[149a - 47 lines; 149b - 53 lines]
1)[line 2]שטרי הדיוטותSHETAREI HEDYOTOS- business documents
2)[line 3]מידליMIDLI- it is raised (above where he can reach)
3)[line 8]שתי קומותSHTEI KOMOS- the height of two people
4)[line 8]מרדעותMARDE'OS- handles of the plow (a long pole)
5)[line 10]מיתתיMITATEI- it is low down (i.e., even if it is low down, where he can reach it)
6)[line 12]גודא בשטרא לא מיחלףGUDA B'SHETARA LO MICHLAF- [writing that is] on a wall is never confused with a document
7)[line 14]חייק אטבלא ואפינקסCHAYIK A'TAVLA V'A'PINKAS- it is engraved on a writing tablet or a board
8)[line 21]דכתיב מיכתבDI'CHSIV MICHTAV- that it is written with ink (and we are afraid he will erase it)
9)[line 31]מראהMAR'EH- a mirror
10)[line 38]להשיר בהL'HASHIR BAH- to cut off with it
11)[line 38]נימין המדולדליןNIMIN HA'MEDULDALIN- the uneven hairs that are hanging down lower than the rest
12)[line 40]הדיוקנאותHA'DEYOKNA'OS- images of people from stories
13)[line 43]אל תפנו אל מדעתכםAL TIFNU EL MI'DAITCHEM- do not turn aside to that which you contrive in your minds (RASHI); alternatively, do not push out G-d from your minds (ARUCH)
14)[line 46]המקפידין זה על זהHA'MAKPIDIN ZEH AL ZEH- that are stingy and careful not to let each other take too much. (In the case of the lots as well, the people are stingy with each other which is why they cast lots.)
15)[last line]משום מדה ומשום משקלMISHUM MIDAH U'MISHUM MISHKAL- they transgress the Rabbinic prohibition against taking merchandise on Shabbos or Yom Tov by its count, if it is an item that is counted, and against weighing, if it is an item that is weighed
16)[last line]משום לווין ופורעיןMISHUM LOVIN U'FOR'IN- they transgress the Rabbinic enactment not to borrow using the word "Halva'ah," (TOSFOS) and not to pay back on Shabbos what one borrows during the week (CHIDUSHEI HA'RAN)
149b----------------------------------------149b
17)[line 1]אף משום רביתAF MISHUM RIBIS- they pay with interest, according to Hilel (since they pay back the present value of the food they borrowed, if it rose in price)
18)[line 1]בניו ובני ביתו נמיBANAV U'VNEI BEISO NAMI- it should also be prohibited to cast lots among the family (since it is required that all the lots be equal, and if so they are being stingy with each other).
19)[line 12]קוביאKUVYA- dice-playing, gambling
20)[line 20]"ויאמר ה' מי יפתה את אחאב ויעל ויפל ברמת גלעד ויאמר זה בכה וזה אמר בכה. ויצא הרוח ויעמד לפני ה' ויאמר אני אפתנו ויאמר ה' אליו במה. ויאמר אצא והייתי רוח שקר בפי כל נביאיו ויאמר תפתה וגם תוכל צא ועשה כן.""VA'YOMER HASH-M, 'MI YEFATEH ES ACHAV V'YA'AL V'YIPOL B'RAMOS GIL'AD?' VA'YOMER ZEH B'CHO V'ZEH OMER B'CHO. VA'YETZEI HA'RU'ACH VA'YA'AMOD LIFNEI HASH-M, VA'YOMER, 'ANI AFATENU.' VA'YOMER HASH-M ELAV, 'BAMEH?' VA'YOMER, 'ETZEI V'HAYISI RU'ACH SHEKER B'FI KOL NEVI'AV.' VA'YOMER, 'TEFATEH V'GAM TUCHAL. TZEI VA'ASEH KEN.'" - "And HaSh-m said, 'Who will entice Achav, that he may go out and fall [in battle] at Ramos Gil'ad?' This one said like this and that one said like that. Then a spirit came forward and stood before HaSh-m, and it said, 'I will entice him.' HaSh-m said to him, 'How will you do that?' And he (the spirit of Navos) said, 'I will go out and I will be a spirit of falsehood in the mouths of all his prophets.' And He said, 'Entice him, and you will succeed. Go and do it.'"..." (Melachim I 22:20-22) (THE SPIRIT OF NAVOS)
(a)In the previous chapter of Melachim (I 21), the story is told of Achav, the wicked king of the ten tribes of Yisrael, who had an uncontrollable desire for the vineyard of Navos ha'Yizre'eli, his relative. Izevel, the wife of the king, devised a sinister plot in which Navos was executed and Achav inherited the vineyard. HaSh-m held Achav responsible for the murder, sending word through Eliyahu the prophet that "in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Navos shall the dogs lick your blood" (ibid. 21:19). Divine retribution was to be meted out upon Achav for this and his many other sins.
