Chidushim on Daf Yomi

ברכות נב,א

The Beis Hilel was the majority, so what do we need the bas kol, heavenly voice for? So Tosfas explains that אחרי רבים להטות can be questioned what it means, כמות or איכות quantity or quality? The Beis Shamai were sharper whereas the Beis Hilel had a better memory. I heard that this was the argument by Chanukah between the Beis Shamai and Beis Hilel which way we light down or up, starting from eight and going backwards until one or starting from one and going forwards until eight. Each one when it comes to learning Torah emphasizes what they were missing. For the Beis Shamai, sharpness came at a later age, but they were missing memory which comes at an earlier age, so they wanted to go backwards whereas for the Beis Hilel sharpness was required so they wanted to advance forward. We find the argument סיני and עוקר הרים a baki having great talmudic knowledge or a sharp individual who can question everything which is greater. So, it was ruled that the baki with great knowledge is greater because he creates the foundation of the building. The Beis Hilel had this great knowledge because of their memory whereas the Beis Shamai was the sharp one with the questions. Currently we don’t fully understand the stringencies of the Beis Shamai but leosid lavo, at the redemption, we will gain a better understanding, so the majority will accept the Beis Shamai and pasken like that.

ברכות נג,א

On Yom Kippur we take a rested candle but not Shabbos because, explains the MB ( 298,26), that Shabbos we take a candle to commemorate the creation of fire by rubbing two stones together which is the opposite. It indicates that it was not there before but on Yom Kippur, we want to show that this fire’s use was forbidden before and allowed now, therefore, the fire must exist from before.

There is an argument among the litvishe and chasidishe what is better, one should make kiddush for everyone or everyone should make kiddush for themselves? The Chasiddishe make kiddush for themselves and the litvishe one makes kiddush for all. They say that the rule טוב בו יותר מבשלוחו that he personally comes before the shliach does not apply as שומע כעונה hearing is like answering considering the person himself making the brocho, so we have ברוב עם הדרת מלך it is nicer to do things in a group.
In SA O’CH 298,14 says that one should make the brocho on the candle for all. They all enjoy the light at once. When it comes to make a brocho on a talis, we find in SA O’CH 8,5 we are given a choice either one makes the brocho for everyone or if they want one makes the brocho and the others answer Amen. The MB s’k 13 says that one making the brocho we currently don’t follow as people don’t know how each should have in mind the other one to be yotzei. We find in YD 19,3 that two shochtim with two animals one can motzei the other. Asks the Kreisi s’k 6 why over here there is an option as by talis above but by Milah YD 265,5 no option is given by two mohalim with two boys one makes the brocho and the other is yotzei. Maybe as he mentions there it is more in public.

ברכות נד,א

Until now we talked about sight as a differentiation but now we talk about sight as a commemoration. Recognizing the greatness of Hashem through a miracle that many or one experienced.
The Magen Avraham (686,5) says that people can make like a Purim a national or personal holiday to commemorate a miracle that happened on a particular day. We are not diminishing by this the importance of other days. We don’t mix one enjoyment with another not to diminish from each other. The Chasam Sofer in Maseches Shabbos (22,1) starting Pesulah, says that there is a biblical mitzva to commemorate a miracle that happened to one from a kal vochomer, if servitude to freedom praise required certainly from death to life. Therefore the Behag holds that Chanukah and Purim are biblical but the method of commemoration whether throgh lighting candles or reading of the megilla, as the neis happened through the king not being able to sleep and reading a megilla, is rabbinical.

ברכות נד,ב

I one heard, יודו לה’ חסדו ונפלאותיו לבני אדם when we get cured we should thank Hashem who healed us but we see the wonder in the doctor, a human being. That is why we don’t find Moshe Rabbenu being praised in the Haggadah as he is a tool of doctor, Hashem. The Midrash asks on ויאמינו בה’ ובמשה עבדו – אם במשה האמינו בה’ לא כל שכן if they believed in Moshe than certainly they believed in Hashem? אם כן למה נאמר ובמשה עבדו so why does it say in His servant Moshe, to teach us whoever beliefs in the talmid beliefs in the Rav. The question is, it should have said, why does it say they believed in Hashem? Maybe, since all the abilities of Moshe Rabbenu came from Hashem it is obvious that if they believed in Hashem than they would also believe in Moshe Rabbenu as Shimon Hamosini did not need to learn to fear talmidei chachomim as their abilities come from Hashem whereas Rebbi Akiva was am haaretz, so for him that was not so obvious.,

