BERACHOS 6 (12 Teves) - Dedicated in memory of Joel Yitzchak ben Shraga Fivish Bikelnitsky, by his granddaughter Sima Bekelnitzky.

[6a - 54 lines; 6b - 50 lines]

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We recommend using the textual changes suggested by the Bach and the marginal notes of the Vilna Shas. This section is devoted to any other important corrections that Acharonim have pointed out in the Gemara, Rashi and Tosfos.

[1] Tosfos 6a DH ha'Mispalel ד"ה המתפלל:

The words "Piresh Rabeinu Tam" (R"T) פירש רבינו תם

should be "Piresh Rabeinu Chananel" (R"Ch) פירש רבינו חננאל

This is the way it is brought in the Tur Orach Chayim #90, and so it appears from Talmidei Rabeinu Yonah. It indeed is also found in the Peirush of Rabeinu Chananel.

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1)[line 6]המזיקיןHA'MAZIKIN- demons

2)[line 7]כי כסלא לאוגיאKI KISLA L'UGYA- like a furrow that surrounds the ditch in which a grapevine is planted (i.e. we are surrounded by them and they have the advantage of being on higher ground)

3)[line 9]דוחקאDUCHAKA- feeling of being cramped

4)[line 10]כלהKALAH- the assembly of Babylonian students in the months of Adar and Elul

5)[line 10]ברכי דשלהיBIRKEI D'SHALHEI- weary knees

6)[line 11]מאני דרבנן דבלוMANEI D'RABANAN D'VALU- clothes of the scholars that wear out

7)[line 11]מחופיא דידהוME'CHUFYA DIDHU- (O.F. freier) from their friction (rubbing)

8)[line 12]כרעי דמנקפןKAREI D'MENAKFAN- knocking legs

9)[line 13]קיטמא נהילאKITMA NEHILA- sifted ashes

10)[line 13]נהדר אפורייהNEHADER A'PURYEI- spread it on the floor around his bed

11a)[line 15]שלייתאSHILYESA- (lit. vestedure) commonly translated as the placenta; a more accurate description is the fetal membranes in which the fetus forms, which are attached to the placenta (RASHI to Berachos 4a; TOSFOS to Nidah 18a DH Shilya and elsewhere in the Rishonim)

b)[line 15]שונרתאSHUNRESA- a female cat

c)[line 15]אוכמתאUCHMESA- black

d)[line 16]בוכרתאBUCHARTA- firstborn

12)[line 18]גובתא דפרזלאGUVSA D'FARZELA- with an iron tube

13)[line 18]גושפנקאGUSHPANKA- with a seal

14)[line 38]מכתבן מליהMICHTEVAN MILAIHU- their words are written

15)[line 40]דינא שלמא בעלמאDINA SHELAMA B'ALMA- passing judgment is merely making peace in the world

16)[line 48]"האמרת""HE'EMARTA"- "you have distinguished" (Devarim 26:17)

17)[line 49]חטיבה אחתCHATIVAH ACHAS- (a) a unique object of praise (RASHI); (b) a unique work of art, i.e. something that is recognizably unique (RAV HAI GA'ON, cited by the ARUCH)

6b----------------------------------------6b

18)[line 1]אדרעיהEDRE'EI- [the parchment of the Tefilin of] His arm

19)[line 4]"שומע בקול עבדו""SHOME'A B'KOL AVDO"- "who hearkens to the voice of his servant (prophet)" (Yeshayah 50:10) - The Gemara interprets this verse homiletically as, "who listens to the voice of the Chazan" (MAHARSHA).

20)[line 13]אומרים לוOMRIM LO- they say about him

21)[line 21]למרהטL'MIRHAT- to run

22a)[line 25]אגרא דפרקא רהטאAGRA D'PIRKA RAHATA- (a) the reward given for listening to a Derashah is for running to hear the Derasha (RASHI); (b) the reward is given when one runs so that he gets there in time to hear the whole Derashah (RABEINU CHANANEL)

b)[line 25]אגרא דכלה דוחקאAGRA D'KALAH DUCHKA- the reward given for coming to the lecture on the Halachos of each holiday was for the discomfort felt because of the large crowd. The class was given on the Shabbos before each holiday.

c)[line 25]אגרא דשמעתא סבראAGRA D'SHEMAITA SEVARA- the reward given for learning a Sugya is for the toil entailed in understanding the logical arguments behind the Sugya

d)[line 26]אגרא דבי טמיא שתיקותאAGRA D'VEI TAMAYA SHETIKUSA- (a) the reward given to a mourner who sits in a house of mourning is for his remaining silent (and accepting HaSh-m's decree with love) (RABEINU CHANANEL); (b) the reward given to those who visit a mourner is for remaining silent until the mourner starts a conversation (RAMBAM Hilchos Avel 13:3)

e)[line 26]אגרא דתעניתא צדקתאAGRA D'TA'ANISA TZIDKASA- the reward given for fasting is for the charity given to the paupers so that they can buy food to break their fast (RASHI)

f)[line 26]אגרא דהספדא דלוייAGRA D'HESPEDA DELUYEI- the reward for a person who is giving a eulogy is for raising his voice so that the people will cry

g)[line 27]אגרא דבי הלולי מיליAGRA D'VEI HILULEI MILEI- the reward given for participating in a wedding is for the words spoken to make the Chasan happy

23)[line 29]אידמי ליה כטייעאIDMI LEI K'TAIYA- he appeared to him like an Arab merchant

24)[line 30]כדו בר קיימת קמי מרךKEDU BAR KAIMAS KAMEI MARACH- you are standing before your Master as if there are two omnipotent powers

25)[line 30]שלף ספסראSHALAF SAFSERA- he drew his sword

26)[line 31]"... כרום זלות לבני אדם""… KRUM ZULUS LI'VNEI ADAM."- "[The wicked walk on every side,] when vileness is exalted among the children of men." (Tehilim 12:9)

27)[line 32]כיון שנצטרך אדם לבריותKEIVAN SHE'NITZTARECH ADAM L'BERIYOS- that is, the Gemara interprets the beginning of the verse "Saviv Resha'im Yis'halachun," "The wicked walk on every side," as referring to the creditors who are calling in their outstanding loans.