(b)In Chapter 22, all of the king's advisors and (false) prophets advocated a war with Aram, predicting Achav's victory. Concurrently, Michayhu, a true prophet, saw a vision in which the spirit of Navos offered to entice Achav into the battle that would lead to his doom. This spirit was responsible for all of the false prophecies of victory.
(c)Navos indeed succeeded in convincing Achav's prophets that he would defeat the enemy nation. Achav took the advice of his false prophets and went to fight. Although no battle actually took place, he was killed, as the Navi goes on to relate in detail. Although he was later buried, much of his blood was indeed lapped up by dogs in the same place where Navos was executed.
(d)When HaSh-m told the spirit of Navos to go ("Tzei"), this also implied that he must leave the presence of HaSh-m. Even though HaSh-m blessed the spirit with success, He nevertheless used this expression and said that the spirit of Navos must leave His presence, because of the principle that whoever lies will not stand in the vicinity of the Shechinah.
21)[line 28]"שבעת קלון ...""SAVATA KALON ..."- "You are filled with shame instead of glory; drink also, and stagger; the cup of HaSh-m's right hand shall be turned to you, and shameful disgrace shall be on your glory." (Chabakuk 2:16) - The prophet describes Nevuchadnetzar, who practiced sodomy with the kings that he took captive. On the day that he tried to take advantage of Tzidkiyahu, king of Yehudah, he suffered great shame when HaSh-m caused his male organ to extend three hundred Amos, thwarting his evil intentions, as described in the Gemara below.
22)[line 30]"שתה גם אתה, והערל" זה צדקיה"SHESEI GAM ATAH, V'HE'AREL" ZEH TZIDKIYAH- The Gemara at present is suggesting that the verse expresses displeasure with Tzidkiyah's conduct, since Nevuchadnezer was punished due to Tzidkiyah (at the party, as the Gemara will relate shortly).
23)[line 37]צדיק אתהTZADIK ATAH...- (this is the Derashah of Chazal on the verse that was quoted)
24)[line 38]פוראPURA- lot
25)[line 39]"איך נפלת משמים ...""EICH NAFALTA MI'SHAMAYIM ..."- "How have you fallen from heaven, O bright star of the morning? How have you been cut down to the ground, you, who ruled over the nations?" (Yeshayah 14:12) - The phrase "who ruled over the nations" is interpreted by the Gemara to mean "who cast lots over [the kings of] the nations," assigning each a day for sodomy.
26)[line 48]המסיבהHA'MESIBAH- the [participants at the] banquet
27)[line 51]ליחלות כמותם הוא באLICHALOS KEMOSAM HU BA- to get sick and die like them
28)[line 52]"ממי נעמת ...""MI'MI NA'AMTA ..."- "Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid with the uncircumcised." (Yechezkel 32:19) - The word for beauty can also be translated as pleasure. The Bas Kol rhetorically asked Nevuchadnetzar if he thought that his afterlife would be any more pleasurable than the other wicked people who go to Gehinom.
29)[last line]"איך שבת נוגש ...""EICH SHAVAS NOGES ..."- "How has the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased!" (Yeshayah 14:4) - Bavel was the city that was adorned with the gold of all the nations of the world that it plundered. Rav breaks up the word "Madhevah" homiletically into "Madod v'Havei" - "count out your gold and bring it [here]!" Ika d'Amrei break the word into "Me'od Me'od Havi b'Lo Midah" - "Bring lots and lots, infinite amounts!"