Menachot 39 - February 19, 2 Adar
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Rava explains that the top knot on the tzitzit (after all the windings) must be of Torah origin. If it were not, the attachment would be considered temporary, and there would be no need for the Torah to permit the use of mixed types (shatnez—wool and linen) in tzitzit. Raba bar Rav Ada transmitted in the name of Rav that if a single thread is torn at its base (the top of the tzitzit), the tzitzit are no longer valid. When Rav Nachman taught this, Rava raised a challenge from a braita, but Rav Nachman reinterpreted the source in a way that resolved the contradiction. Raba stated in the name...
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Menachot 38 - Rosh Chodesh Adar - February 18, 1 Adar
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Link to website. The Gemara brings two different versions of the incident involving Mar bar Rav Ashi, whose tzitzit were torn on Shabbat while he was walking home. This raises the subject of "kevod haberiyot" (human dignity), which overrides a "lo ta'aseh" (negative commandment) in the Torah. Both versions bring the explanation of Rav bar Shaba, who explained that this law refers specifically to the negative commandment of "lo tasur" (do not stray from the words of the Sages), meaning that it only overrides Rabbinic prohibitions. For tzitzit, one must place two strings of techelet and two...
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Menachot 37 - February 17, 30 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
There are three different ways that Tannaim derive the source for wearing tefillin on the left hand. However, left-handed people wear them on the right. There are three different ways that Tannaim derive the source for wearing tefillin shel yad on the upper part of the arm. There are two different ways that Tannaim derive the source for wearing tefillin shel rosh on the top of the head. There is a Tannatic debate between Rabbi Yishmael and the rabbis about whether each tzitzit is a distinct mitzva (Rabbi Yishmael), or if one cannot fulfill the mitzva without having tzitzit on all four corners....
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Menachot 36 - February 16, 29 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Rav Chisda explains that if one speaks between placing the tefillin shel yad and the tefillin shel rosh, an additional blessing must be recited upon the shel rosh. From this, one can infer that if no interruption occurs, only one blessing is required. However, this poses a difficulty in light of Rabbi Yochanan’s statement that there are separate blessings for the shel yad and shel rosh. Abaye and Rava resolve this conflict, yet their resolution is interpreted differently by Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam, resulting in two distinct customs. The tefillin shel yad is placed first, followed by the shel...
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Menachot 35 - February 15, 28 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
The exact order of the four biblical passages (parshiot) within the tefillin shel rosh is critical; if they are not arranged in their specific sequence, the tefillin are disqualified. Abaye and Rava debate the specifics of this requirement, questioning the validity of the tefillin if the two "outer" sections (the first and last) or the two "inner" sections are transposed. Several physical elements of the tefillin are classified as halakha l’Moshe m’Sinai: the embossed letter Shin on the Shel Rosh, the requirement for the boxes to be perfectly square, the titura (the base), and the...
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Menachot 34 - Shabbat February 14, 27 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Rav Huna states that a closed-in staircase opening (lul) between a house and an upper story requires one mezuza if it has one entrance and two mezuzot if it has two. Rav Papa infers from this that a room (indrona) with four doors requires four mezuzot, even if the resident typically utilizes only one of them. Amemar rules that a doorway situated at a corner is obligated in a mezuza; though Rav Ashi questions this due to the lack of formal doorposts (patzim), Amemar maintains that the edges of the walls themselves serve as the post. Rav Papa observes a doorway in Mar Shmuel's house that had...
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Menachot 33 - February 13, 26 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Rav Yehuda in the name of Shmuel rules that a mezuza written on two sheets or columns is invalid. The Gemara raises a difficulty from a braita that invalidates a mezuza written on two sheets only when it is placed within two separate sippin (doorposts), implying that if it were placed within a single post, it would be valid. The difficulty is resolved by explaining that Shmuel’s intent was that even if it is placed in one post, the mere fact that it is "fit" or able to be divided between two posts renders it invalid, as a mezuza. Regarding the determination of the right side in doorways...
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Menachot 32 - February 12, 25 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Rav Chelbo relates that he saw Rav Huna roll the mezuza from the word "echad" toward the word "shema" and format the paragraphs as setumot (closed). This practice is questioned by a braita where Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar notes that Rabbi Meir wrote mezuzot on duchsustos with margins at the top and bottom and formatted the paragraphs as petuchot (open). Rabbi Meir’s reasoning was that the paragraphs are not adjacent in the Torah text itself. Since Rav (Rav Huna’s teacher) rules in accordance with Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, that raises a difficulty on Rav Huna’s practice. To resolve the...
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Menachot 31 - February 11, 24 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Ravin, the son of Chinina, said in the name of Ulla in the name of Rabbi Chanina that the law follows Rabbi Shimon Shezuri in "this" issue and anywhere else he issued a ruling. Rav Papa and Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak each identify a possible case where Rabbi Chanina ruled like Rabbi Shimon Shezuri. One suggests it was regarding how to measure 40 se’ah in a large box for purposes of impurity. The other suggests it was regarding the stringent ruling of the impurity of liquids - specifically, to which liquids this unique type of impurity extends. The Gemara brings a situation where Rabbi Shimon...
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Menachot 30 - February 10, 23 Shvat
Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran
Rav makes a statement that is contradicted by a braita. He says that the last page of a Sefer Torah can end in the middle of the page, while a braita says it must finish at the end. After trying to reconcile Rav’s position with the braita by limiting it to a Chumash (a parchment containing only one book of the Torah) and not a full Sefer Torah, the Gemara questions this from another statement of Rav (brought by Rabbi Yehoshua bar Aba in the name of Rav Gidal). There are two versions of the explanation for Rav’s second statement, which may affect whether his position can be reconciled with...
info_outlineThere are three different ways that Tannaim derive the source for wearing tefillin on the left hand. However, left-handed people wear them on the right.
There are three different ways that Tannaim derive the source for wearing tefillin shel yad on the upper part of the arm. There are two different ways that Tannaim derive the source for wearing tefillin shel rosh on the top of the head.
There is a Tannatic debate between Rabbi Yishmael and the rabbis about whether each tzitzit is a distinct mitzva (Rabbi Yishmael), or if one cannot fulfill the mitzva without having tzitzit on all four corners. The Gemara brings three practical ramifications of their debate.
There are three examples brought of changes one can make to a four-cornered garment which, while it may no longer look like a four-cornered garment, would still be obligated in tzitzit.
Shmuel ruled like Rabbi Yishmael, but the Gemara states that the halakha is not like that and brings a story with Mar bar Rav Ashi and Ravina to prove it.