[40a - 39 lines; 40b - 23 lines]
1)[line 16]åìåéíV'LEVIYIM (TAHARASAN V'KIDUSHAN)
The Leviyim were chosen to help the Kohanim with the Avodah in the Mishkan after all of their tribe remained faithful to HaSh-m in the desert, when other tribes of Bnei Yisrael sinned with the Golden Calf. Five things were done to purify and consecrate the Leviyim (Bamidbar 8:5-22), as follows:
1.They were sprinkled with the water that was mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah and they immersed in a Mikvah.
2.All the hair on their bodies was shaven with a razor.
3.They brought two bullocks, one as a Korban Chatas and one as a Korban Olah.
4.The firstborn of Bnei Yisrael (who had until then performed the Avodah) rested their hands on the heads of the Leviyim as a sign that they transferred their Avodah to them.
5.Aharon and then Moshe performed Tenufah on all of the Leviyim, taking each Levi in their arms, moving him back and forth and then up and down.
2)[line 19]ñê ðùàSACH NASHA- if he smeared Nasha on his hair, [a medicinal salve made from the sap of] a plant which causes hair to fall out
3)[line 28]úðåôä áâåôíTENUFAH B'GUFAM- Tenufah (see above, entry 1:5) performed on their bodies
4)[line 29]÷øáðå èòåï ìçíKORBANO TA'UN LECHEM- his Korban includes bread, i.e. the Rekikei Nazir (see Background to Nazir 39:23)
5)[line 34]åçæø äãéïV'CHAZAR HA'DIN
(a)The method of learning that is being used by our Gemara is called a comparison, or "Meh Matzinu" - "What we have found [in one subject, applies to another subject, also]." Among the rules of this method is the rule of a "Pirchah" (a question), where even a slight difference between the subjects causes the comparison to collapse, and no connection may be made.
(b)At this point the Gemara will bring a "Yochi'ach" or "Tochi'ach" (fem.) (a proof), where another subject, which fulfills the requirements of the Pirchah, is used to rebuild the comparison. A second Pirchah follows, where the Yochi'ach subject is brought into question. Then the original subject becomes the Yochi'ach.
(c)The conclusion is v'Chazar ha'Din (the Din goes back and forth), Lo Re'i Zeh k'Re'i Zeh (this subject is not exactly like that subject and vice versa), but the Tzad ha'Shaveh (common denominator) may be used to connect the Halachos of the two subjects, and we may learn a new Halachah from them (in our case, that all shavings require a razor). The common denominator may also be brought into question, which inhibits learning the new Halachah from the two subjects.
40b----------------------------------------40b
6)[line 1]÷øáðå áãìåúKORBANO B'DALUS - His sacrifice changes when he is poor
A Metzora (see Background to Nazir 14:5), on the eighth day after he is healed from his Tzara'as, must bring Korbanos to complete his Taharah. The animal Korbanos are two male sheep and one female sheep. One of the male sheep is offered as an Olah, the other as an Asham. The female sheep is offered as a Chatas. If he could not afford to buy all these animals, he is called a poor Metzora. The poor Metzora brings two Torim (turtledoves) or two Bnei Yonah (common doves) as the Olah and the Chatas; however, a sheep is still brought as his Asham.
7a)[line 8]áîì÷èMELAKET- a plane or file used for metal surfaces (RASHI to Kidushin 35b) or for planing flat shutters or shields (ROSH; see "Rehitni," below). (Elsewhere, Yevamos 43a, Rashi explains that a Melaket is pincers for picking hair, wool, etc. (O.F. moles), as is evident from the Gemara there. However, when it is mentioned together with Rehitni, Rashi explains that it refers to a tool that can cut and destroy hair, like a razor, and that is normally used to even broad flat surfaces, as is evident from our Gemara and from Shabbos 97a. The Rambam, however, (PERUSH HA'MISHNAH to Makos 21a, see also BARTENURA there) explains that both Melaket and Rehitni are metal tools that can be used for plucking individual hairs, such as pincers and tweezers, and not planes.)
b)[line 9]åáøäéèðéREHITNI- (a) a plane used for evening wooden or metal surfaces such as flat shutters or shields (RASHI to Shabbos 97a and Kidushin 35b, see above, "Melaket"); (b) a kind of tweezers (see previous entry, from the Rambam)
8)[line 10]"[åäéä áéåí äùáéòé éâìç àú ëì ùòøå àú øàùå åàú] æ÷ðå [åàú âáú òéðéå åàú ëì ùòøå éâìç...]""[V'HAYAH VA'YOM HA'SHEVI'I YEGALACH ES KOL SE'ARO; ES ROSHO, V'ES] ZEKANO, [V'ES GABOS EINAV, V'ES KOL SE'ARO YEGALE'ACH...]"- "[And on the seventh day he shall shave off all of his hair; [the hair of] his head], his beard [and his eyebrows and all of his hair he shall shave off. And he shall immerse his clothes, and immerse his flesh in water, and he shall be Tahor.]" (Vayikra 14:9)