(Mishnah in Bechoros - R. Meir): The 1st of Elul is the New Year for animal tithes.

(R. Elazar and R. Shimon): It is the 1st of Tishrei.

(Ben Azai): The animals born in Elul are tithed separately.

(R. Chunah): R. Meir's reason is that until then, they are still giving birth from old (pregnancies). From that point onwards, they begin to give birth from new (pregnancies).

(R. Yosa bei R. Bun citing Rav Chunah): R. Elazar and R. Shimon's source is the Pasuk (Tehillim 65:14), "Meadows are clothed with flocks" - these are the early ones (born in Av); "and valleys are enwrapped with grain" - these are the late ones (born in Elul); "they shout for joy, even sing" - both of these enter the pen to be tithed.

And Ben Azai said that since one opinion (R. Meir) says this and one opinion (R. Shimon and R. Elazar) says that; the animals born in Elul should be tithed separately.

How so? If animals were born on the 5th of Av, the 5th of Elul and the 5th of Tishrei, they do not combine. If they were born on the 5th of Tishrei and the 5th of Av, they combine.

Question: Would Ben Azai come to find a balance between his own students?

Answer (R. Yirmiyah and R. Maisha citing R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak): Since great people disagreed over it.

Question: Who were these great people?

Answer (R. Yona to R. Yirmiyah): R. Yishmael and R. Akiva.

This means that Ben Azai was a colleague and student of R. Akiva.

As if you say that R. Akiva was always his teacher, would a person say about his teacher, "since this opinion says this and this opinion says that" (equating his teacher's opinion with other opinions)?

(R. Avun citing R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak): Learn it from the wording of a Mishnah (in Maseches Bava Basra Daf 158b), "Ben Azai said to R. Akiva - "We are already troubled by the dispute and you are coming to create dispute even amongst those that agree?!"

This means that Ben Azai was a colleague and student of R. Akiva.

If you say that R. Akiva was always his teacher, would a person say to his teacher, "You are coming to create dispute even amongst those that agree"?

(Mishnah in Bechoros): All animals born between the 1st of Tishrei and the 29th of Elul combine (for Maaser Beheimah).

If five were born before Rosh Hashanah and five after Rosh Hashanah, they do not combine.

If five were born before one of the designated dates to tithe and five were born after, they still combine.

(R. Yosa): This shows that they did not treat Maaser Beheimah like the budding of a fruit nor as the one third growth of a grain.

If it would be like budding, it should have taught, 'All that are pregnant between the 1st of Tishrei and the 29th of Elul' (as budding parallels pregnancy).

If it would be like the one third growth, it should have taught, 'All that are born until the 22nd of Elul. (Just as a grain is considered complete when it is edible, so too an animal is considered complete only when it is usable as a sacrifice. Since one must wait until an animal is eight days old for it to be usable as a sacrifice; if it was born after 22nd Elul. it would not be suitable until the next year of tithing.)

(R. Shamai citing R. Beivai b'R. Chiya): They treated it like one third growth, according to R. Shimon.

(R. Shimon): An animal less than eight days old enters the pen to be tithed.

Question (R. Mana to R. Shamai): Did you say that law?

(Mishnah - Ben Azai): The animals born in Elul are tithed by themselves. Does that not also apply to those born until the 29th of Elul?

Could you say that Ben Azai follows R. Shimon and not Rabbanan?

Rather, just as you said that according to Ben Azai, you leave them for the following year and they are tithed with those born in Elul; so too you must say about Rabbanan that you leave them for the following year and they are tithed with those born the same year. (Note: The wording in this entry is adjusted according to the text of the Vilna Gaon.)

(R. Chiya): This shows that days during which a firstborn animal's count is incomplete for sacrifice (i.e. within the first 8 days of its life) are considered part of the first year (in which the Bechor must be eaten by the Kohen). (We do not wait until it is 8 days old to begin the count of its first year.)

(R. Mana citing his father R. Yona): Learn this from the Pasuk (Devarim 15:19), "Every firstborn male that is born (of your cattle or of your flock) you shall sanctify"...

How is this? You should count its first year from its time of birth.

(Mishnah): With three boxes of three Se'ah each, they would withdraw the funds from the Lishkah.

On them was written Alef, Beis and Gimmel.

(R. Yishmael): Greek was written on them - Alpha, Beta, Gamma.

The one who withdraws should not enter wearing a hemmed garment, a shoe, a sandal, Tefillin or an amulet, lest he become poor and people will say that it was because he sinned in (stealing from) the Lishkah or perhaps he will become rich and people will say that he became rich (by stealing) from the Lishkah.

