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Rosh Hashanah 23
1) [line 8] ISNUSEI HU D'ISNUSEI - [was simply because] they were unable [to
light the fires] due to an accident
2) [line 13] IDRA - probably the Spanish Juniper
3) [line 14] MAVLIGA - a resinous tree
4) [line 14] GULMISH - the cypress tree (cupressus sempervirens)
5) [line 16] ASARAH MINEI ARAZIM HEN - there are ten types of trees that are
called Erez. (These trees are similar to a cedar tree in that the central
trunk grows straight, the branches spread out without bending, and the
leaves point upwards. As such, the cedar is a symbol of pride and
haughtiness -- Ta'anis 20a and elsewhere)
6) [line 19] ARZA - a cedar tree
7) [line 19] TURNISA - (O.F. pin) the pine tree
8) [line 19] ASA - a myrtle
9) [line 20] AFARSEMA - the balsam tree
10) [line 20] BERATA - (a) (O.F. buis) the box-wood tree (RASHI here and to
Shabbos 129a, citing RABEINU HA'LEVI); (b) a type of cedar tree (RASHI
Shabbos 129a)
11) [line 20] SHA'AGA - (O.F. sap) the fir-tree
12) [line 21] SHURIVNA - either the ebony, the box-wood or the cypress tree
13) [line 23] BUTMEI - (O.F. olme) the elm tree
14) [line 23] BELUTEI - (O.F. chesne) the oak tree [that produces acorns
(O.F. glant)]
15) [line 24] KASITA - (O.F. coral) coral, a hard red, pink, or white
substance that is built by tiny sea creatures
16) [line 25] AREI - (O.F. lor) laurel [that produces berries, fruit of the
laurel (O.F. baies)]
17) [line 25] DULVEI - (O.F. chastenier) the chestnut tree
18) [line 25] "[KI IM SHAM ADIR HASH-M LANU MEKOM NEHARIM YE'ORIM RACHAVEI
YADAYIM; BAL TELECH BO ONI SHAYIT,] V'TZI ADIR LO YA'AVRENU." - "[But there
HaSh-m in his majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams,
where no galley with oars can go,] neither shall large ships be able to pass
by it." (Yeshayah 33:21)
19) [line 26] BURNI GEDOLAH - a large ship (O.F. dromont - a type of ship)
20) [line 26] HEICHI AVDU? - what was such a large ship used for?
21) [line 29] TA'ANI LAHO CHALA - they filled it up with sand
22) [line 29] AD D'SHECHNA - until it sinks
23) [line 29] V'NACHIS BAR AMORA'EI - and divers dive down
24) [line 30] V'KATAR ATUNEI D'CHISNA - and tie ropes of flax [to the base
of the coral]
25) [line 31] V'SHADU L'VARA'I - and they throw off the sand
26) [line 32] V'CHAMAH D'MIDALYA AKARA U'MESAYA - and as it (the boat)
ascends, it (the coral) is uprooted and brought up
27) [line 33] PARVASA - ports (O.F. port)
28) [line 35] MARGENAISA - pearls or jewels
29) [line 35] U'MIKARYA PARVASA D'MESHAMHIG - and it is called the port of
Mashmahig, which means the port of kings, a place on an island in the
Persian Gulf, mentioned for its pearl fisheries
30) [line 46] REBBI AKIVA - in the verse before the verse, "Tachas
ha'Nechoshes Avi Zahav..." (Yeshayah 60:17) the last two words are "Avir
Yakov" (ibid. 60:16), which contain the letters of "Rebbi Akiva" (CHASAM
SOFER, citing the Ari Zal)
31) [line 46] "V'NIKEISI DAMAM LO NIKEISI..." - "Though I cleanse, their
bloodshed I shall not cleanse..." (Yoel 4:21)
23b---------------------------------------23b
32) [line 1] BIRAM - Biram, between Syria and Mesopotamia
33) [line 4] AF CHARIM V'KAYAR - (a) names of high places where torches were
also lit; (b) according to the Girsa of the Vilna Ga'on, AF *HAREI MICHVAR*
- the mountains of the area of Michvar. Michvar is the mountainous area to
the east of the Dead Sea that rises to a height of 700 meters above sea
level, from where it is possible to see Yerushalayim and Chevron. According
to Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel and Targum Yerushalmi, Michvar is Ya'azer,
mentioned in Bamidbar 21:32, 32:1, which was in the portion of Gad. At the
time of the second Beis ha'Mikdash, it was very important strategically,
serving to protect the land of Judea, of which it was a part, from the
Nabateans to the south and from invaders from the east. Alexander Yanai
built a fortress there, which was later fortified by Herod. The defenders of
Yerushalayim fled there after the destruction of the Beis ha'Mikdash, but
were all massacred by the Romans. After the destruction of Yerushalayim,
when the center of the Jewish population moved northwards to the Galil, the
concentration of the Jewish settlement to the east of the Jordan River also
moved northwards to the Galil.