The table is like the mizbeach when one feeds the poor at the table as the mizbeach feeds the kohanim from the sacrifice.
The Rambsm emphasizes two places the importance of feeding the poor. In Hilchas Yom Tov (6,160) he says that someone who locks the door on the poor is not an enjoyment of a mitzva but an enjoyment of his own stomach. The other one is in Hilchas Megilla (2,17) where he says that there is no more greater or beautiful enjoyment than to make the poor and downtrodden happy. According to this, mishloach manos is based on matonas laevyonim not to ashame the poor, but according to the other Rambam above the Ksav Sofer says that it is based on the sudah in order to share with the poor. The SA O’CH 647,1 finishes up with טוב לב משתה תמיד where the question is if on Purim Katan we should make a sudah? So, says the Ksav Sofer that if he has good heart to give mishloach manos, than he can also make a sudah. The SA starts with the RMA quoting שויתי ה’ לנגדי תמיד keeping Hashem constantly in front of us as a King through fear and ends by get close to Hashem through love, so I heard that this is implied in ושני תמידים כהלכתם keeping the two tamids in front of us as the SA describes or keeping the SA in front of us constantly.

ברכות נה,ב

Talking about interpretation of dreams. How did Yosef know that the baker supervisor should be hung? I heard a mashel. A king commissioned a painter to paint a man holding a bowl of fruit. The fruit was so lifelike that the birds were eating from it. The king said, yes the fruit is lifelike but the man is not. How is it that the birds are not afraid from the man? Yosef saw that the birds where eating from the basket of baked goods held by the baker supervisor, so he must be considered dead.
The Dubner Magid explains why the Pharaohs dream interpreters could not interpret his dream with a mashel. A king wanted his son to gain knowledge for the future becoming king. When he returned, the ministers wanted to test him to see what he learned. So, one took a ring and placed it in his hand and ask the young man, what am I holding in my hand? The boy says, according to the formula we learned it must be a round object with a hole in the middle. So the minister asked him, so what do you think it can be? He says it is millstone with a hole in the middle. The interpreters of Pharaoh had all the formulas but they lacked common sense.

ברכות נו,ב

It says אנכי ארד עמך ואנכי אעלך גם עלה I will go down with you and bring you up with me, ask the Dubner Magid, why is Hashem first when going down but second when coming up? He compares this to a father taking his son into a pool. When going in, he goes first but when going out he protects him by having him go out first. Similarly, Hashem went down to Mitzraim first to protect us but had us come out first before He left.
It says הבאים מצרימה איש וביתו באו they come to Mitzraim, man and his house came. There is a contradiction in the pasuk. It starts in the present, coming and finishes in the past, came? The Klei Yokor says that they should not assimilate but see themselves coming now. Maybe, according what we said, the Rabbenu Bechaye says that איש refers to Hashem and His Court came, meaning when the Jews came, Hashem was there already.

ברכות נז,א-ב

People concerned with dreams, there is a siman in SA O’CH 220,1 about collecting 3 people and saying a
הטבת חלום to right a bad dream, but I think the gemora says in Maseches Pesochim by zugos, eating pairs
מאן דלא קפיד לא קפדו בהדיה if one does not care, they don’t care above ‘שומר פתאים ה Hashem protects the fools. See also SA O’CH 288 about תענית חלום even on shabbos.

Abba_S, as pointed in SA O’CH 224,7 the nusach is Hashem gave from his wisdom to a human being. I think it is a futile brocho because trump has shown time and time again his lack of wisdom. He has gotten rid of his best advisorsn because of selfishness thinking that he knows better than anyone else, see Medrash Shmuel on כל מחלוקת לשם שמים . He encourages midas sedom by not caring for poor. The corona virus he dismissed rather than showing care for the nation. There was a network created by previous presidents for emergency services which was disbanded by him. I have not seen any personal wisdom from him. What he did for Israel is because of his family.