28)[line 36]"ויהי בעלות המנחה ויגש אליהו הנביא ויאמר ה' אלקי אברהם יצחק וישראל היום יודע כי אתה אלקים בישראל ואני עבדך ובדברך עשיתי את כל הדברים האלה""VA'YEHI BA'ALOS HA'MINCHAH, VA'YIGASH ELIYAHU HA'NAVI VA'YOMAR: HASH-M ELOKEI AVRAHAM YITZCHAK V'YISRAEL, HA'YOM YIVADA KI ATAH ELOKIM B'YISRAEL VA'ANI AVDECHA, UVI'DEVARCHA ASISI ES KOL HA'DEVARIM HA'ELEH." - "And it was when Minchahtime arrived, Eliyahu ha'Navi drew close and said: HaSh-m, G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael, let it be known today that You are G-d in Yisrael, and that I am Your servant, and that it is by Your command that I did all these things." (Melachim I 18:36) (ELIYAHU AND THE PROPHETS OF BA'AL)

(a)When the wicked king Achav referred to Eliyahu ha'Navi as "Ocher Yisrael" (the one who destroys Yisrael) for having decreed a famine in the land, Eliyahu arranged a confrontation with the 850 prophets of the idol Ba'al on Mount Carmel. All of Yisrael was invited to witness the event, at which Eliyahu intended to demonstrate to Yisrael that HaSh-m was the true G-d.

(b)After challenging Yisrael to decide whether to worship HaSh-m or Ba'al, Eliyahu took two bulls; the prophets of Ba'al would choose one, leaving him with the other. Both parties would then prepare an altar and firewood on which they would place their cut-up bull as a sacrifice. Each party would then beseech his god to send fire from the heavens and consume his animal. The One which responded would prove Himself to be the true G-d.

(c)The entire morning, until close to Minchah time, accompanied by the taunts of Eliyahu, the prophets of Ba'al ranted and raved, pranced on their altar and, in their frenzy, even cut themselves in an attempt to arouse their god, but to no avail.

(d)The Midrash relates how the prophets of Ba'al attempted to cheat by placing one of their men (Chi'el of Beis El, who built up Yericho and lost all of his children in the process) underneath their Mizbe'ach, with instructions to set fire to the wood and to burn the bull. What they did not know was that a snake had bitten him and killed him (perhaps because he transgressed the decree of Yehoshua bin Nun not to build up Yericho, for so it is said that "someone who breaches the fence [that the Chachamim build] will be bitten by a snake").

(e)Eliyahu then called upon Yisrael to watch carefully as he proceeded to rebuild a Mizbe'ach that Shaul ha'Melech had once built and that the idolaters had demolished, and to dig a ditch around it. Then, after cutting up the bull and placing it on the wood which he arranged on the altar, he ordered four large jugs of water to be poured over the animal and the wood, and to repeat this three times. A terrible famine was currently ravaging the land and there was no water to be found, but the fingers of Elisha (Eliyahu's disciple and successor) turned into fountains from which the water gushed out and filled the ditch.

(f)It was at Minchah time that he finished his preparations and prayed to HaSh-m to answer his prayers and demonstrate once and for all that He is G-d. As Eliyahu finished his prayer, a fire came from the heavens and consumed the bull, together with the wood and the stones of the altar, and it even licked up the water in the ditch and dried it up. The people declared unanimously, "HaSh-m is G-d! HaSh-m is G-d!"

(g)With the people now on his side, Eliyahu immediately had the prophets of Ba'al seized, taken down to the valley of Kishon, and executed.

(h)A short while later, a cloud appeared and a heavy rain broke the famine. See Background to Menachos 98:13.

29)[line 36]"ענני ה' ענני וידעו העם הזה כי אתה ה' האלקים ואתה הסבת את לבם אחרנית""ANEINI HASH-M ANEINI [V'YEID'U HA'AM HA'ZEH KI ATAH HASH-M HA'ELOKIM, V'ATAH HASIBOSA ES LIBAM ACHORANIS!]" - "Answer me, HaSh-m, answer me! [And let this people know that You are HaSh-m Who is G-d, and thus You will turn their hearts back to You!]" (Melachim I 18:37) (ELIYAHU PLEADS WITH HASH-M)

(a)The commentaries explain the double expression at the beginning of the verse in a number of ways: 1. "Answer me with fire; answer me with rain" (since a terrible famine was currently ravaging the land, as mentioned earlier); 2. "Answer me with fire; answer me that the people should accept my actions as miracles and not as witchcraft; 3. When Eliyahu said (in the previous verse), "Let it be known today that You are G-d in Yisrael, that I am Your servant Let them know that You are G-d in Yisrael, and that I am Your servant," he meant that if HaSh-m would answer him now, then the people will also believe him when he will come in the future to herald the coming of Mashi'ach.

(b)See also previous entry.

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