ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem
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Pesachim 119
Questions
1)
(a) The hidden things referred to in the Pasuk in Yeshayah 'le'*Michseh*
Atik' - are the secrets of Torah (Ma'aseh ha'Merkavah and Ma'aseh
Bereishis).
(b) One explanation of 'Sisrei Torah is that the rewards mentioned in this
Pasuk are due to those who keep secret what Hashem made a secret (i.e. who
do not divulge the above to the public, only to worthy individuals); the
other, is that the rewards are due to those who publicize what was
previously hidden but which Hashem has now revealed (the Rashbam seems to
have the text 'Sisrei Torah' in the second Lashon as well, in which case it
would appear to be referring to someone who teaches the hidden secrets of
Torah to the worthy individuals - supplementing the first Lashon rather than
clashing with it). According to our text however, the second Lashon is
referring to someone who reveals 'Ta'amei Torah' - i.e. the reasons of
Mitzvos (see Agados Maharsha and Rashash).
(c) The Gemara interprets the phrase "la'Menatzei'ach Mizmor le'David" to
mean that one should sing to the One who empowers us to vanquish Him and is
happy about it. Human beings are upset when they are (verbally) vanquished.
Not so Hashem, who is pleased when we are able to reverse the Midas ha'Din.
(d) This is borne out by the Pasuk "va'Yomer le'Hashmidam, Lulei Moshe
*Bechiro* Amad ba'Peretz" - where Hashem praises Moshe Rabeinu for standing
in the breach and, through his prayers, saves Yisrael from being
exterminated (after Hashem had categoricallly told him that that was His
intention).
2)
(a) Hashem's Hand is spread open underneath the wings of the Cherubs - in
order to accept the Ba'alei Teshuvah and to save them from the Midas ha'Din.
(b) Yosef collected all the money from Egypt and Cana'an as well as from all
the other countries - in fact, from the whole world of that time.
(c) We learn from the Pasuk "va'Yenatzlu es Mitzrayim" - that when Yisrael
left Egypt, they took every penny (of the above-mentioned treasuries) out
with them.
(d) "va'Yenatzlu" - means either that they rendered it empty like a bird-
trap (which has no corn in it), or like the depths of the sea (where there
are no fish).
3)
(a) Yisrael, Shishak King of Egypt, Zerach King of Kush, Asa, King of
Yehudah, Hadadrimon ben Tavrimon, Amon, Yehoshafat, Sancheiriv and Chizkiyah
- all owned the vast treasure that Yosef had stored in Egypt and which
Yisrael took out with them. Each one captured it from his predecessor.
(b) The last four to have owned this vast wealth to date are the
Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans - with whom it has been
ever since.
(c) According to Rebbi Chama b'Rebbi Chanina, one of the three treasures
hidden by Yosef is reserved for the Tzadikim in the days of Mashi'ach - the
other two were discovered by Korach and the righteous Antoninus (Emperor of
Rome) respectively.
4)
(a) The Pasuk "Osher Shamur le'Ba'lav le'Ra'aso" refers to Korach, whose
enormous wealth caused his downfall.
(b) "ve'Eis Kol *ha'Yekum Asher be'Raglav*" (written in connection with
Korach) refers to his wealth, because wealth is what places a man on his
feet (though it can also knock him off them, as we just learned).
(c) Korach possessed three hundred white-mules-full of keys and locks for
his vast treasure.
5)
(a) David, his father Yishai, his brothers and Shmuel all participated in
the recital of ''Odecha" (some phrases were even said by all of them).
(b) The 'cornerstone whom the builders despised' - is David Hamelech.
(c) The gist of the paragraph is an acknowledgement and thanks to Hashem for
turning the hitherto rejected David into King of Yisrael.
119b---------------------------------------119b
Questions
6)
(a) 'Makom she'Nahagu li'Chepol Yichpol' - means that there where the Minhag
is to double the whole of Hallel, then one should do so.
(b) Some recite a Berachah *after* Hallel, others do not. As far as the
Berachah *before* Hallel is concerned, the Berachah is obligatory ...
(c) ... as we have learned 'Kol ha'Mitzvos Mevarech Aleihem Over
la'Asiyasan'.
