1)

(a)The man who had rented out his only mill wished to change his conditions of rental with the renter - because under the original understanding, the renter would pay him with ground flour (since he did not possess a second mill for himself). When he became wealthy and bought a second mill, he asked the renter to start paying cash.

(b)Ravina thought that, like the case in our Mishnah, where one of the two husbands is asked to give the daughter money, the owner can demand that, from now on, the renter pays him money (leaving him to grind his own food). But Rav Avira told him - that the renter could counter that he would continue to pay with ground flour as he had been doing until now, since the owner was able to sell the flour that he himself ground in his new mill (whereas the woman in our Mishnah only has one stomach and not two, and we do not ask a woman to sell, as we already learned).

(c)The Halachah is nevertheless like Ravina - should the renter be in a position to sell the flour that he ground to others, in which case we force him to do so, and to pay the owner with the proceeds (because of 'Midas Sdom' - the way of the people of Sdom not to do anyone a favor [' Sheli Sheli, v'Shelcha Shelcha ']).

2)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that in a case where ...

1. ... the Yesomim ask the Almanah to leave their father's house and to return to her father's home - she is entitled to refuse.

2. ... the Almanah insists on the Yesomim feeding her whilst she resides in her father's home - they are entitled to refuse.

(b)On the one hand the ...

1. ... Mishnah concedes that she is entitled to do so - if they are all young and she is afraid that they will abuse her.

2. ... the Beraisa cited by Rav Yosef agree that the Yesomim may ask her to leave her father's house - if it is very small and there is not sufficient room for them all to live together ('be'Veisi', v'Lo b'Baksi').

(c)The Beraisa learns from the wording in the Kesubah 'At Tehei Yasvas b'Veisi u'Miszena mi'Nechasai Kol Yemei Meigar Armelusach' - that she may continue to make use of the slaves, the bedclothes and the silver and golden vessels of the house just as she did when her husband was alive.

3)

(a)In the event that the Yesomim sold the Nechasim Mu'atin before their sisters had a chance to claim them in Beis Dini - Rebbi Asi Amar Yochanan validates the sale.

(b)To reconcile this with Rav Nachman's ruling, negating the sale of Yesomim who sold the house in which the Almanah is residing - we draw a distinction between the former, which was designated for the Almanah already during her lifetime, and the latter, to which the daughters' claim begins only after their father's death.

4)

(a)The Yesomim - are not obligated to rebuild the Almanah's residence, should it collapse.

(b)Neither - does she have the right to rebuild it herself.

(c)Abaye asked what the Din will be if she repairs her tottering apartment - may she remain there, or do we reckon the apartment as it was when her husband died, and the moment we assess that it would have collapsed, she is obligated to move out (in spite of her repairs).

(d)The outcome of the She'eilah is - 'Teiku'.

5)

(a)The reason that the Yesomim are not obligated to pay the Almanah Mezonos the moment she leaves her father's house is contained in a statement by Rav Huna - who said that the more people who live in a house, the greater the Berachah.

(b)When the Tana of the Mishnah absolves the Yesomim from paying the Almanah Mezonos, he means (not that they are exempt from paying anything, but) - that they may deduct from her Mezonos, according to the reduced blessing that the house suffers on account of her moving out.

6)

(a)From our Mishnah, Rav Huna learns 'Lashon Chachamim Berachah'. He also learns from two other Mishnahs - that 'Lashon Chachamim Osher' and 'Lashon Chachamim Marpeh'.

(b)The first is from a Mishnah in Bava Basra, which rules that Meshichah acquires Metaltelin, and that Medidah (measuring food, for example) does not. The Chachamim advise someone who has measured a large stock of grain (shall we say), and who has not the time to perform Meshichah with it all (though he wishes to acquire it now) - to acquire it together with the plot of land on which the grain is standing, which can be acquired in a moment.

(c)The second is from a Mishnah in Pesachim, which forbids chewing wheat-kernels and placing them on one's wound on Pesach - because spittle, like water, causes the wheat to become Chametz.

7)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk ...

1. ... "Kabeid es Avicha" - that a person is obligated to honor his father's wife (even though she is not his mother).

2. ... "v'*es* Imecha" - that he is obligated to honor his mother's husband (even though he is not his father).

3. ... "ve'es Imecha" - that he must also honor his older brother.

(b)Rebbi nevertheless found it necessary to command his sons to honor their step-mother (his second wife) after his death - because this Derashah is confined to honoring one's step-parents during the lifetime of his father or his mother (but does not apply after their death, which is only d'Rabanan).

