1)

(a)

1. Zoreh is winnowing.

2. Meraked is sifting.

(b)Since Borer, Zoreh and Meraked were all performed in the Mishkan, they are all included in the thirty-nine Melachos, in spite of their similarity.

2)

(a)According to Abaye, the Mishnah does not mention Kotesh, because a poor man will eat his bread without Ketishah - and our Mishnah only deals with Melachos that are indispensable.

(b)Someone who performs Ketishah on Shabbos - is Chayav (despite the fact that the Tana did not insert it in our Mishnah).

(c)Rava didagrees with Abaye. According to him the author of our Mishnah is Rebbi, who holds that there are thirty-nine Melachos, and no more. Consequently, there is no room for any other Melachah.We reject Rava's answer however - on the grounds that if Kotesh is omitted only because Rebbi lists specifically thirty-nine Melachos, and not forty, then would it not have been more sensible to omit Zoreh, Borer or Meraked (one of the three that are really the same Melachah), and to insert Kotesh, which is the same as Dash. In this way, two pairs of two Melachos which are really the same, will be mentioned twice, rather than one set of three, and one of the second pair, not at all. Therefore we accept Abaye's answer.

3)

(a)The Beraisa states 'Hayu Lefanav Minei Ochlin, Borer ve'Ochel, Borer u'Meni'ach, ve'Lo Yivror, ve'Im Birar, Chayav Chatas'. We reject the explanation that one may select ...

1. ... for the same day, but not for tomorrow, because someone who selects for tomorrow, will be Chayav a Chatas - on the grounds that it is inconceivable that one should be permitted to perform any kind of Melachah on Shabbos for later on in the day, any more than one may cook for later on in the day.

2. ... less than a Shiur, but for more than the Shiur, one is Chayav a Chatas - on the basis of Rebbi Yochanan's principle (in Yoma) 'Chatzi Shiur Asur min ha'Torah'. Consequently, to select half a Shiur, cannot be permitted Lechatchilah.

3. ... with one's hands, but not using a wooden funnel or a dish, which is forbidden, but he will only be Chayav a Chatas if he uses a sieve - because the Tana of the Beraisa does not mention any of these implements, So from where would we know to differentiate in this way?

4. ... the good from the bad, but for selecting the bad from the good, one is Chayav Chatas - because the Tana does not allude to Ochel or Peso'les. Here again, from here would we know to differentiate in this way?

(b)Rava praised Abaye for his interpretation of the Beraisa - that the Tana is speaking exclusively about selecting with one's hands. What he is saying is that one may select with one's hands to eat immediately, since this is not the way that one normally selects (Consequently, it is not included in the Melachah of Borer, but is considered part of the eating process). Whereas to select for later is forbidden, no less than someone who selects to put into storage (for which he will be Chayav).

4)

(a)Rav Ashi and Rav Yirmiyah mi'Difti argue whether the above-mentioned Beraisa should read 'Chayav' or 'Patur Aval Asur'.In fact, according to Rav Ashi, who says Patur, there are two Beraisos, not just one - the Beraisa which says 'Chayav', speaks about selecting using a sieve, whereas the Beraisa which says 'Patur Aval Asur' speaks about selecting, using a funnel or a dish (and both Beraisos are speaking when one selects to eat immediately (see Tosfos DH 've'Hatanya').

(b)Rav Bibi emptied the basket of fruit in front of the Talmidim rather than pick out the good fruit, and give it to them. Rav Dimi was not sure -whether Rav Bibi declined to select the edible fruit from the basket because he was of the opinion that even selecting the good from the bad is forbidden on Shabbos, or because it looks stingy to select a few pieces of fruit, to place them on the table in front of the participants.

(c)According to Chizkiyah, someone who picks Turmus-beans from their waste, is Chayav - not because he holds that one is Chayav for picking out the good from the bad, but because Turmus-beans are unique.

(d)There are three ways of interpreting their uniqueness: either because 've'I Lo Shakli Lei, Masrach', or 've'I Lo Shalki Lei, Masrach' or 've'I Shakli Lei, Masrach'. The meaning of ...

1. 've'I Lo Shakli Lei, Masrach is - that the food becomes so tender through the constant cooking, that if one does not remove it, it will smell. Constantly, as long as the beans are lying in the waste, they are considered inedible, and have the Din of waste (and one is in fact, taking Peso'les from Peso'les).

2. 've'I Lo Shalki Lei, Masrach' is - that the good Turmus-beans need to be cooked seven times. If one fails to do that, they will smell. Consequently, when one selects some of the beans, after two or three times cooking, from the other species cooking in the pot, it is like taking the Peso'les from the Ochel, because the kinds that remain in the pot, may be inferior foods, but they are ready to eat; whereas the beans stand to become smelly, unless they are cooked again a few more time. Consequently, extracting the beans from the pot is called Peso'les from Ochel.

3. 've'I Shakli Lei, Masrach' is - that the beans that one removes from the pot, after so many times cooking, crumble in one's hands, and become very unpleasant to eat. Therefore, taking the beans out of the pot is like taking the Peso'les from the Ochel.

5)

(a)

1. 'Parim Silka' means cutting-up a beet into small pieces.

2. 'Salis Silta' means cutting wood into small pieces.

(b)Both are Chayav - because of Tochen (according to the Hagahos Oshri, this applies to beets exclusively).

(c)In the latter case, one will also have contravened the Melachah of Mechatech if he cut the wood to a certain size.

6)

(a)The Mishnah lists baking among the thirty-nine Melachos, though baking was not performed in the construction of the Mishkan - cooking was (in preparing the dyes for the curtains - and baking and cooking are one and the same as regards Melachos).