(d) 'Rebbi *Kofel* Bah Devarim - means that he would only double the Pesukim
from 'Odecha'; 'Rebbi Elazar ben Perata *Mosif* Bah Devarim'
- refers to the whole of Hallel, as we explained earlier.
7)
(a) Hashem will organize a Se'udah for the Tzadikim - 'on the day that He
performs Chesed with Yitzchak's descendants' (presumably this refers to the
era of Mashi'ach, the ultimate Chesed).
(b) 1. Avraham will not want to Bensch - because he fathered (the Rasha)
Yishmael; 2. Yitzchak - because he fathered Eisav; 3. Ya'akov - because he
married two sisters; 4. Moshe - because he did not merit to enter Eretz
Yisrael (even after his death) and 5. Yehoshua - because he did not merit
to have any sons.
(c) When David Hamelech was offered the Kos shel Berachah, he replied '*I*
will Bensch, and so I should'. That is hinted in the Pasuk "Kos Yeshu'os
Esa, u've'Shem Hashem Ekra".
8)
(a) According to Rav, 'Ein Maftirin Achar ha'Pesach Afikoman' means that
someone who has finished the Korban Pesach is forbidden to go and eat
anything else in *another* location (though he is permitted to eat in his
original place).
(b) Shmuel is more stringent than Rav. He even prohibits eating anything in
one's *original* location. That is what he meant when he said 'Kegon
Urdila'i Li ve'Gozlos le'Aba' - i.e. such as mushrooms for me and young
birds for Rav.
(c) He picked on those two items because that is what they happened to like
for dessert.
(d) We learn from 'le'Mashchah' - that one should eat Korbanos in regal
fashion (in the context of our Sugya it means that one should eat a Korban
at the *end* of the meal (so that its taste remains in one's mouth).
9)
(a) Aba was Rav.
(b) Rav is a title which means 'the Rav', because Rav was the Rav of Bavel,
in the same way as Rebbi was the Rebbe of Eretz Yisrael. (Note: the Amora'im
who lived in Bavel - who did not receive Semichah - generally bore the title
'Rav', whereas the Gedolim of Eretz Yisrael - who had Semichah - bore the
title 'Rebbi'.)
10)
(a) When Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel says 'Ein Maftirin Achar Matzah Afikoman' -
he means that the Din of 'Ein Maftirin Achar ha'Pesach Afikoman' extends to
Matzah, and that one is therefore forbidden to eat anything after the
Afikoman.
(b) The reason that our Mishnah mentions Pesach and not Matzah - is because
the prohibition of eating after Matzah (which has a far weaker taste than
Pesach) is more obvious than that of Pesach; so if eating after the Pesach
is forbidden, how much more so after Matzah.
(c) The Beraisa says 'ha'Sufganin ve'ha'Duvshanin ve'ha'Iskeritin Adam
Memalei Kereiso Meihen, u'Vilevad she'Yochal Kezayis Matzah ba'Acharonah' -
implying that one must eat the required k'Zayis of Matzah at the end, but
not at the beginning. Is this not because of 'Ein Maftirin Achar Matzah
Afikoman' - a proof for Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel?
(d) It may well be, answers the Gemara, that one can certainly eat the
k'Zayis of Matzah at the beginning (and we are not concerned about 'Ein
Maftirin Achar Matzah Afikoman'). The Tana is coming to permit Sufganin and
Duvshanin etc. before the Matzah of Mitzvah, should one so wish, to teach us
that we are not concerned that one might in the process, come to eat the
Matzah on a full stomach (like we are with regard to eating in the
afternoon).
11)
(a) The Afikoman represents the final k'Zayis of Matzah that was eaten
together with the Pesach at the end of the meal. In fact, *it* is the main
Mitzvah, and *not* the first k'Zayis that we eat.
(b) We recite the Berachah over the first k'Zayis that we eat, rather than
over *it* - for the same reason that we recite the Berachah over Maror the
first time we eat it, even if we do not actually fulfill the Mitzvah then
(as we saw above - on Daf 115a, according to Rav Chisda - see Tosfos there
DH 'Maskif Lah"). (Note: The Rosh however, in Si'man 34, disagrees with the
Rashbam. According to *him*, the Afikoman is merely a symbolism for the last
k'Zayis of Pesach itself.)
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