1)

(a)Rebbi Yakov bar Acha Amar Rebbi Simlai (or ... Rav Huna) rules - that a Niduy imposed by a Talmid defending his own honor is effective.

(b)He extrapolates it from the Beraisa which states 'Menudeh l'Talmid Eino Menudeh l'Rav' - implying that as far as everyone else is concerned, his Niduy is effective.

(c)We know that the Tana is not referring to a case where it is Hash-m's Honor is at stake - because, if it were, then 'Ein Chochmah, v'Ein Eitzah v'Ein Tevunah Neged Hashem' (and the Talmid's Niduy would be effective even on the Rav).

(d)Another concession Rav Yosef concedes to a Tzurba me'Rabanan (a Talmid Chacham) is - the right to take the law into his own hands (e.g. to take back what is his) provided he is sure that he is in the right.

2)

(a)The problem that Rav Yehudah had with placing a Niduy on a certain Talmid Chacham about whom ugly rumors were being spread was - that the latter was Rav of a community, and his community needed him.

(b)He therefore consulted Rabah bar bar Chanah, who quoted the Pasuk in Malachi "Ki Sifsei Kohen Yishmeru Da'as, v'Torah Yevakshu mi'Pihu, Ki Mal'ach Hash-m Tzevakos Hu" - by which he meant that if the Rav is like an angel of G-d, then learn Torah from him, but if he is not, then desist.

(c)Rav Yehudah followed Rabah bar bar Chanah's advice - after which he fell ill.

(d)Rav Yehudah laughed when the errant Talmid Chacham entered - out of joy that, when he arrived in the World to Come, he would do so in the knowledge that even for a man the likes of that Talmid Chacham, he had not allowed himself to be flattered.

3)

(a)Once Rav Yehudah died, there was nobody of his caliber in the Beis ha'Midrash to nullify the Niduy for that Talmid Chacham. Rav Ami became involved - because when there is nobody else to nullify a Niduy, then it becomes the prerogative of the Nasi to do so (as we shall see later). So they handed the Shamta to Rebbi Yehudah Nesi'a to nullify. Rebbi Yehudah Nesi'a, in turn, appointed Rav Ami to nullify it on his behalf.

(b)Rav Ami was about to nullify the Niduy, but stopped short when Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeni objected due an incident that occurred with the maidservant of Rebbi - who placed a Niduy on someone, which remained in force for three years.

(c)Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeni figured - that if the Chachamim had such respect for the Niduy imposed by the maidservant of Rebbi, then how much more so were Rev Yehudah's contemporaries obligated to treat a Niduy imposed by Rav Yehudah with respect, and not to nullify it so soon.

(d)Rebbi Zeira accepted Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeni's objection without question - because the elderly Tzadik had visited the Beis ha'Midrash that day for the first time in years (a sign from Heaven that it must have been because his objection was valid).

4)

(a)That Talmid Chacham left the Beis ha'Midrash crying, following which - a bee came and stung him on his Milah and he died.

(b)He was not accepted for burial in the cave of the Chasidim, though he was accepted in that of the Dayanim. This honor was conferred upon him because he followed the advice of Rebbi Ila'i - who advised someone who sees that the Yetzer ha'Ra is overpowering him and he does not have the strength to overcome him, to go to a place where he is not known, wear black clothing and cover himself with black, and do there whatever he wants (to avoid the Chilul Hash-m that would ensue if one were to do it where people know him).

(c)Rav Hai Gaon interpret Rebbi Ila'i's advice - to mean that if he does all of these things, then he will most certainly stop short of sinning.

(d)The maidservant of Rebbi placed a Niduy on someone - for hitting his grown-up son, thereby encouraging him to hit back (transgressing the Lav of 'Lifnei Iver Lo Siten Michshol' (causing someone to perform a sin which he would otherwise not have performed).

5)

(a)Resh Lakish was guarding his fig-orchard. He placed a Niduy on someone - for helping himself to his figs.

(b)That man then placed a Niduy on him in return - for placing a Niduy on him, when his sole obligation was to pay for what he had eaten (but not Niduy).

(c)The Chachamim gave the latter right. Resh Lakish was expected to go and ask forgiveness from the man whom he had hurt.

(d)When Resh Lakish pointed out that he did not know who the man was - they told him to go to the Nasi and ask him to nullify the Niduy on his behalf.

6)

(a)Rav Huna said that in Usha, they initiated a Takanah with regard to placing a Niduy on a Talmid Chacham. Consequently ...

1. ... the first time he sinned - they would tell him 'Hikaved ('Pretend you have a headache', or 'Retain your dignity) and stay at home'.

2. ...the second time - they would place a Niduy on him directly.

(b)Resh Lakish disagreed with Rav Huna. He learned from the Pasuk in Hoshei'a "v'Chashalta ha'Yom v'Chashal Gam Navi Imach Laylah" - that, when placing a Niduy on a Talmid Chacham, Beis-Din should do so discreetly, like the night-time (where things cannot be seen by everyone).

(c)When Mar Zutra the Chasid had to place a Niduy on a Talmid Chacham - he would first place one on himself.

(d)He first nullified his own Niduy, before nullifying that of the Talmid Chacham - because of the Gemara in Shavu'os 'Yavo Zakai v'Yechaper al ha'Chayav' (one guilty person cannot atone for another).

7)

(a)Rav Gidal 'boasted' that he had never placed a Niduy on a Talmid Chacham - on the basis of the Yerushalmim, who would vote to give a Talmid Chacham lashes, rather than place a Niduy on him (because it was the better of two evils).

(b)'Shamta' (which, to all intents and purposes, is synonymous with Niduy) is the acronym of one of two things: According to Rav, it stands for 'Sham Misah', according to Shmuel, 'Shemamah Yih'yeh' (perhaps it ought to be 'Shemamah Tehei' [see Rabeinu Chananel]).