(b)The Tana mentions baking, says Rav Papa - because he prefers to deal with Melachos that pertain to refer to the preparation of bread (which is more common than that of dyes).

(c)

1. ... Rav Acha bar Avira needs to tell us that if someone throws a wet peg into the oven, he is Chayav for cooking - because whereas cooking generally softens things that are being cooked, when someone throws a wet peg into an oven, his intention is to harden it, and we might have thought that he is Patur, since that is not called cooking. The reason that it is is because the wood first softens, before becoming hard.

2. ... Rabah bar Rav Huna needs to tell us that one is Chayav for heating-up pitch for the same reason as the previous case - because the intention is for the pitch to become hard, and he is nevertheless Chayav because the process of the heating first softens it.

7)

(a)Someone who makes an earthenware barrel (be'Shigegas Melachos), says Rava, is Chayav seven Chata'os: 1. grinding the lumps of earth; 2. discarding the thick pieces (selecting); 3. sifting; 4. mixing the earth with water; 5. smoothening the shaped barrel; 6. lighting the fire of the furnace; 7. placing the barrel in the fire to harden. He is not also Chayav for digging the earth - because he needs the earth, and not the hole, and, as we learnt earlier, he is Patur, according to Rebbi Shimon because it is a 'Melachah she'Einah Tzerichah le'Gufah', and according to Rebbi Yehudah, because it is Kilkul.

(b)Manufacturing an earthenware oven follows exactly the same process, except that, after baking it in the furnace, one adds a layer of clay, to ensure that the oven preserves its heat. Consequently - he will also have contravened the Melachah of Makeh ba'Patish.

(c)Someone who manufactures a reed bee-hive, says Rabah bar bar Chanah Amar Rebbi Yochanan, is Chayav eleven Chata'os - beginning with pruning the reeds, and ending with cutting the ends of the reeds that still protrude after the completion of the weaving. The eleventh Melachah is difficult to pinpoint. It cannot constitute ...

1. ... Mafshit (stripping - when he splits the reeds) - because Mafshit only applies by animal skins.

2. ... Techinah (grinding) - because he does not want the wood that has been ground, and the Melachah would therefore be a 'Melachah she'Einah Tzerichah le'Gufah' (which is Patur, according to Rebbi Shimon).

3. ... Boneh - because of the principle 'Ein Binyan be'Keilim' (and the same principle will explain why he is not Chayav Boneh in the oven in the previous case).

(d)In fact, the eleventh Melachah constitutes - Mechatech, because he needs to cut the reeds into thin strips (like Salis Silta that we learned above).

8)

(a)In the process of manufacturing the beehive, he will he be Chayav for an additional two Melachos - if he reinforces the beehive by making a rim around the top, in which case, he will also be Chayav for sewing and tying a knot.

9)

(a)Rabbah bar bar Chanah quotes Rebbi Yochanan, who says that someone who spins wool directly from the sheep's back, has performed three Melachos: shearing, splitting the strands of wool - and spinning.

(b)Rav Kahana argues that this is not the normal way to perform any of these Melachos. Consequently, he will not be Chayav for any of them.

(c)We cannot prove Rebbi Yochanan's opinion from the Pasuk which describes how the women actually spun the goats' hair directly from the backs of the goats, in the manufacture of the goats-skin curtains for the Mishkan - because the Pasuk is speaking about professionals, who are Chayav even according to Rav Kahana. Rav Kahana is referring to amateur weavers.

10)

(a)

1. 'ha'Tolesh es ha'Kanaf' means - plucking the feathers from the soft section of a bird's wing.

2. 've'Hakomto' - clipping off the fluff from the stem.

3. 've'Hamorto - trimming the hard end of the stem.

(b)The three Melachos that one will have contravened for performing all three are - Gozez (shearing), Mechatech (cutting to size), and Memachek (smoothening).

11)

(a)The source in the Mishkan for tying knots cannot be ...

1. ... tying the curtain-cords to the tent-pegs - because they were not tied down permanently (seeing as whenever they moved, they would untie them again; and we will learn later that one is not Chayav for temporary knots).

2. ... the knots that the weavers would tie whenever a strand from the curtains would tear - because, although that might serve as a source for the Melachah of Kosher, from where would we know the Melachah of Matie (untying)?

(b)What is wrong with the suggestion that when two knots appeared next to each other in two consecutive threads, they would untie one and leave the other is - that is not something that one would do for a human king, let alone for Hash-m!

(c)When two knots appeared next to each other - they would leave the one tied, and cut off a large section of the second thread, replacing it with a new thread which they would tie at the top and at the bottom.

(d)The source for tying and untying knots for the construction of the Mishkan is - the knots that they would untie and tie - from the threads of one fishing-net to another (which were used to catch the small Chilazon fish, from which they obtained the Techeles dye for the curtains).

12)

(a)When we ask with regard to Tofer Sh'tei Tefiros: 've'Ha Lo Kayma' we mean - that two stitches in a garment will not last, and one is not Chayav for any Melachah that does not last.

(b)Rabah bar bar Chanah Amar Rebbi Yochanan answers - that one is in fact, only Chayav for sewing two stitches in a garment if he ties the two ends with a knot.

(c)Rabah and Rebbi Zeira both explain that tearing was performed in the Mishkan - when a worm ate a small hole in the curtains, and they would make a small tear at both ends of the hole, so that, when they subsequently stitched it together, the stitch would be straight, without leaving folds in the curtain.

13)

(a)Rav says that someone who pulls the loose end of a strand of a garment, thereby adjusting it - is Chayav because of Tefirah.