Steven Levy Remembering Rabbi Gettinger

Examples of Rabbi Gettinger’s unique approach to learning: 1) This is a chiddush of his that’s classic Rabbi Gettinger and easy to explain. In the second Rashi on daf 2a (dibbur hamaschil: Ad sof ha’ashmura rishona (until the end of the first watch period)), Rashi writes, “shelish halayla” as the Gemara explains later. However, if … [Read more…]

Daf (Berachos 10) by Shlermie

In the first few lines of the broader lines on 10b, the Gemara explains how the Shunamite woman knew Elisha was holy. And she knew due to two reasons: a fly never passed upon his table and, when Elisha slept within her home, she never saw a seminal emission upon his sheets. One obviously cannot … [Read more…]

Daf (Berachos 5) and Chumash (Vayechi) by Shlermie

Berachos 5 speaks extensively about afflictions: afflictions of love, afflictions that cannot be love, financial afflictions, afflictions involving children, etc.  This is a daf about pain, suffering, and our trying to understand this pain and suffering.  Similarly, Parshas Vayechi directly follows Parshas Vayigash without the usual Parsha break.  Rav Hirsch points out that Yaakov’s 17 … [Read more…]

Mnach Yoma

While we’re discussing bain hashemashos in the current dafs, I wanted to mention that Rabbi Emanuel (Menachem) Gettinger (zzl) wrote an excellent sefer titled “Mnach Yoma” (Hebrew) on Rabbeinu Tam’s opinion on bain hashemashos.  “Mnach Yoma” can be ordered from Ezras Torah at this link.

Daf (Berachos 3) by Shlermie

When it is night, when you are facing darkness, are there three or four watches? (There appears to be three.) And the Daf speaks to several threes which, seemingly, are connected. (And, at the risk of going too far in terms of threes, this is Daf 3.) One is unity, agreement, simplicity.Two is duality, tension … [Read more…]

Daf (Berachos 2) by Shlermie

Within the Daf (Berachos 2), while determining at what time we can say the Shma at night, we compare the times when (a) a poor person eats, (b) a person eats their Shabbas meal, and (c) a Kohain immerses. obviously these three examples are significant because they speak to specific times. But one can’t help … [Read more…]