1)

(a)Rava proves from the combination of our Mishnah, which writes 'ha'Motzi Yayin, K'dei Mezigas Kos', the Beraisa (which adds) 'K'dei Mezigas Kos Yafeh', and the Seifa 'u'She'ar Kol ha'Mashkin, bi'Revi'is - that 'K'dei Mezigas Kos' (in our Mishnah) means a quarter of a Revi'is ha'Lug. Because we see from the Seifa of the Mishnah ('u'She'ar Kol ha'Mashkin ... '), that less than the Shiur of a Revi'is is not Chashuv, when it comes to drinking. And Rava follows his own reasoning - in that wine needs to be diluted to the ratio of three parts water to one part wine.

(b)The Rova Revi'is in our Sugya cannot possibly mean a quarter of a Lug, which will become a Lug after the water has been added, because the Sugya in Nazir includes this case in the ten Revi'ios listed there - and those Revi'ios are all a Revi'is ha'Lug.

(c)Abaye ask on Rava from the Mishnah in Nidah, which, in describing 'Mazug' (one of the appearances of Dam Nidah), writes 've'ha'Mazug Sh'nei Chelkei Mayim, ve'Echad Yayin, min ha'Yayin ha'Sheroni' - from which it appears that one dilutes wine by adding two parts water to one part wine, and not three, as Rava maintains.

(d)He also asks 'Mayim be'Kad, u'Mitztarfin?', by which he means to ask - how Rava can gauge the wine by how much water one needs to add to render it drinkable, seeing as, at that stage, the wine is not drinkable?

(e)Abaye therefore explains 'K'dei Mezigas Kos' to mean - that the quarter of a Revi'is is Chashuv in its own right, because that is what the Chachamim determined.

2)

(a)Firstly, Rava counters, how can Abaye query him from the Misahnah in Nidah, which specifically mentions Yayin ha'Sheroni. Perhaps ordinary wine is different. And besides, he says, the Mishnah there is talking about diluting the wine to give it the appearance of Dam Nidah! Who's talking about taste? Perhaps for taste, wine requires three parts water to one part wine?

(b)And as far as 'Mayim be'Kad, u'Mitztarfin' - Chazal determine the Shiurim (not necessarily by an object's current use, but also) by its potential use because that is the amount that someone would carry, with the intention of adding water later.

3)

(a)According to Rebbi Nasan - one wil need to carry out a K'zayis of congealed wine on Shabbos in order to be Chayav.

(b)In another Beraisa, Beis Shamai' declares Dam Neveilah, Tahor, which either means that it is not Metamei at all, or - that it is not Metamei the stringent Tum'ah of Tum'as Neveilah (to be Metamei even a person, and even through carrying), but it is Metamei a more lenient Tum'ah (food and drink through touching, like food is).

(c)According to Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Yehudah, even Beis Hillel only render Dam Neveilah Tamei if it consists of at least a Revi'is - because a Revi'is of blood when congealed becomes a k'Zayis, which is the Shiur for Tum'as Neveilah.

(d)Rav Yosef equates Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Yehudah with Rebbi Nasan in the previous Beraisa (regarding congealed wine). Abaye refutes this - because, he argues, Rebbi ...

1. ... Nasan might be speaking specifically about congealed wine, which is more fluid, but blood which is thicker, may require less than a Revi'is to become a k'Zayis when congealed.

2. ... Yossi b'Rebbi Yehudah might be speaking specifically about a Revi'is of congealed blood, but wine may require more than a Revi'is to become a k'Zayis when congealed.

4)

(a)We prove from the Pasuk ...

1. ... "Hagmi'ini Na Me'at Mayim mi'Kadech" - that the word 'Gemi'a' is spelt with an 'Alef' and not with an 'Ayin' (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak).

2. ... "ve'Nigra me'Erkecha" - that 'Gar'inin' (which are removed from the fruit) is spelt with an 'Ayin' and not with an 'Alef' (Rava bar Ula).

3. ... "Arazim Lo Amemuhu" - that 'Omemos' is spelt with an 'Ayin' and not with an 'Alef' (Rav Yitachak bar Avdimi).

4. ... "ve'Otzem Einav me'Re'os be'Ra" - that 'Me'amtzin' is spelt with an Ayin and not with an 'Alef' Rebbi Chiya bar Aba).

5)

(a)We learned in a Beraisa that the Shi'ur for carrying out an animal's milk is enough for one gulp, and for carrying out a Kilur (a salve for the eyes), the amount that is required to rub into water, to salve both eyes. The Shi'ur the Tana gives for ...

1. ... a woman's milk and for ...

2. ... the white of an egg is - the amount that one adds to a Kilur before rubbing it iinto water.

(b)The Shiur for honey is sufficient to place on a wound. Rav Ashi's dilemma is - whether this means enough to cover the entire surface of the wound, or only the mouth (e.g. on the tip of a boil).

(c)The outcome of the She'eilah is 'Teiku' ('Tishbi Yetaretz Kushyos ve'Ibayos').

6)

(a)Rav Yehudah declared - that there is no creation of Hash-m that is superfluous.

(b)He created ...

1. ... the snail - to place on a wound (like we just learnt by honey).

2. ... the fly - as an antidote to a hornet-sting.

3. ... the gnat - as an antidote for snake-bite.

4. ... the snake - as a cure for a type of boil.

5. ... the spider - as an antidote for the bite of a scorpion (see Agados Maharsha).

(c)A lion is afraid of the mosquito, and the elephant of the the gnat.

1. A scorpion is afraid of spiders ...

2. ... an eagle, of swallows ...

