All Kelim of a Beis ha'Keneses are like a Beis ha'Keneses. The bench [in front of the Aron Kodesh] and the Bimah [on which we read the Sefer Torah] are like a Beis ha'Keneses. The Paroches (curtain in front of the Aron Kodesh) is like the Aron.

R. Avahu put his garment under the Paroches. (He holds that it is not Kadosh.)

(Rav Yehudah citing Shmuel): The Bimah and tablets [on which one wrote to practice] do not have Kedushah of the Aron, but they have Kedushas Beis ha'Keneses.

The pole [on which we hang the Paroches] does not have Kedushah of the Aron, but it has Kedushas Beis ha'Keneses.

R. Yirmeyah went to Gavlana (a place). He saw them putting rods [used to show where one reads in the Torah] that in the Aron. He asked R. Eimi., who said "I say that they stipulated about this from the beginning" (that the Aron not be fully Kadosh, so they may do so).

R. Yonah made an Aron and stipulated that the top will be for Seforim, and the bottom will be for garments.

(Mishnah): Cloths, we buy [with their sale money] Seforim.

Even cloths of Torah and Chumashim, we may buy with [their money] Nevi'im and Kesuvim. If one sold Seforim, even Nevi'im and Kesuvim, we may not buy cloths for Torah and Chumashim.

We wrap Torah with cloths of Torah, Chumashim with cloths of Chumashim, and Nevi'im with cloths of Nevi'im, Torah and Chumashim with cloths of Nevi'im and Kesuvim, but not Nevi'im and Kesuvim with cloths of Torah and Chumashim.

One may put Torah on top of Torah, Chumashim on top of Chumashim, Torah and Chumashim on top of Nevi'im and Kesuvim, but not Nevi'im and Kesuvim on top of Torah and Chumashim.

(R. Yirmeyah citing R. Zeirah): Torah and Chumashim, the Tana evaded teaching it [whether one may put Chumashim on Torah. The Reisha connotes that it is forbidden, and the Seifa connotes that it is permitted!]

R. Meir permits writing Torah and Nevi'im together;

Chachamim forbid writing Torah and Nevi'im together, but one may write Nevi'im and Kesuvim together.

(R. Yirmeyah citing R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak): Torah and Chumashim have the same Kedushah. [Even so,] one may not make Torah into Chumashim (it is disgraceful to separate it), but one may make Chumashim Torah.

(R. Yosah): This teaches that if one made Torah Chumashim, it retains its Kedushah (one must combine them again).

(R. Shmuel bar Nachman citing R. Yonason): A Torah that is deficient, one may not read in it b'Rabim.

Question (Beraisa): If a Torah is written in Bereishis until the flood, in Vayikra until "va'Yhi ba'Yom ha'Shemini", in Bamidbar until "va'Yhi bi'Nso'a ha'Aron", one may read in it b'Rabim.

Answer: This master (R. Shmuel bar Nachman citing R. Yonason did not forbid according to letter of the law. He was stringent) for honor of the Torah (so they buy a complete Sefer).

People of Tzanbarai, to R. Yonah and R. Yosah): May one read in a deficient Sefer b'Rabim? They said that it is forbidden,

It is not really forbidden, but (they ruled stringently, for) since they will be grieved (about missing Kri'as ha'Torah), they will buy another (a complete Sefer).

[The Mishnah said that] the same applies to their excesses (it may not be used for a lower Kedushah - Pnei Moshe). This refers to what Gaba'im (collectors of) Tzedakah collected [for these matters], and money was left over.

This is like R. Chiyah bar Ba. He went to Chamatz, and they gave to him Perutos [for Tzedakah] for orphans and widows. He gave it to Rabanan. Must he give other money in place of it [to orphans and widows, for he deviated? Or, do we say that people gave with intent that he can use it for a great Mitzvah, if the opportunity arises?]

Opinion #1 (R. Zeirah): He must give other money in place of it.

Opinion #2 (R. Ila): He need not give other money in place of it (for this is a greater Tzedakah - Alei Tamar).

Support: [Also] R. Yosah said in the name of R. Lazar that he need not give other money in place of it.

(R. Yakov bar Acha citing R. Yosah citing R. Lazar citing R. Chaninah): [Tzedakah for] any Mitzvah, before it came to the Gizbar, you may change it [and later pay back]. Once it came to the Gizbar, you may not change it.

(Mishnah - R. Meir): We may not sell a public [Beis ha'Keneses] to an individual, since this lessens its Kedushah;

Chachamim: It is permitted. If it was forbidden, one could not sell even from a large city to a small city!

(Gemara): Three [people] from a [private] Beis ha'Keneses are like the Beis ha'Keneses (they may sell it), and seven people of the city are like the city.

Question: What is the case? If (the people of the Beis ha'Keneses or city) accepted (authorized the three or seven, the same applies to) even one! If they did not accept them, even many [may not sell it, unless they are all or at least most of them]!

Answer: We discuss Stam (seven were appointed to oversee matters of the city).

If a city resident pledged (an amount to give to Tzedakah) in another city, he gives with them. If [many] city residents pledged in another city, they give in their place. (Perhaps "many" is what is considered Rabim for vows, i.e. three or 10, according to Rav Nachman and Rav Yitzchak respectively (Gitin 46a) - Alei Tamar.)