Abba_S, what I said before is from my own but look at the MB s’k 12 there saying we should not make this brocho on a president or constitutional monarch who does not have life and death power. On the side, the Malbim explains where Achashveros showed his wealth for 180 days and had his wife come to him naked. He wanted ti show that he is a dictator with limitless power where the wealth belongs to him and the wife is owned by him without any constitutiinal restrictions he calls it a ממשלה שאינה מוגבלת. He explaina the difference between
מלכה ושתי and ושתי המלכה. The second, Achashveos held that without me, you are just Vashti so she said I am a queen because of my birth rite being a grand daughter of Nevuchadnezar.

Abba_S doesn’t the fact that he can be impeached show that he does not have unlimited power?
He can not sentence someone to death. The fact there is a constitution limits his power. Achashveros, could he have been impeached?

ברכות נח,ב

In Pirkei D’rebbi Eliezer 31, says that Yitzchok Avinu was revived and he said, מחיה המתים. The Beis Yosef O’CH 112, quotes the Shibolei Leket that the brochos of shmonei esrei are based on some historic occurrence when it was said. When Avraham Avinu was saved from the oven of fire, he said מגן אברהם. When Yitzchok Avinu was saved by the Akedah, they said, מחיה המתים. When Yaakov Avinu arrived to the gates of mercy, he realized that only Hashem provides it because of His holiness, he said הא-ל הקדוש. When Yosef was taught seventy languages, he said, חונן הדעת. When Ruvein was saved from death after his act with Bilhoh and his repentance , he said, הרוצה בתשובה. When Yehudah was forgiven for his act with Tomor, he said, חנון המרבה לסלוח. When Hashem promised the Jews that they will be taken out of Mitzraim, they said, גואל ישראל not גאל ישראל but constantly. When Raphael healed Avraham Avinu, he said, רופא חולה עמו ישראל. When Yitzchok Avinu planted and grew 100 times as much, he said, מברך השנים. When Yaakov Avinu went down to mitzraim and all the shevotim got together with Yosef, they said, מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל. When Moshe Rabbenu was told about the judgments to follow, he said, מלך אוהב צדקה ומשפט. When the Egyptians sunk into the sea, the Jews said, שובר אובים ומכניע זדים. When Hashem promised to Yaakov Avinu that Yosef will bury him, he said,
משען ומבטח לצדיקים. When Shlomo Hamelech built the Beis Hamikdash, he said, בונה ירושלים. When the Jews went through the sea and said shiroh, they said, מצמיח קרן ישועה. When the Jews cried in Mitzraim and were listened to, they said, שומע תפילה. When the shechina lowered itself to the Mishkan, they said, המחזיר שכינתו לציון. When Shlomo Hamelech brought the Aron into the Mikdash, he gave thanks by saying, הטוב שמך ולך נאה להודות. When the Jews arrived to Eretz Yisroel and saw peace there, they said, המברך את עמו ישראל בשלום.

ברכות נט,ב

Kiddush Hachama comes around every twenty eight years. It is the time when the sun is in the same position as at creation Tuesday night 6:00 PM. According to Shmuel the sun travels in a 365 1/4 days such that there is a difference of 6 hours every year so it takes 4 years to get to the same time on a day. To get back to that particular day, it requires a 7 day cycle. So to get to this hour above for Tuesday it will require 7×4 or 28 years. We have another calculation of 19 years where the moon catches up with the sun. A moon year is around 354 days whereas a sun year is around 365 so there is a difference of 11 days. Every 3,6,8,11,14,17,19 years of the 19 year cycle we add an extra month. The question the Masas Binyomin asks why can’t we make a kiddush hachama after 19 years? He explains it does not guarantee that the sun will be in the same place as the time of creation. The Yaaros Devash,1 asks, how does this work when Adam Harishon was created in Tishri and we make Kiddush Hachama in Nissan? He explains that before Adam Harishan sinned the sun traveled in an accelerated rate covering six months in 3 days.

ברכות ס,א

When buying a new car for recreation the Igros Moshe (3,80) says that for himself make שהחיינו and for the family make הטוב והמטיב,

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר if the women enjoys the relationship first the child is a boy. The Ksav Sofer in Shmos כאשר יענו אותו כן ירבה וכן יפרץ explains the more they afflicted him the more boys were born. The men were exhausted from work, so the women had the desire more and boys were born.

Over here, we need to reconcile the Torah and science. The science says that the man has an x&y chromosome and the woman has 2-x’s. If the man gives a y, it is a boy and if he gives an x, it is a girl. So according to this, the man determines the gender. We must say that the woman creates the environment for the man under which he either gives an x or y chromosome.