(c)Rebbi also commanded his sons to make sure that a lamp would always be lit, the table laid and the bed (or the couch) made at dusk (of Erev Shabbos), because he initially used to arrive at his house then and to recite Kidush on behalf of his household (even though strictly speaking, he was no longer alive).

(d)Once the next-door neighbor had discovered Rebbi's secret however, he stopped coming - so that people should jump to the conclusion that other Tzadikim, who did not used to do so, were not as worthy as he was.

8)

(a)When Rebbi left instructions that Yosef from Chaifah and Shimon from Efras should serve him after his death, he was referring to serving him in Olam ha'Ba.

(b)It became apparent that he had not referred to them seeing to his burial needs - when their coffins preceded his (i.e. they died and were buried before he was).

(c)The reason that Rebbi told his sons this, was - so that they should not suspect these righteous men of being sinners who had only survived until now on his merit (seeing as they only lived as long as he needed them).

(d)When Rebbi called the Chachamim and ordered them not to eulogize him in the towns - they thought that he meant that they should eulogize him only in the villages (in order to avoid causing the people excessive inconvenience).

(e)What he really meant was - that they should all collect in the cities and eulogize him there, where they would do him greater honor (because he was a Nasi, and everybody was obligated to participate in this Mitzvah).

9)

(a)When Rebbi ordered the Chachamim to place a Yeshivah 'over his grave' - he meant that they should restrict eulogizing him twenty-four hour a day to thirty days. After that, they should eulogize him by day and study Torah by night or vice-versa, until twelve months had passed.

(b)He learned the restriction of thirty days from Moshe Rabeinu - by whom the Torah writes in v'Zos ha'Berachah "And the Bnei Yisrael wept for Moshe ... for thirty days".

(c)On the day that Rebbi died - a Heavenly Voice announced that whoever attended the Levayah of Rebbi was 'prepared for Olam ha'Ba' (meaning that he would go there immediately, without having to pass through the seven stages of Din that others have to suffer until they arrive there [see Tosfos DH 'Mezuman']).

(d)To earn his immediate place in Olam ha'Ba, even though he was not there when Rebbi died - a certain laundry-man responded to the Heavenly Voice, by climbing on to the roof and falling to his death (see Ya'avetz).

10)

(a)When Rebbi left instructions that 'Shimon Bni Chacham, Gamliel Bni Nasi' - he meant to say that although Shimon was a Chacham, Gamliel should become the Nasi (for reasons that will now become clear).

(b)We learn from the Pasuk in Divrei-ha'Yamim "v'es ha'Mamlachah Nasan li'Yehoram ki Hu ha'Bechor" - that generally, it is the first-born who succeeds his father as king (or Nasi).

(c)Levi thought that, based on this Pasuk, it should not have been necessary for Rebbi to specifically appoint Gamliel as his successor. Shimon bar Rebbi disagreed with him however - on the grounds that Gamliel (his brother) was not worthy to succeed his father (since he was not such a great Chacham).

(d)Rebbi nevertheless appointed him - because, even though he was not worthy from the point of view of Chochmah, he was worthy as regards Yir'as Shamayim (presumably he was also a Talmid-Chacham, even if he was not as great as his bother).

11)

(a)Rebbi Efes succeeded Rebbi as Rosh Yeshivah, despite Rebbi's appointment of Rebbi Chanina bar Chama - because Rebbi Chanina declined to accept the appointment immediately, due to the fact that Rebbi Efes was his senior by two and a half years.

(b)When they told Rav that Levi had arrived in Bavel - he concluded that Rebbi Efes must have died, that Rebbi Chanina had become the new Rosh Yeshivah and that Levi had nobody with whom to learn.

(c)What led him to that conclusion - was the fact that as long as Rebbi Efes was alive, Levi learned outside the Beis-ha'Midrash together with Rebbi Chanina.

(d)Some explain that Rav knew that it was because Rebbi Efes had died and not Rebbi Chanina, that Levi moved to Bavel, because Levi (unlike Rebbi Chanina) would have submitted himself to Rebbi Efes. Based on the Pasuk "v'Sigzar Omer v'Yakem Lach". Others say - that since Rebbi had appointed Rebbi Chanina Nasi, it is not feasible for Rebbi Chanina to have died without the appointment taking effect.

12)

(a)When Levi arrived in Bavel, he brought with him a ruling 'Kelila Shari' - meaning that a woman is permitted to go out into the street on Shabbos wearing an ornament known as 'Kelila' (a sort of crown).