(R. Chiyah citing R. Yochanan): The law of these benches [in the Beis ha'Keneses] of Ma'on is like this teaching. (People from elsewhere sit there. They give in their home city, for they are many.)

R. Chelbo used to expound in Tziporin. He pledged there, and wanted to give here. R. Eimi told him "you are an individual" (you must give there).

One who makes a lamp or candelabra for a Beis ha'Keneses - until the name of the owner is forgotten, you may not change it to elsewhere. From when the name of the owner is forgotten, you may change it to elsewhere.

(R. Chiyah citing R. Yochanan): If the owner's name was engraved on it, it is as if the name of the owner was not forgotten.

This is like the case of Antoninus, who made a candelabra for a Beis ha'Keneses. Rebbi heard, and said "blessed is Elokim who put in his heart to make a candelabra for the Beis ha'Keneses." (People will remember this, so they will not be able to change it.)

Question (R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak): What did Rebbi say - blessed is Elokim, or blessed is Elokeinu?

If he said "blessed is Elokim", this shows that Antoninus did not convert. (Had he converted, Rebbi would have said Elokeinu, for they have the same G-d.) If he said "blessed is Elokeinu", this shows that Antoninus converted.

Observation: There are matters that imply that Antoninus converted, and there are matters that imply that Antoninus did not convert!

People saw him go out with a shoe open on the bottom on Yom Kipur. (Had he converted, he would not do so!)

Rebuttal: You cannot learn from there. Even people who fear Shamayim go out with such a shoe [it is not forbidden]!

Antoninus (to Rebbi): Will you feed me from Livyasan (do righteous Nochrim have a portion in the world to come? Rebbi said "yes";

Antoninus: You said [previously] that you will not feed me from Pesach. How will you feed me from Livyasan (which has more Kedushah)?!

Rebbi: What can I do for you? Regarding Pesach it is written "Kol Arel Lo Yochal Bo." Once he heard this, he went and circumcised, and said "Rebbi, see my circumcision (if I did so properly)!"

Rebbi: I never looked at my own. Will I look at yours?! (I can tell you how is proper, or someone else can inspect it.)

Why is he called Rabbeinu ha'Kadosh? It is because he never looked at his Milah.

And why is Nachum called Ish Kodesh ha'Kodoshim? It is because he never looked at the form of a coin (for it has the image of a person or animal).

Inference: [Since he circumcised,] this shows that Antoninus converted.

Support: The words of Rabanan (below) show that Antoninus converted;

(R. Chizkiyah citing R. Avahu citing R. Lazar): When (Alei Tamar) converts come to the world to come, Antoninus will be at the head.

Question: May one write two or three words from a verse [without Sirtut, i.e. scratching a line underneath to enable writing straight]?

Answer: Mar Ukva sent a letter to the Reish Galusa, who used to go to sleep and wake up amidst music, 'Yisrael Al Tismach ba'Amim El Gil' (the verse really is "Al Tismach Yisrael El Gil ka'Amim." He wrote two consecutive words of the verse without Sirtut, but not three);

R. Acha wrote "Zecher Tzadik li'Vrachah" (he permits three words).

R. Zeirah wrote "v'Lo Zachar ha'Melech Yo'ash' (in place of "Yo'ash ha'Melech." He permits two words, but not four. It is not clear what he holds about three.)

R. Yirmeyah sent a letter to R. Yudan the Nasi 'Lisno Es Ohavecha u'Le'ahavah Es Son'echa' (the verse is "Le'ahavah Es Son'echa v'Lisno Es Ohavecha." He permits three words (Korban ha'Edah, ha'Gaon Rav C. Kanievsky, Shlita. It seems that they hold that adding or removing the prefix "Vov" to/from a word (Lisno in place of v'Lisno, u'Le'ahavah in place of Le'ahavah) is not considered changing it for this law.)

R. Chiyah, R. Yosi and R. Imi punished a woman named Tamar (for Zenus). She slandered them to the mayor of Kisarin. They wrote to R. Avahu (who was close to the kingdom, to intercede for them);

He wrote to them "we already appeased three officers - Tov Yeled, Tov Lamad and Tarshish", [which is the Targum of the officers' names -] Avdukim, Avamsin and Talsachim. However, Tamar remains in her bitterness. We sought to sweeten it (get her to repent), and "la'Shav Tzaraf Tzarof"' - it was futile. (He permits writing three words.)

R. Mana sent a letter to R. Hoshayah bei R. Shamai 'Reishischa Mitz'ar Me'od Tisge Acharisecha' (in place of "Reishischa Mitz'ar v'Acharisecha Yisge Me'od." He wrote two words of the verse.)

(R. Yochanan): We cannot establish our Mishnah (which forbids selling a Beis ha'Keneses of Rabim to an individual)!

If it is like R. Meir (in the coming Mishnah), one may sell a Beis ha'Keneses only on condition (and then it is permitted even for Chulin, and all the more so for an individual's Beis ha'Keneses)!

If it is like Rabanan, one may sell permanently [even for Chulin], except for four [disgraceful] matters!

Answer (R. Chiyah citing R. Yochanan): The Mishnah refers to a Sefer Torah. (One may not sell a Sefer Torah of Rabim to an individual.)