The Gemara tells us the requirement of checking a mezuzah:
The mezuza belonging to an individual is examined twice every seven years to determine whether it was stolen or became disqualified. And in order to avoid excessive burden on the community, the mezuza belonging to the public is examined twice in a fifty-year Jubilee period.
I would like to tell you a story from my personal life, actually two stories, about Mezuzos. Many people have the cu …
The Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that the Persians who rebuilt the Temple would eventually suffer a demise. They question why it should be fair, that those who did the good deed of rebuilding the Temple should suffer a destruction. The Gemara Offers two answers:
Such is the decree from G-d, seeming to say that some things in the world are a mystery and we cannot question them.
Or indeed, the Persians also destroyed synag …
The Gemara on amud beis heavily criticizes the sexually provocative behavior of the women during the Second Temple:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, indicates a tall woman walking alongside a short one so that the tall woman would stand out. And walk with outstretched necks, indicates that they would walk with upright stature and carry themselves in an immodest way. And wanton eyes, indicates that they would fill their eyes with blue ey …
This Daf discusses a number of topics that I would like to tie together thematically with a derash.
First, the sanctity of Tefilin is discussed and the requirement to be aware of them at all times while wearing them.
Second, we discussed the odd case of somebody who wrote G-d’s name on his body. The Gemara deals with the technical issue of how he may undress in front of G-d’s name (Tosafos), or possibly the fear of it bei …
Our Gemara on Amud Aleph uses the idiom, הֱוֵי פִּקֵּחַ וּשְׁתוֹק Be shrewd and keep silent. Here it is used in reference to a public sacrifice that would be kosher if brought while impure, given there is no other substitute. Since it is a fait accompli, and technically it is kosher, there is no value in the Cohen sharing information about the sacrifice. Why cause unnecessary despair?
This terminology is used in another exam …
