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1) WHICH BLEMISHES NECESSITATE DIVORCE

(a) (Rav Nachman): A woman that has epileptic fits is considered a hidden blemish.

1. This is if it comes at fixed times; if not, it is as an exposed blemish.

(b) (Mishnah): If blemishes arose in a man, we do not force him to divorce his wife;
(c) R. Shimon Ben Gamliel says, this applies to small blemishes; by big blemishes, we force him to divorce her.
(d) (Gemara): Rav Yehudah learns, the Mishnah says arose; Chiya Bar Rav says, the text is were.

1. The opinion that says arose, all the more so were she saw the blemish and accepted it.
2. The opinion that says were, but arose, no.

(e) (Mishnah): R. Shimon Ben Gamliel says, this applies to small blemishes; by big blemishes, we force him to divorce her.

1. This fits well according to the opinion that learns arose.
2. Question: According to the opinion that learns were - what difference does it make if they are small or big - she saw them and accepted them!
3. Answer: She thought she could bear them; now she sees that she cannot bear them.

(f) (R. Shimon Ben Gamliel): These are big blemishes: His eye was blinded, his arm was cut off, his leg was broken.
(g) (Rav Acha Bar Yakov, citing R. Yochanan): The law is as R. Shimon Ben Gamliel.
(h) (Rava): The law is as Chachamim.
(i) Question: Did R. Yochanan really say, the law (here) is as R. Shimon Ben Gamliel?

1. (Rabah Bar Bar Chanah, citing R. Yochanan): The law is always as R. Shimon Ben Gamliel in the Mishnayos, except for 3 places: A co-signer, the case in Tzidon, and bringing a later proof.

(j) Answer: These Amora'im argue regarding what R. Yochanan said.

(a) (Mishnah): A husband with any of the following blemishes, we force him to divorce his wife: A leper, one with Pulipus, a Mekametz, one who is Metzaref copper, and a tanner, whether these preceded the marriage or came during the marriage;

1. R. Meir says, regarding all of them, even if he stipulated with her, she can say, I thought I could bear it; now I see that I cannot bear it.
2. Chachamim say, she is forced to bear it, except for a leper, since this harms her.

(b) There was a case in Tzidon of a wife of a tanner that fell to Yibum to a tanner. Chachamim said, she can claim, I could bear your brother, but not you.
(c) (Gemara) Question: What is Pulipus?
(d) Answer #1 (Shmuel): A smell which comes from the nose.
(e) Answer #2 (Beraisa): A smell which comes from the mouth.

1. Rav Asi switched the opinions, and gave a way to remember who said which: 'Shmuel's mouth has not ceased in this entire chapter of the Mishnah'.

(f) (Gemara) Question: What is Mekametz?
(g) Answer (Rav Yehudah): One who gathers dung of dogs.
(h) Question (Beraisa): Mekametz is a tanner.

1. Counter-question: The Mishnah lists both Mekametz and Borsi (a tanner)!
2. Response: That is not difficult - Mekametz is a small tanner, Borsi is a big tanner!
3. The question from the Beraisa remains difficult on Rav Yehudah.

(i) Answer: Tana'im argue on the meaning of Mekametz.

1. (Beraisa): Mekametz is a tanner; some say, it is one who gathers dung of dogs.

(j) Question: What is Metzaref copper?
(k) Answer #1 (Rav Ashi): One who smelts and makes copper pots. (l) Answer #2 (Rabah Bar Bar Chanah): One who quarries it from its source.

1. Support (Beraisa): Metzaref is one who quarries copper from its source.

(a) (Rav): One who says, I will not feed nor support my wife, we force him to divorce her and pay her Kesuvah.
(b) R. Elazar said this in front of Shmuel.

1. Shmuel: Give Elazar barley to chew! Rather than forcing the husband to divorce her, force him to feed her!

i. Rav holds, a person cannot live with a snake in one basket. (We do not force her to live with an antagonizing husband.)

2. R. Binyamin Bar Yefet said as Rav, in the name of R. Yochanan.
3. R. Zeira: R. Elazar was given barley for teaching thusly!

(c) (Rav Yehudah, citing Rav Asi): We only force a husband to divorce his wife if she is forbidden to him.

1. Rav Yehudah: When I said this in front of Shmuel, he said, such as a widow to a Kohen Gadol, a divorcee or Chalutzah to a regular Kohen, a Mamzeres or Nesinah to a Yisrael, a Bas Yisrael to a Nasin or Mamzer - but a man who has been married for 10 years without children, we do not force.
2. Rav Tachlifa citing Shmuel: Even a man who has been married for 10 years without children, we do force!

(d) (Mishnah): A husband with any of the following blemishes, we force him to divorce his wife: A leper, one with Pulipus ...