34) [line 4] GEDER - (a) a city in the Galilee not far from Teveryah
(Megilah 2b), on the slope of a mountain above the city of Chamesan, which
contained an area of hot springs (Shabbos 109a); (b) Alternatively, Chamas
Gader, an ancient city near the Kineret, which contains hot springs and lies
below the Jordanian city of Ummqeis, which is reputed to be the biblical
"Gadara."
35) [line 5] L'HACH GISA D'ERETZ YISRAEL - (lit. on the other side of Eretz
Yisrael) on another route from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel
36) [line 10] ISTATUMEI ISTATUM LEHU DARKEI - many of the main roads were
blocked, necessitating a circuitous route
37) [line 11] "LACHEN HINENI SACH ES DARKECH BA'SIRIM, [V'GADARTI ES GEDERAH
U'NESIVOSEHA LO SIMTZA.]" - "Therefore I will hedge your route with thorns,
[and I will hem her in with a fence, and she will not find her paths.]"
(Hoshea 2:8)
38) [line 12] "[GADAR DERACHAI B'GAZIS,] NESIVOSAI IVAH." - "[He has walled
up my roads with hewn stones;] He distorted my paths. (Eichah 3:9)
39) [line 19] CHACHAMAH - a midwife
40) [line 21] GAYAS - marauding troops
41) [line 21] MAPOLES - an avalanche or a structure that collapsed
42) [line 24] LISHNA MA'ALYA HU - a term with a positive connotation
43) [line 26] "...V'HU ASUR BA'ZIKIM..." - "...and he was bound in
chains..." (Yirmeyah 40:1)
44a) [line 33] LIFNEI HA'CHAMAH - according to the conclusion of the Gemara,
this means, "Did the Pegimah (the "flaw," or missing part of the moon) face
the sun that has recently set?" i.e. did the points of the crescent face
towards the sun?
b) [line 33] L'ACHAR HA'CHAMAH - according to the conclusion of the
Gemara, this means, "Did the Pegimah (the "flaw," or missing part of the
moon) face *away from* the sun that has recently set?" i.e. did the points
of the crescent face away from the sun?
45) [line 34] UL'AYIN HAYAH NOTEH - according to the Gemara (24a), this
means, "Did the moon rise to the north or to the south of the location of
sunset?
46) [line 40] SHE'LO YEITZ'U B'FACHEI NEFESH - so that they should not
become discouraged
47) [line 44] "HAMSHEL VA'FACHAD IMO; OSEH SHALOM BI'MROMAV." - "Dominion
and dread are with Him; He makes peace in His heights." (Iyov 25:2)
48) [line 45] V'LO PEGIMASAH SHEL KESHES - and not the Pegimah (the "flaw,"
or missing part) of the rainbow, i.e. the bases of the rainbow are on the
ground and not in the air
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