3. ... the Livyasan, of sticklebacks.

(d)From the Pasuk "ha'Mavlig Shod Al Az" we learn - that sometimes Hash-m places the power in the hands of the weak, to place their fear into the hearts of those many times stronger than themselves.

7)

(a)Rav Yehudah told Rebbi Zeira some fascinating facts. He told him that ...

1. ... it is the goats that go at the head of the flock - because they are generally black (and the sheep, white), and in the pattern of the creation, darkness comes before light ("Veyehi Erev, Vayehi Voker ... ")

2. ... the private parts of a sheep are covered with wool - because they provide us with wool (with which to cover ourselves) - whereas those of a goats are not.

3. ... a camel's tail is short - because it eats thorns; a long tail would get scratched by the thorns. The cow, on the other hand, has a long tail - in order to swat the flies, which abound in the meadow, where it lives.

4. ... the antenna of a grasshopper (or of an ant) are soft, because it lives among the willows, which would break them, if they were hard.

(b)The chicken is uniaue, inasmuch as it is the only creature whose lower eyelids close upwards - to cover the upper ones. This is because it lives among the boards, whose dust would blind it if the upper eyelids would close over the lower ones, like they do by other creatures. (See Agados Maharsha).

8)

(a)

1. Dasha (a gate) - is the acronym of 'Derech Sham' (via [the way to one's destination).

2. Darga (a ladder) - of 'Derech Gag' (the way to the roof).

3. Maskulisa (a sharp condiment) - of 'Masai Tichleh Da' (when will all this be finished)?

4. Beisa (a house) - of 'Ba ve'Eisiv Bah' (come and I will dwell in it).

5. Biksa (a tiny house) - of 'Bei Aksa' (a squashed abode).

(b)

1. Kufsa (a large block of wood) - is the acronym of 'Kof ve'Siv' (turn it over and sit on it).

2. Livni (bricks) - for 'li'Venei Banai' (for my grandchildren).

3. Hutza (a reed fence) - for 'Chatzitzah' (a partition).

4. Chatzva (a small barrel) - for 'she'Chotzev' (with which one draws - [water from the river]).

5. Kuza (a small earthenware jar) - for 'ka'Zeh' (such a little thing).

(c)

1. Shutisa (a myrtle-twig) - is short for 'Sh'tusa' (because they used to dance with it in front of the Kalah, behaving like fools) ...

2. ... Mashichla (a large water-bowl) - for 'Mashi Kula' (washes everything) ...

3. ... Mashchilta (a small dainty water-bowl) - is short for 'Mashya Kalsa (for the bride [or other eminent women] to wash) ...

4. ... Asisa (a mortar) - for 'Chaserta' (because it lacks carving) ...

5. ... Buchna (a pestle) - for 'Bo ve'Akena' (come and I will bang with it).

(d)

1. Levusha (a top garment) is the acronym of 'Lo Bushah'(no shame, because it covers the undergarments, which are poorly shaped and ugly).

2. Gelima (a plain over-coat) - is the acronym of 'ke'Golem' (like a Golem [an unfinished product]) ...

3. ... Gulsa (a smart coat) - of 'Gali ve'Siv' ('uncover yourself and sit', because when sitting down, one tends to lift it up to prevent it from spoiling, uncovering one's other clothes in the process) ...

4. ... Purya (a bed) - of 'Parin ve'Ravin Alehah' (one conceives children on it) ...

5. ... Bor Zinka (a dried out water-pit) - of 'Bor Zeh Naki' (this pit is clean [empty]).

(e)

1. The head-scarf worn by Talmidei Chachamim is called 'Sudra' - because it is the acronym of 'Sod Hash-m li'Yerei'av' (the secret of Hash-m is revealed to those who fear Him).

2. The royal palace is called 'Apadna' - because it is the acronym of 'a'Pischa Dein' (everyone comes in here [for judgment or to serve the king]).

9)

(a)The Tana of the Beraisa lists three creatures that become stronger as they grow older, a fish, a snake - and a Chazir.

(b)The Shiur for carrying oil is enough to anoint a small limb which de'Bei Rebbi Yanai interprets to mean - the smallest limb of a new-born baby.

(c)The Beraisa, which says 'Shemen K'dei Lasuch Ever Katan ve'Katan ben Yomo', appears to contradict the statement of de'Bei Rebbi Yanai - because it seems to be listing two cases, either the small limb of a grown-up, or the large (equivalent) one of a new-born baby.

(d)We amend the Beraisa to reconcile the two - by changing the 'Vav' of 've'Katan' into 'Shel', to read 'Ever Katan shel Katan ben Yomo'.

10)

(a)Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar and Rebbi Nasan argue in a Beraisa. The former gives the Shiur of oil as 'Shemen K'dei Lasuch Eiver Katan ve'Katan ben Yomo', whereas the latter simply says 'K'dei la'Such Eiver Katan'. They may well argue over the statement of de'Bei Rebbi Yanai (in the two ways of learning the previous Beraisa that we just cited) and de'Bei Rebbi Yanai follows the opinion of Rebbi Nasan. Alternatively - even Rebbi Nasan may disagree with de'Bei Rebbi, adopting the Shiur of the small limb of a grown-up, which he does not consider to be equivalent to the large limb of a baby (like Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar does).

(b)We finally quote another Beraisa, where Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar specifically gives the Shiur as 'K'dei Lasuch Ever Katan shel Katan ben Yomo', (forcing us to amend Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar in the previous Beraisa in the same way as we amended the earlier Beraisa) to conform with Rebbi Yanai.