1)

(a)Rebbi Yitzchak reconciles the fact that earlier, we reckoned the years of Koresh from Nisan, because he was a righteous king, and now we find that the Pasuk considers Adar and Av to be in the same year - by establishing the latter Pasuk after he turned sour.

(b)Rav Kahana queries this from a Pasuk in Ezra, where the Pasuk describes - how Koresh gave orders to provide pigeons, rams, sheep, flour, salt, wine and oil, and whatever else the Kohanim requested, for the needs of the Beis-Hamikdash.

(c)Rav Yitzchak will justify his answer - by pointing to the very same Pasuk, which adds that he only made all these donations, so that Nechemyah should pray to Hash-m for his own well-being, and that of his children.

2)

(a)Chazal declare someone who regularly vows to give Tzedakah so that his sick son should recover, or so that he should go to Olam ha'Ba - a complete Tzadik.

(b)Rav Yitzchak did not apply it to Koresh however - because he was a Nochri (Note, this Sugya clearly does not agree with those who hold that Koresh was the son of Esther - which would make him a Yisrael)

(c)The basis of this distinction is based on the fact - that whereas a Yisrael will not retract from the Mitzvah even if his son does not recover, preferring to attribute his son's death to his own shortcomings), a Nochri considers his stipulation to be binding (and if G-d does not respond, he will blame Him for not keeping His side of the bargain).

3)

(a)Alternatively, Koresh turned sour, in connection (not with the donation of the materials, but) with the instructions that he issued for the Beis Hamikdash's construction - where he ordered one row of wood to be built, for every three rows of stones (so that, should the Jews rebel against him, he would easily be able to set fire to it.

(b)The problem with this explanation is - that Shlomo ha'Melech too, constructed one row of wood for every three rows of stone.

(c)To answer this question, we cite three differences between the two methods of building. One of them is the fact that whereas Shlomo built the rows of wood on top, Koresh built them underneath. The other two are - whereas Shlomo sunk the wood into the building, Koresh made sure that it protruded, and whereas Shlomo plastered the wood with lime, Koresh did not.

4)

(a)Rav Yosef (and some say Rebbi Yitzchak) ascribes Koresh's wickedness to - the Shegal (the female dog) that he placed beside him (for immoral purposes).

(b)We learn from the Pasuk "va'Hayu l'Basar Echad" - that bestiality is forbidden even to Nochrim (since, seeing as a person cannot conceive from an animal, they cannot become 'one').

5)

(a)The Pasuk in Daniel describes how Beltshatzar, together with his princes, and, among others, his Shegal, were drinking wine. Bitches will drink wine - if they are trained to do so.

(b)If Shegal means a female dog, then what David ha'Melech means when he writes "B'nos Melachim ... Nitzav Shegal li'Yeminecha, b'Kesem Ofir" is - that they will merit the good quality gold of Ofir, because the Torah is as dear to them as a female dog to a Nochri.

(c)Others say that in spite of the fact that 'Shegal' generally means a queen - Rabah bar Limah quoting Rav however, had a tradition that there in Nechemyah, it refers to a female dog.

6)

(a)We suggest a fourth interpretation of Koresh's sin, inasmuch as he initially offered materials for the B.H. without specifying amounts; but when it came to the crunch, he fixed the quantity of each commodity, giving the impression that he had deteriorated between the initial offer and the time of building.

(b)We refute this contention however - on the grounds that it would have been the natural thing for Koresh to offer unlimited materials before knowing how much was required, and then of specifying the amounts once it was known how much was needed. It cannot therefore, be construed as a sign of wickedness.

7)

(a)When the Tana give Rosh Chodesh Nisan as the Rosh Hashanah for Regalim, Rav Chisda explains - he means the Yom-Tov which occurs in the month following Rosh Chodesh Nisan.

(b)The ramifications of Rav Chisda's explanation - concern the Lav of Bal Te'acher, which one now transgresses after Pesach.

8)

(a)The Tana Kama in a Beraisa rules that someone who is Noder, Makdish or Ma'arich - is subject to Bal Te'acher.

(b)When Rebbi Shimon says that sometimes one has three Yamim-Tovim on which to bring one's Korbanos (before transgressing 'Bal Te'acher'), sometimes, four and sometimes, five, he means - that if one made a Neder to bring a Korban before Pesach, then one has until after Sukos (three Yamim-Tovim) before transgressing; before Shavu'os or before Sukos, then he has until Sukos a year (five and four Yamim-Tovim, respectively).