This is because a person must be beyond suspicion with people in the same way that he must be before Hash-m, as the Pasuk states (Bamidbar 32:22), "And you shall be innocent before Hash-m and before Yisrael." And it says (Mishlei 3:4), "and find favor and good understanding in the eyes of Hash-m and man."

(Gemara - Mishnah in Shabbos): One may clear away even four or five boxes.

Question (R. Zeira to R. Yoshiyah): What is the size of the boxes?

Answer (R. Yoshiyah): Learn the unspecified from the explicit...

(Beraisa about Shekalim): With three boxes of three Se'ah each, that is 9 Se'ah (total), that is 27 Se'ah (which is the total of the three withdrawals in the year), they withdraw the funds from the Lishkah.

Upon the boxes were written Alef, Beis and Gimmel.

Why was Alef. Beis and Gimmel written on them? To say that they take supplies from the first box before the second and the second before the third. (Note: Some texts have the word 'ein' before 'mistapek', This means that they begin taking from the second before they have completely removed the first etc.)

(Mishnah in Shabbos): One who takes out (into a Reshus HaRabim - a public domain) enough wine to mix a cup (is liable a Korban Chatas).

Question (R. Zeira to R. Yoshiya): What is the size of the cup?

Answer (R. Yoshiyah): Learn the unspecified from the explicit...

Beraisa (R. Chiya): The four cups that they discussed total one quarter (Log) of Italian wine.

(R. Yosi bar Avin citing R. Yochanan): The Mishnah follows R. Yehuda...

(Beraisa): (One who takes out) water - enough for a gulp. R. Yehuda says - enough to prepare an eye ointment.

Wine - enough for a gulp. R. Yehuda says - enough to mix the cup.

This means that even diluted wine has the Shiur of a Revi'is.

Question: What is the size of standard cups?

Answer (R. Avin): One and a quarter Titarton.

Question: May one drink all four cups in immediate succession?

Answer (R. Mana citing R. Yosi): If a person heard Hallel in the Beis HaKnesses on the night of the Pesach Seder, he has fulfilled his obligation of reciting Hallel during the Seder (between the cups of wine).

This ruling shows that if one drank the cups in immediate succession, he has fulfilled his obligation (as in R. Mana's case he did not re-recite the Hallel between the cups, so the cups were consecutive).

Question: May one sip the cups (pausing often during the drinking)?

Answer: Did they not say that one must drink but not get drunk? Drinking with pausing prevents one from getting drunk - so it is permitted.

Question: May one fulfil his obligation of four cups of wine on Pesach night with Shevi'is wine?

Answer (Rav Oshiya): One may fulfil his obligation with Shevi'is wine.

Question: May one fulfil his obligation with Kunditin (wine mixed with sugar and spices)?

Answer: Bar Kapara taught in a Beraisa that Kunditin is like wine - therefore, one may fulfil his obligation with it.

Question: What about diluted wine?

Answer (Rav Chiya - Beraisa): One may fulfil his obligation of the Four Cups whether they are undiluted or diluted, as long as it has the taste and appearance of wine.

(R. Yirmiyah): It is a Mitzvah to use red wine (for the Four Cups), as it says (Mishlei 23:31), "Do not look at wine when it is red; when he puts his eye on the cup etc."

(Beraisa): Cooked wine is like spiced wine.

Question: May one fulfil his obligation with cooked wine?

Answer (R. Yona): Yes.

R. Yona follows his reasoning (elsewhere), as after R. Yona would drink the Four Cups on Pesach, he would need to wrap his head until the festival (Shavuos).

And R. Yehuda bei Ilai drank the four cups on the night of Pesach and he wrapped up his head (until the festival of Shavuos). (Note: The text of this entry is added by the Vilna Gaon.)

A Roman matron once saw that his face was shining. She said, "Elder, Elder, you are doing one of these three things - either you drink wine, or you lend on interest, or you breed pigs.

(R. Yehuda bei Ilai): This woman's spirit should leave her as I do not do even one of those things. Rather, it is because I regularly learn, as the Pasuk says (Koheles 8:1), "A man's wisdom enlightens his face".

R. Abahu once came to Tiveria. R. Yochanan's students saw that his face was shining. The students told R. Yochanan that R. Abahu must have found a treasure. R. Abahu came before R. Yochanan and R. Yochanan asked him, "Which new Torah teaching did you hear?"

(R. Abahu): An old Tosefta.

R. Yochanan applied to him the Pasuk (ibid), "A man's wisdom enlightens his face".

(R. Chanin): The Torah's Log measure is the old measure that was used to measure brine in Tzipori.

(R. Yona): I recognize it and the House of R. Yanai would measure honey with it.