1)

(a)The Beraisa says that in the days of Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinus - they (the Chachamim, at the instigation of Rebbi Dosa's brother, who will be quoted later) permitted Tzaras ha'Bas to the Yavam (like Beis Shamai), proving once and for all, that Beis Shamai practiced what they taught.

(b)The Chachamim were particularly upset about that incident - because they attributed it to Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas himself, who was a great Chacham (the mix-up occurred due to the fact that, Rebbi Dosa, whose eyesight had deteriorated, no longer frequented the Beis ha'Midrash).

(c)Rebbi Yehoshua volunteered to go and sort it out with him - and Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah and Rebbi Akiva agreed to go with him.

2)

(a)Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas placed first Rebbi Yehoshua, then Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah and finally, Rebbi Akiva - on a golden settee.

(b)When Rebbi Yehoshua informed Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas that he was being accompanied by ...

1. ... Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah - he became excited at the fact that Azaryah their contemporary had a son, on whom he quoted the Pasuk "Na'ar Hayisi ... v'Lo Ra'isi Tzadik Ne'ezav v'Zar'o Mevakesh Lachem".

2. ... Rebbi Akiva - he exclaimed 'Are you Akiva ben Yosef, whose fame has spread from one end of the world to the other'?

(c)When they queried him about Tzaras ha'Bas, and his view on the matter - Rebbi Dosa replied that this was a Machlokes between Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel, and that the Halachah was like Beis Hillel.

(d)They thought that he had ruled like Beis Shamai - because they assumed that the name 'ben Harkinas' (which is what they had been quoted) referred to him (but in reality, it referred to his brother Yonasan, who was unknown to them).

3)

(a)When Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas referred to his brother as a 'Bechor Satan' - he meant that he was an exceptionally sharp man, who did not relent from his views even when he was in the minority.

(b)He had three hundred proofs - permitting Tzaras ha'Bas.

(c)Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas, on the other hand, brought heaven and earth as testimonial - that Chagai ha'Navi had sat on that very (mortar-shaped) seat, and declared that Tzaras ha'Bas was prohibited.

4)

(a)Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas also testified that the Jews living in Amon and Mo'av must separate Ma'aser Ani in the Shemitah year - so that the poor should have a source of income during the Shemitah year. This decree was not confined to Ma'aser Ani exclusively, but extended to Ma'aser Rishon, and to Leket, Shikechah and Pe'ah, as well.

(b)Amon and Mo'av are not subject to Shemitah (which is Patur from Ma'asros) - because the original Kedushah of Yehoshua dissipated when they went into Galus. It was not reinstated when they returned, because they were not captured by the Olei Bavel.

(c)He also included in his testimony - that one may accept converts from the Karduyin and the Tarmudin.

(d)We would otherwise have thought that one may not accept converts from there - because some say that they comprised Jews who had been exiled there, and that gentiles had raped the women, whose children would then be Jews, and possibly, Mamzerim (as we shall see later in the Sugya).

5)

(a)The three Chachamim left Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas' apartment by three different exits (see Tosfos DH 'Yatz'u'). Yonasan, the Bechor Satan, met Rebbi Akiva as he was leaving. After declaring the latter's worthiness - the former added that he had not yet reached the level of the cow-hands (see Agados Maharsha).

(b)Rebbi Akiva replied - that he had not even reached the level of the shepherds (according to the Maharsha, he declared that he had).

(c)We reconcile Rami bar Yechezkel's Beraisa, which prohibits the acceptance of converts from among the Karduyim, with Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas's testimony, which permits it - by amending the Beraisa to read (not 'min ha'Karduyim', but) 'min ha'Kartuyim', who were known to be Pesulim (for the reason that we cited earlier).

6)

(a)When the Tana in Nidah says that all stains that come from Rekem are Tahor - he means that stains that one finds on clothes that came from Rekem are Tahor, because the inhabitants are Nochrim (see also Tosfos DH 'Kol').

(b)Rebbi Yehudah disagrees - on the grounds that they are converts who converted out (which does not change their status as Jews).

7)

(a)The Mishnah concludes 'mi'bein ha'Ovdei Kochavim, Tehorim', incorporating stains that come from Tarmud. Rebbi Yochanan extrapolates from there, - that the inhabitants of Tarmud are considered to be Nochrim, in which case, one may accept converts from there.