(c)According to the Tana Kama - one transgresses 'Bal' Te'acher' after the third Yom-Tov, irrespective of when one made the Neder.

(d)Consequently, the author of our Mishnah, (which presents Nisan as Rosh Hashanah for the Regalim), must be Rebbi Shimon - in whose opinion Pesach and then Shavu'os, must precede Sukos, before Bal Te'acher comes into effect, and not the Tana Kama (in whose opinion, the sequence makes no difference).

9)

(a)The Beraisa discusses all the items that are subject to Bal Te'acher, incorporating all Kodshim (Chata'os, Ashamos, Olos & Shelamim) ...

1. ... Chayvei Damim (i.e. where someone declares 'Dami Alai' [a Neder to donate his own value (or someone else's) to Hekdesh ...

2. ... Erchin and Charamim.

(b)'Bal Te'acher' also pertains to Leket, Shichechah and Pe'ah - either if he took them b'Isur (and subsequently became obligated to repay the poor), or if he left them in the field, but no poor people came to claim them, in which case, he must take them and give them to poor people who subsequently arrive (See Tosfos DH 'Leket ... ').

(c)According to Rebbi Meir, 'Bal Te'acher' applies already after the first Yom-Tov; whereas according to Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov - it applies only after two Yamim-Tovim.

(d)The last opinion is that of Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon, who holds - that Bal Te'acher comes into effect after Sukos (irrespective of when the obligation began).

10)

(a)the Tana Kama learns from the fact that, after having discussed the Shalosh Regalim, the Pasuk in Re'eh inserts the phrase "b'Chag ha'Matzos, uve'Chag ha'Shavuos uve'Chag ha'Sukos" - that 'Bal Te'acher' applies after the three Regalim have passed (in any order).

(b)According to Rebbi Shimon - one only transgresses Bal Te'acher after the three Regalim have passed in the right order (beginning with Pesach [because otherwise why does the Torah mention Chag Sukos, seeing it is the Chag with which the Pasuk is still dealing]).

(c)Rebbi Meir learns that it applies after one Regel from the Pasuk there "u'Vasa Shamah va'Haveisem Shamah". According to the Rabanan - this Pasuk is confined to an Aseh, which one transgresses by not bringing one's Korban before the end of the first Yom-Tov (but not the Lav of Bal Te'acher).

(d)Rebbi Meir will argue - that if there is already an Aseh to bring it by then, then it stands to reason that the Lav of Bal Te'acher will apply then, too.

11)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov learns his opinion (of two Regalim) from "Eileh Ta'asu la'Hashem b'Mo'adeichem" - which is written in the plural, the minimum of which is two ...

(b)... and the Rabanan learn from there - that all the Regalim are compared to each other (Rebbi Yonah's Hekesh), to teach us that all the Se'irei Chata'os (the goats of the Chata'os) brought on each Yom-Tov, come to atone for the same sin (namely, the Tum'ah of the Mikdash and its Kodshim).

(c)Whereas Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon learns that it depends solely on Sukos - because the Torah sees fit to mention "Chag ha'Sukos", even though it has only just discussed it (similar to Rebbi Shimon's line of thought that we discussed earlier).

12)

(a)Rebbi Meir and Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov learn from the Pasuk "b'Chag ha'Matzos, uve'Chag ha'Shavuos uve'Chag ha'Sukos" - the Derashah of Rebbi Elazar Amar Rebbi Oshaya, who learns from there that Shavu'os is compared to Pesach, to give it seven days of Tashlumin (i.e. the six days following the first day of Yom-Tov, to complement the Korbanos that one did not bring on the first day), just like on Pesach.

(b)Initially, we decline to compare Shavu'os to Sukos (to give it seven days of Tashlumin and not just six), because Shemini Atzeres is an independent Yom-Tov, and not part of Sukos. We reject this argument however - on the grounds that Shemini Atzeres is an independent Yom-Tov in six specific area only (i.e. 'Pezer Keshev', the acronym of Payis, Zman, Regel, Korban, Shirah, Berachah), but not in any other regard.

(c)We finally compare Shavuos to Pesach in this regard, rather than to Sukos - based on the principle 'Tafasta Merubah, Lo Tafasta' (one always learns from the smaller number [in this case from Pesach, which has seven days, rather than from Sukos, which has eight, because the smaller number is included in the larger one, but not vice-versa]).

(d)The Torah nevertheless includes Sukos in this Pasuk - in order to compare it to Pesach regarding the Mitzvah of Linah (which the Torah has already written explicitly by Pesach).