1. This is not difficult on Rav Asi - he can say, the Mishnah listed only cases where mid'Rabanan, we force him to divorce her, not cases where mid'Oraisa he must divorce her.
2. Question: According to Rav Tachlifa, the Mishnah should have listed a man who has been married for 10 years without children!
3. Answer #1 (Rav Nachman): The men in the Mishnah, we force them with lashes; a man who has been married for 10 years without children, we only force with words.

i. Objection (R. Aba): "A slave will not fix his ways through words".

4. Answer #2 (R. Aba): In both cases, he is forced with lashes. In our Mishnah, if she wants to stay with him, we do not force; the childless couple we force in any case.

5. Objection: But the Mishnah lists a leper, and even if she wants to stay with him, we do not allow this!

i. (Mishnah): Except for a leper, since he harms her!

6. Answer: By a leper, if she wants to remain with him with witnesses (who will ensure that they do not have relations), we allow her; a childless couple, even if she wants to remain with him with witnesses, we do not allow this.

(a) (Beraisa - R. Yosi): There are 24 types of lepers - by all of them, relations are damaging; Ba'alei Ra'asan are the worst.
(b) Question: What causes it?
(c) Answer (Beraisa): One who has relations after bloodletting, the children will be weak; if they have relations after both let blood, the children will be Ba'alei Ra'asan.

1. (Rav Papa): This only applies if they did not eat in between; if they ate in between, there is no problem.

(d) The signs of Ba'alei Ra'asan are: his eyes tear, his nose drips, saliva comes from his mouth, and flies hover about him.
(e) Question: What is the cure?
(f) Answer (Abaye): Take mint, alum, bark of a nut tree, shearings of leather, lily, and red date-shells, and cook them together. Bring the sick one into a marble house; if this is not available, into a house whose walls are 7 1/2 bricks thick. Pour 300 cups of the potion on his head, until his skull softens. Cut the skull; put a myrtle leaf under each leg of the insect, and remove it with tongs; burn the insect.

1. If you do not burn it, it will return to him.

(g) R. Yochanan warned people to beware of the flies from Ba'alei Ra'asan; R. Zeira would not sit in the wind with them; R. Elazar would not enter the same tent as them; R. Ami and R. Asi would not eat eggs that came from an alley of Ba'alei Ra'asan.
(h) R. Yehoshua Ben Levi would cling to them and engage in Torah.

1. "And it gives grace" - all the more so, Torah protects those that learn!

(i) When R. Yehoshua Ben Levi was about to die, the angel of death was told to accede to his desires; he appeared to him.

1. R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: Show me where my place will be.
2. Angel of death: Fine!
3. R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: Give me your knife, lest you scare me on the way; he gave it to him.
4. When they got there, the angel of death lifted him up and showed him; R. Yehoshua Ben Levi jumped to the other side. He held onto his garment: "I swear, I will not leave".
5. Hash-m: If he ever annulled an oath, he will go back; if not, not.
6. Angel of death: Give me my knife; R. Yehoshua Ben Levi refused.
7. Heavenly voice: Give it to him, it is needed for the world; he gave it back.
8. Eliyahu: Make room for the son of Levi! Make room for the son of Levi!
9. R. Yehoshua Ben Levi found R. Shimon Bar Yochai sitting on 13 gold chairs.
10. R. Shimon Bar Yochai: Are you the son of Levi?
11. R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: Yes.
12. R. Shimon Bar Yochai: Was a rainbow seen in your day?
13. R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: Yes.
14. R. Shimon Bar Yochai: If so, you are not worthy of this proclamation.

i. Really, the rainbow what not seen in his day - R. Yehoshua Ben Levi did not want to take credit for this.

(j) R. Chanina Bar Papa was his close friend. When he was about to die, the angel of death was told to accede to his desires; he appeared to him.

1. R. Chanina Bar Papa: Give me 30 days to review my learning. The angel of death agreed.

i. Happy is the one who comes to the world to come and remembers his learning.

2. The angel of death returned after 30 days.
3. R. Chanina Bar Papa: Show me where my place will be.
4. Angel of death: Fine!
5. R. Chanina Bar Papa: Give me your knife, lest you scare me on the way.
6. Angel of death: You want to do to me as your friend?
7. R. Chanina Bar Papa: Bring a Sefer Torah, and see if there is anything in it I didn't fulfill.
8. Angel of death: Did you cling to Ba'alei Ra'asan and engage in Torah?

i. Even though he had not, when he died, a pillar of fire separated him from everyone else.
ii. This only happens for 1 or 2 in a generation.

9. R. Alexandri came close. '(Let the fire cease,) for the honor of Chachamim'. The fire continued. 'For the honor of your father'. The fire continued. 'For your own honor'. The fire abated.
10. Abaye: The fire was to keep away anyone that did not fulfill everything in the Torah.
11. Rav Ada Bar Masnah: Such as yourself - you do not have a railing on your roof!

i. Really, Abaye had a railing - the wind had blown it down.

(k) R. Chanina: There are no Ba'alei Ra'asan in Bavel, because they eat beets, and drink beer of Hizmi.
(l) R. Yochanan: There are no lepers in Bavel, because they eat beets, drink beer and bathe in the Pras River.