(b)Despite the prohibition of a woman wearing ornaments, as we learned in Shabbos, Kelila is permitted - because the reason for the prohibition (that a woman is likely to remove the ornament [and carry in the street] to show her friends) does not apply to it, seeing as it is worn by important women, who do not tend to do that.

13)

(a)Some say that the reason that Rebbi chose Rebbi Chanina as Rosh Yeshivah rather than Rebbi Chiya was because Rebbi Chiya died before Rebbi. Initially, we explain that the statement of Rebbi Chiya, testifying that he saw Rebbi's grave and wept over it, was a misquotation, and should be reversed. In fact - it was Rebbi who saw Rebbi Chiya's grave and wept over it.

(b)Rebbi Chiya is also purported to have said (which we initially explain in the same way as we explained the pervious statement) - that the day that Rebbi died, Kedushah terminated.

(c)Following a third statement of Rebbi Chiya (which we initially explain in the same way as the previous two statements), when Rebbi Chiya asked Rebbi why he was crying, seeing as it is a bad sign to die whilst in the process of weeping - he replied that he was (not crying because he was sad at having to leave this world, but) because of the Torah and Mitzvos that he would no longer be able to fulfill.

(d)The common factor of someone who dies ...

1. ... facing upwards, facing the people, with a red, shining face, on Erev Shabbos, on Motzei Yom Kippur, following a stomach illness is - that that they are all a good sign.

2. ... facing downwards, facing the wall, with a green face, on Motzei Shabbos, on Erev Yom Kippur is - that they are all a bad sign.

14)

(a)It is considered a good sign to die ...

1. ... on Erev Shabbos - because one goes straight into the restful day of Shabbos (even if one needs to go to Gehinom).

2. ... on Motzei Yom Kippur - because then one dies having attained a full atonement for one's sins.

3. ... following a stomach illness - because most Tzadikim die following a stomach illness (presumably because it serves as an atonement for the pleasures of this world that cannot be avoided).

(b)The alternative answer (which dispenses with the need to switch the text in the three previous problems), to explain why Rebbi might deliberately have overlooked Rebbi Chiya when appointing Rebbi Chanina bar Chama Rosh Yeshivah is - that Rebbi did not wish to interfere with Rebbi Chiya's constant involvement with Mitzvos.

(c)When Rebbi Chanina would advise Rebbi Chiya not to argue with him, since he was able to revive Torah with his Pilpul, were it to become forgotten - he would retort that on the contrary, he (Rebbi Chanina) would be well-advised not to argue with someone who made certain that Torah should not become forgotten in the first place.

(d)After planting flax, making nets to trap deer, catching the deer - Rebbi Chiya would write the five Chumashim on five parchment scrolls which he would give to five children in a town where there were no children's Rebbes, and then, after teaching six other children one of the six Sidrei Mishnah, he would instruct each child to pass on what he had learned to the other children.

(e)The flesh of the deer - he would feed to Yesomim.

15)

(a)When Rebbi Shimon and Rebbi Yishmael b'Rebbi Yosi respectively, asked Rebbi whether, when he had exclaimed 'How great are the deeds of Chiya', he had meant that they were even greater than ...

1. ... his own - he replied in the affirmative.

2. ... those of Rebbi Yosi - he replied 'Chas v'Shalom that I would ever say such a thing'.

(b)Rebbi then called first for his younger son, Shimon and then for his older son Gamliel. He taught ...

1. ... the former - how a Chacham should behave.

2. ... the latter - how a Nasi should behave. When he told him 'Nehog Nesi'ascha b'Ramim' - he meant that he should always sit together with the greatest Torah scholars.

(c)He also instructed him to instill fear into the Talmidei-Chachamim (because the Nasi, like a king, must reflect the fear of Hash-m). Yehoshafat, King of Yehudah, who, whenever he saw a Talmid-Chacham, would arise from his throne, embrace and kiss him and call him Rebbi, Rebbi, Mari, Mari - did this only in private, but never in public.

16)

(a)The Tana of a Beraisa connects the Pasuk "Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof" with Rebbi - by giving as an example of what the Pasuk means, a piece of advice to follow Rebbi (and his Beis Dini) to Beis She'arim.

(b)Another Beraisa, which gives Rebbi's domicile prior to his death as having been in Tzipori, even though his burial-place was in Beis She'arim - refers to the period immediately prior to his death, when they had moved him there in his illness, because, due to its altitude, the air was good for him.