(b)But above, he and the 'elders' explicitly said - that one is not permitted to accept converts from Tarmud.

(c)We decline to answer that Rebbi Yochanan only comes to explain the Mishnah, but that this is not his personal view - because Rebbi Yochanan himself always rules like a Stam Mishnah (which this is).

(d)Nevertheless, we finally justify it by establishing a Machlokes regarding this point, and that those who quote Rebbi Yochanan here (who clashes with the Stam Mishnah) maintain that he does not always rule like a Stam Mishnah. (See also Tosfos DH 'Rebbi Yochanan').

8)

(a)Some give the reason of Rebbi Yochanan and the 'elders' as being because of 'Avdei Shlomo' - slaves of Shlomo who attained great wealth, which they (ab)used to 'marry' Kasher Bnos Yisrael ...

(b)... and they hold that the child of a Nochri or a slave who had relations with a bas Yisrael is a Mamzer.

(c)Others ascribe it to 'Bnos Yerushalayim', over which Rav Yosef and Rabanan argue. One says that twelve thousand soldiers plus six thousand archers were involved; the other - were twelve thousand soldiers, of whom six thousand were archers.

(d)When the armies of Nevuchadnetzar entered the Heichal, and all the other soldiers turned to the loot - they turned to the Yerushalmi women (as the Pasuk says in Eichah "Nashim b'Tziyon Inu Besulos b'Arei Yehudah").

9)

(a)We now cite the Pasuk in Tehilim "Na'ar Hayisi v'Gam Zakanti ... " - because it was quoted above by Rebbi Dosa ben Harkinas in connection with Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah.

(b)According to Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeni Amar Rebbi Yonasan, the author of this Pasuk is - the Sar ha'Olam (the Angel Metatron - see Tosfos DH 'Pasuk').

(c)It cannot have been ...

1. ... Hash-m - by whom there is no such thing as old age.

2. ... David ha'Melech - who did not live as long as is implied by the Pasuk.

10)

(a)When the Pasuk writes "Yado Paras Tzar al Kol Machamadehah" - it refers to Amon and Mo'av, who turned to the Sifrei-Torah (to destroy them) ...

(b)... because they contain the Pasuk in Ki Setzei "Lo Yavo Amoni u'Mo'avi bi'Kehal Hash-m".

(c)When, in connection with the Pasuk in Eichah "Tzivah Hash-m l'Yakov Sevivav Tzarav", Rav explains 'Humnayah l'Pum Nahara' - he means that the Humnayah (a tribe that came from Greece) would attack the poor, Jewish inhabitants of Pum Nahara.

11)

(a)Rav Yehudah Amar Rav Asi says that if a Nochri betroths a woman nowadays, we suspect the Kidushin to be valid - meaning that she would not be permitted to marry anyone else without a Get from the man who betrothed her.

(b)This ruling is based on the assumption - that the man concerned might be from the ten tribes.

(c)We do not go after the majority of people in the world, who are Nochrim - because Rav Yehudah is speaking specifically about a place where we know the ten tribes live (and are in the majority - see Tosfos DH 'b'Duchta').

12)

(a)The significance of ...

1. ... Rebbi Aba bar Kahana's statement, which, explaining the Pasuk in Melachim "va'Yanchem ba'Chalach uve'Chavor Nahar Gozen v'Arei Madai" interprets "Chalach" as Chilazon, "Chavor" as Chadayav, "Nahar Gozen" as Ginzak and "Arei Madai" as Chemdan (or Nihar) and its sister cities - is to demonstrate that the areas to which Sancheriv exiled the ten tribes are known.

2. ... Shmuel's statement Rav Yosef 'Krach Moshchi, Chidki and Dumki' is - to name the sister cities of Chemdan (or Nihar).

(b)Rebbi Aba bar Kahana's statement - gives credence to our interpretation of Rav Yehudah Amar Rav Asi's statement.

(c)When Rebbi Yochanan comments on the above 'v'Chulan li'Pesul' - he means that most of them were from the ten tribes who had intermarried with Nochri women, and who had subsequently indulged in incest with their own closest relatives (though it is unclear why Rashi adds this, seeing as Rav Asi anyway appears to hold that the child of a Jew and a Nochris is a Mamzer. See also Maharshal).