ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem
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Berachos 34
Questions
1)
(a) When a Chazan makes a mistake in the middle of Chazaras ha'Shatz, and
one is asked to continue Chazaras ha'Shatz, he should not refuse, since it
is disrespectful towards the Tefilah, to allow such a long break in the
middle of the Amidah.
(b) The second Chazan resumes the Amidah at the beginning of the Berachah
where the first Chazan made his mistake.
(c) The Chazan should not answer 'Amen' at the end of each Pasuk of Birchas
Kohanim, as well as at the end of the first Berachah.
(d) A Chazan who is a Kohen, is permitted to Duchen if he is sure that he
will not become confused in his Tefilah.
2)
(a) Someone who is asked to Daven before the Amud, should first refuse,
then hesitate and at the third request, he should go to the Amud.
(b) Someone who does not refuse at all, is compared to a cooked dish
without salt.
(c) Should he refuse excessively, he is like a dish which is over-salted.
3)
(a) Someone who errs in the first three Berachos, must begin the Amidah
again; and in the last three, to 'Retzei'.
(b) According to Rav Asi, someone who makes a mistake in the middle
Berachos, just begins that Berachah there and then (see Tosfos, d.h.
'Emtza'iyos').
(c) By 'the beginning of the Berachah by which the first Chazan erred', the
Mishnah could well mean 'Ata Chonen' (if the mistake occurred in the middle
Berachos), since all the middle Berachos are considered as one.
Consequently, the Mishnah does not clash with Rav Huna (who says that one
is obligated to go back to the beginning of that Berachah) at all.
(d) The first three Berachos are like someone who arranges the King's
praises, and the last three, like someone who has just received his basic
needs from the King, and is thanking him before taking his leave.
4)
(a) Moshe Rabeinu Davened a Tefilah for forty days and he Davened a Tefilah
of five words. Who can Daven longer than forty days or shorter than five
words? In that case, how can a Tefilah ever be too long or too short?
(b) We also learn from "Keil Na, Refa Na *Lah*", that when one Davens on
behalf of a person in the person's presence, he is not obligated to mention
his name, but simply Davens on behalf of 'him' or 'her'.
(c) Yes, one may bow down during any Berachah in the Amidah, provided it is
not at the beginning or at the end of the Berachah (other than at the two
beginnings and the two ends fixed by Chazal).
(d) The Kohen Gadol bows down at the beginning and at the end of every
Berachah. Whereas the King bows down once - at the commencement of the
Amidah, and he remains in a bowing position until the conclusion of the
Amidah.
34b---------------------------------------34b
Questions
5)
(a) 'Kidah' means bowing down on one's face; 'Keri'ah' means kneeling, and
'Hishtachavayah', bowing down with one's arms and legs outstretched.
(b) When Abaye and Rava bowed down, they did not stretch out their arms and
legs, but turned on their sides. They did this, the Gemara explains in
Megilah, because a great man should not bow down on his face, unless (like
Yehoshua bin Nun) he is certain that he will be answered.
(c) The two Hoda'os during which the Beraisa prohibits kneeling are the
"Hodu la'Hashem Ki Tov" of Hallel, and the second Berachah of Bensching.
6)
(a) If a Chazan errs during Chazaras ha'Shatz, it is a bad sign for the
community on whose behalf he is Davening, because 'the Sheli'ach of a
person is like himself'.
(b) Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa knew that the sick person was destined to
survive, if his Tefilah on his behalf came out fluently, and he knew that
he would not survive, when it did not.
(c) It is a bad sign only when the error occurs during the first Berachah.
(d) Kavanah is imperative during the first Berachah.
7)
(a) The prophets directed their prophesies about the ultimate rewards
towards someone who married off his daughter to a Talmid-Chacham, who did
business with a Talmid-Chachamim and who benefited Talmidei-Chachamim with
their property.
(b) "Ayin Lo Ra'asah Elokim Zulasecha" refers to the Talmidei Chachamim
themselves. Their reward is inconceivable.
(c) The prophets were referring to the times of Mashi'ach (before Olam
ha'Ba).
(d) Shmuel maintains that nothing will change in the time of Mashi'ach,
other than that the nations of the world will no longer have jurisdiction
over us. He applies the Pasuk "Ki Lo Yechdal Evyon mi'Kerev ha'Aretz" - not
even in the days of Mashi'ach.
8)
(a) If the Pasuk "Ayin Lo Ra'asah" etc., refers to complete Tzadikim, then
the prophets must have been referring to Ba'alei Teshuvah.
(b) Rebbi Avahu learns from the Pasuk "Shalom Shalom la'Rachok" etc., that
Hashem first gives 'Shalom' to those who have come from far (the Ba'alei
Teshuvah), and only then to those who were always near. So we see that
Ba'alei Teshuvah are dearer to Hashem than those who were always Frum.
(c) According to Rebbi Yochanan, "Rachok" means those who were far from
sin, and "Karov" those who were close to sin; in which case, he too,
agrees, that those who were always Frum are mentioned first.
9)
(a) Adam ha'Rishon lived in *Gan* Eden, not in *Eden*. The proof that these
are two different locations lies in the Pasuk in Bereishis "ve'Nahar Yotzei
mei'Eden, le'Hashkos es ha'Gan".
(b) According to the first interpretation of the Pasuk "Ayin" etc., in this
context, it is referring to wine that has been preserved inside the grapes
since the Creation.
10)
(a) Rebbi Chanina went up to the attic, and prayed on behalf of Rabban
Gamliel's son, even before the Talmidei-Chachamim arrived to ask him to do
so.
(b) When Rebbi Chanina informed the Talmidei-Chachamim that his fever had
subsided, and that he knew about his improved condition only on account of
the fluency of his prayers (insinuating that he had no hand in the actual
healing), they recorded the exact time of his prayer, and went to check
with Rabban Gamliel what time his son had recovered. They discovered that
the time of the miraculous recovery tallied with the time that Rebbi
Chanina Ben Dosa had prayed for his recovery (from which it was evident
that it was on the merits of Rebbi Chanina's prayers that Rabban Gamliel's
son was cured).
(c) Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai figured that if he were to place his head
between his knees all day long, his prayers would not be answered.
(d) Nevertheless, it does not follow from there that Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa
was greater than him in the eyes of Hashem. Why not?
Because whereas *he* was like a minister before the King (who requires
express permission to gain entry to the King's inner-chambers, Rebbi
Chanina ben Dosa was like a servant, who is permitted entry to the King
whenever he pleases. Does this mean that the servant is more important than
the Prime-Minister.
11)
(a) Rav Kahana considers it a Chutzpah to Daven in an open place, because
the Fear of Hashem (an important prerequisite to Tefilah) is more prone to
develop when a person Davens in a discreet place than in an open one.
(b) Rav Kahana also considers it a Chutzpah to tell others about his sins,
as the Pasuk writes in Tehilim "Ashrei Nesuy Pesha, Kesuy Chata'ah".
Hadran Alach, 'Ein Omdin'!
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