when it is inconvenient!

Answer #1: It is R. Yehudah.

Answer: Yehoshua loved Yisrael and established roads for them:

Whatever was convenient he gave to the Rabim. Whatever was inconvenient he gave to individuals. (Ritva - he authorized owners of the adjacent property to take possession of it, therefore it is unlike the encampment in the Midbar.)

(Mishnah - R. Akiva): Pasim permit a public well or pit (if it dries up, people will remind each other not to carry there), or a private well (it will not dry up). However, [standard] Mechitzos 10 Tefachim tall [all around] are required for a private pit.

R. Yehudah ben Bava says, Pasim permit only a public well;

For anything else, one erects a belt (Rashi - of ropes (16b)) for a Mechitzah.