Hilel said the screaming cannot come from my house because they, in my house, accept the bad with the good with the same feeling.

The doctor is only given allowance to heal not to depress people and cause mental anguish.
It says כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא אשים עליך כי אני ה’ רפאך all diseases I placed on Egypt I will not place on you as I am Hashem, your healer. First we see that the one providing preventive medicine is the true doctor. Second by the doctor, it says ורפא ירפא a peh and by Hashem it is a feh. Explains the Rabbenu Bechaye that the pronunciation of a fey is light, easy cure whereas by a doctor the peh is harsh and so is the cure. Why the double language by the doctor? I heard some answers from doctors. One said that by Hashem there are no side effects, so we don’t need to go back the second time. The other said, that by a doctor, the Torah wants us to get a second opinion.

The brocho שעשה לי כל צרכי , Hashem provided for me all my needs, is said on leather shoes. The human being is on the highest level of creation, דומם,צומח,חי, מדבר inanimate, plant, living and speaking. Each one feeds itself from what is below it. The plant from water. The living from plants and the speaking human being from the living. The plant is greater than the inanimate. The living is greater than the plant and inanimate. The human being is greater than the living, plant and inanimate. I heard that we step back three steps by shmonei esrei to lower ourselves three levels to the level of inanimate object.

If one speaks out in between the tefilins, says the RMA O’CH 25,9 he should adjust the Yad tie and make two brochos on the Rosh.

ברכות סא,א

על כן יהיו דבריך מועטים we don’t know the effect of our words, so we should minimize our words by davening. The Rav Ibn Ezra on this pasuk goes out of his way in an extreme detail about saying קרובץ which stands for קול רנה וישועה באהלי צדיקים we know it as יוצרות yotzros because they used to say some in the middle of יוצר אור. He questions their validity and benefit of it as people don’t understand what they are saying In SA O’CH 68,1 this is discussed. The Mechaber says not to say it as it is a hefsak. The GRA follows this view. The RMA there brings from many rishonim including Tosfas that there is no problem when they are said for the benefit of the tzibur. Some say special yotzros Yom Tov by maariv called מערבית maarovis. The MB many times emphasizes its importance. When the first day Yom Tov falls on Shabbos, the second day we say the maarovis of the first day except the second they Pesach when the maarovis mentioned by Tosfas above talks about sefiras haaamer. The Tur is against saying it by krias shma but allows the saying by shmonei esrei as we say קרובץ לפורים. The RMA emphasizes the importance of saying it and one should not separate himself from the tzibur. The Shaar Ephraim, 13 (grand father of the Chacham Tzvi) explains that on purpose sometimes they wrote it a language which is hard to understand in order the goyim should not use it for their prayer. The Chavas Yair in his last teshuva, 238 says that saying it in the middle of chazoras hashatz is not hefsak as it is unnecessary to be motzei anyone. The Teshuva Meahava, (1,1) answers all the questionable misunderstood pieces. The Bach 68, tells a story where a Rav wanted to eliminate saying it and l’a he did not live out his years.

ברכות סא,ב

בכל מאודך all your money. So, why does it not say בכל ממונך? I think that the word מאוד meaning more is emphasized. Serve Hashem with what is more precious to you. The Baal Haturim on the pasuk explains that this refers to the Avos, our forefathers. ואהבת has the same letters as האבות.
בכל לבבך refers to Avraham Avinu who served Hashem with his whole heart ומצאת את לבבו נאמן לפנך you found him trustworthy in his heart. בכל נפשך refers to Yitzchok Avinu who sacrificed himself and בכל מאודך refers to Yaakov Avinu who said כל אשר תתן לי עשר אעשרנו לך whatever you give me I will take maaser for you.
I heard once that when we take a fish out of water, it jumps around. It looks like it is enjoying itself but the truth is it is suffering and dying being out of place. Similarly when we give up the Torah we might look like we are enjoying ourselves but we are truly dying being out of place without water.

It says ‘כל אשר יעבר תחת השבט העשירי יהיה קודש לה interprets the Arizal that each one of the ten martyrs was in the place of a shevet when Josef was sold and tenth Rebbi Akiva, a descendant of converts, was in place of Hashem who was included in the sale.
It is said in the Tzetil Katan that a person can be mekayem the mitzva of sacrificing himself thinking of a fire burning and being forced to convert oneself from Judaism. He throws himself into the fire rather than convert.