(c)When Shmuel then said that it is as effective as fat with which one smears an oven - he meant that, like the fat ... , once it goes in, it never goes out.

(d)Resh Lakish disagrees. He says that ...

1. ... the numerical value of 'Cherem' (which we are currently fusing with Niduy), is 248, because it enters the 248 limbs of a man's body.

2. ... the Pasuk in Chavakuk "b'Rogez Rachem Tizkor" - that in keeping with Hash-m's mercy, once it goes out, it goes out of the 248 limbs (the numerical value of "Rachem").

8)

(a)Rav Yosef says - that if one were to place a Cherem on a dog's tail, it would do its job.

(b)A dog was once chewing the Rabanan's shoes. Not only could they not catch it, but they did not even recognize it - so they placed a Niduy on it. Sure enough, its tail caught fire and it burnt to death.

(c)When Rav Yosef instructed that Talmid Chacham to place a Niduy upon a certain bully, he was afraid to comply either verbally or in writing, upon which Rav Yosef advised him - to take the script of the Niduy to place it in an earthenware jar (because man is nothing but an earthenware vessel - see Agados Maharsha), which he was then to lower into a grave (a place which people did not usually frequent). The he was to blow in it on a thousand Shofros for forty consecutive days. He did so; the jar broke and the bully died.

(d)Shofros that are blown when a Niduy is imposed ...

1. ... are called 'Shipuri' - because they cause the person concerned to get punished (from the word 'Nifra' - 'punished').

2. ... they specifically include the note 'Shevarim' - because 'it breaks the high houses' (those who are haughty - for so Chazal have said, when Chazal place their eye on someone, it means either death or poverty).

9)

(a)Our Mishnah permits various people to shave or to wash their clothes on Chol ha'Mo'ed. Rebbi Yirmeyahu asked Rebbi Zeira whether this applies even if they had time to do so before Yom Tov. He replied that - generally speaking, the answer was 'No'.

(b)A Nazir and a Metzora are different however. They are permitted to have a haircut on Chol ha'Mo'ed even if they did have time to do so before Yom Tov - because they both bring their respective Korbanos only after they have shaved, and forbidding them to shave will only cause them to delay their Korbanos (which is to be avoided).

(c)An Avel whose eighth day falls on Erev Yom Tov ...

1. ... is not permitted to have a haircut on Chol ha'Mo'ed - because he should have had it on Erev Yom Tov.

2. ... which is also Shabbos, is not permitted to have a haircut on Chol ha'Mo'ed either, even according to the Rabanan of Aba Shaul (even though the Halachah is not like them) - because even they (who normally do not permit an Avel to have a haircut before the eighth day) concede that in this case, he may have it on Erev Shabbos.

(d)The basis of their Machlokes is - whether we say 'Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo' (Aba Shaul) or not (the Rabanan).

(e)The author ...

1. ... of the Beraisa which permits an Avel to shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed - is Aba Shaul, and it speaks when the seventh day fell on Shabbos which was Erev Yom Tov (so that, from the point of view of Avelus, he was permitted to shave, but could not do so because of Shabbos).

2. ... of our Mishnah, which prohibits it - is the Rabanan (in whose opinion he was not yet permitted to cut his hair even from the point of view of Avelus).

10)

(a)The same Beraisa which permits an Avel to have a shave and to wash his clothes (under the circumstances that we just described) also permits a Kohen whose Mishmar just served in the Beis-Hamikdash to do so. This cannot be speaking about a case when his group finished serving on Shabbos, Erev Yom Tov - because then, he would have been able to shave on Thursday (li'Chevod Shabbos - as we learned earlier in the Perek).

(b)It is therefore speaking - when the group finished their term on Yom Tov itself.

(c)The reason of ...

1. ... this Tana in the Beraisa is - because the fact that the Kohanim remain for the entire Yom Tov, and even receive a portion in the Korbanos, does not make Yom Tov part of their term of Avodah.

2. ... the Tana of our Mishnah forbids it - because, they hold that since the Kohanim continue to serve on Yom Tov, it makes it part of their term of Avodah (and we have already learned that the Kohanim are forbidden to shave or to have a haircut during their term of Avodah).

11)

(a)The Tana of the Beraisa permits all those who are allowed to shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed, to shave when they are in mourning. In order to reconcile this Tana with the Tana of the Beraisa which expressly forbids it. Rav Chisda quoting Rav Shilo establishes this Beraisa - by the case of someone who is sitting a second consecutive period of mourning.

(b)And we reconcile this Beraisa with another Beraisa, which permits someone who faces a second consecutive term of mourning to 'lighten his hair with a razor and to wash his clothes with water' (even without the circumstances mentioned in our Mishnah) - by restricting the latter to exactly what it says (to 'lighten his hair with a razor and to wash his clothes with water'. Shaving and washing clothes in the normal manner is only permitted if one of the other circumstances mentioned in our Mishnah, is added to the double period of mourning.

(c)Rav Chisda learns from this Beraisa - that an Avel is forbidden to wash his clothes (though above 15a. we learned this from the woman from Teko'ah) See also Tosfos DH 'Zos'.

12)

(a)Rebbi Yehudah compares cutting one's nails both on Chol ha'Mo'ed and in the case of an Avel to washing one's clothes - Rebbi Yosi permits it in both cases.

(b)Ula rules stringently by an Avel, like Rebbi Yehudah, and leniently on Chol ha'Mo'ed, like Rebbi Yosi - Shmuel, based on his own ruling that we always rule leniently in Hilchos Avelus, rules leniently in both cases.