The simple reason above using the left hand and not the right because tefilin we place on the arm whereas we tie tefilin using the hand. Therefore it says that we should avoid using the middle finger of the left hand where we tie the retzios on and not the right hand because we use our hand to tie the tefilin on.

ברכות סב,ב

The Arvei Nachal Parashas Shlach Darush 1, explains it great detail the means of recognizing when something is an influence of the yetzer hara.
One, as mentioned above from the Chasan Sofer to see how much desire he has do to something. If his desire is overwhelming, he should question that maybe it is being portrayed by the yetzer hara as a mitzva when really it is an aveira. Sometimes we rationalize to explain an aveira and make it a mitzva on this the Baal Akedah says הרהורי עבירה קשה מעבירה explaining an aveira is worse than aveira because it because mutar and we will continue doing it.
Two, אין אדם רואה את נגעי עצמו a person does not recognize his own faults. So, he should imagine, how would he feel if someone else did this?
Three, a person wants to do something but he does not know if it is right or wrong. It has not been done before in his situation. David Hamelech felt that Shaul deserved death because he was out to kill him, but he was the King. David did something small to see how he will react afterwards. He cut Shaul’s edge of the garment and he felt extremely bad about it and he regret it as he describes it in Tehilim 7 as a stumble, a mistake. This becomes a test if the yetzer hara drives us to do something or the yetzer tov. We check our reaction afterwards. Most of the time we regret afterwards the wrong things we have done.

ברכות סג,א

What has greater a kedusha a Beis Hamedrash or a Beis Haknesses? In SA O’CH 153 it says that you can build a Beis Hamdrash from a Beis Haknesses but not vice versa but it also SA O’CH 151,2 in the RMA that we can eat and sleep in a Beis Hamedrash but not in a Beis Haknesses. No mezuzah is put in a Beis Haknesses but it is put in a Beis Hamedrash. A Beis Hamedrash is the home for talmidei chachomim, so even though it has a higher kedusha they still allowed eating and sleeping there.

We don’t say Amen in the mikdash because the aura of kedusha is so great there that his blessings are automatically validated. He only says that the kedusha there should spread to everywhere else.

There are two ways to pasken halachas. One to try to accommodate the needs of people and another to stay steadfast in the customs and traditions. Reb Moshe found ways to accommodate saying thirteen midos at night and having a lower mechitza, It depends of how עת לעשות לה’, הפרו תורתיך is looked at. If we say it as written then we should stay steadfast not to budge from tradition and customs. We must stay steadfast to protect the Torah . However, if we reverse it, ‘הפרו תורתיך עת לעשות לה then the emphasis is one accommodation to protect the Torah.

When we have many friends, we don’t know how loyal they are. We recognize our enemies as they reveal their hatred towards us, but we don’t know what hides in the heart of our friends. Having a few helps to discern that.

There is whole siman in SA O’CH 231 is based on how to do our everyday deeds like eating and sleeping to serve Hashem.

When we pray because of our plight, we should also have in mind that Hashem punishing us also is suffering and pray for His suffering also. Hashem is with us in our galus as it says עמו אנכי בצרה Hashem is with us in our plight.
When one follows this, he will be doubly be rewarded with support and health.
Learning Torah protects us also from all plight by recognizing that Hashem looks out for us.

ברכות סג,ב

It says Meshiach will come when עני רוכב על החמור. עני stands for the hardest maseches being עירובין, נדה and יבמות.
The churban came because of sinas chinom. These maseches unite us when we help each other in learning thereby bringing care towards each other and eliminating futile hate and bring Meshiach speedily. Learning on ones own can lead to mistakes as there is no one to correct each other. One does not realize that he is making a mistake.
Hashem supports us when we support His own. Zevulin supports Yisochor the talmid chacham.

ברכות סד,א

There is a question here. We say סיני ועוקר הרים, סיני עדיף one with great knowledge and the one who is sharp with questions, the one with knowledge is considered greater. So, why do we pasken like Rabeh over Rav Yosef who was the sharp one?

The Chasam Sofer explains the statement תלמודי חכמים מרבים שלום בעולם talmid chachams spread peace on this world. There is a fixed amount of discourse ordained to this world. They can either be battles or debates among the sages. By using it for debates, there will be less wars and battles in this world.