Monthly Archives: May 2022

Roosters establish a natural “pecking order”, literally and figuratively. A new rooster isn’t welcome into an existing group until he demonstrates that he knows his place. The eighth פֶּרֶק of יְבָמוֹת ends with this brief but fascinating episode: רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר … Continue reading →

Is this a male or a female individual? It’s actually David Bowie, a pop culture icon in the latter part of the 20th century, who was the poster child for androgyny in his generation. אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס was the subject we explored … Continue reading →

Oy, it’s Geshmak to do the Daf (check out the 4:54 mark of R’ Eli Stefansky’s video): I’m going to approach Blog Yomi a bit differently this morning, and not start from the beginning of Rabbi Stern’s video, but focus … Continue reading →

We’re up to the Mishnah on דף פ״א עמוּד א and after discussion about סְרִיס חַמָה, the naturally neutered, somehow we come back to consideration of how this affects whether he or anyone in his immediate circle is entitled to … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s entry was a refreshing change of pace in that it was an historical lesson free of nuances in male and female biology. It dealt with the Chivite (הַחִיוִי) inhabitants of the city of גִבְעוֹן who tricked יְהוֹשֻׁעַ into accepting … Continue reading →

The Mishnah on דף ע״ח עמוּד ב states: מַמְזֵרִין וּנְתִינִין אֲסוּרִין, וְאִיסּוּרָן אִיסּוּר עוֹלָם. אֶחָד זְכָרִים וְאֶחָד נְקֵבוֹת. Chances are you’ve encountered מַמְזֵרִין before. But who are the נְתִינִין? Regarding the נְתִינִין, who the Gemara refers to as the נְתִינִים, … Continue reading →

We begin today at the bottom of דף ע״ז עמוּד ב, four lines from the bottom: תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״בָּנִים״ וְלֹא בָּנוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״בָּנִים אֲשֶׁר יִוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם דּוֹר שְׁלִישִׁי״, הַכָּתוּב תְּלָאָן בְּלֵידָה The … Continue reading →

Well there’s one surefire way to influence a מַחְלוֹקֶת about who is or isn’t allowed into the קְהַ֥ל יְהֹוָ֖ה, meaning to marry a Jew, and that is to pull a sword and threaten to stab anyone who doesn’t accept the … Continue reading →

We’re on דף ע״ו עמוּד א, continuing with the discussion regarding פְּצוּעַ דַּכָּא וּכְרוּת שׁפְכָה: אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: נִיקַּב וְנִסְתַּם, כֹּל שֶׁאִילּוּ נִקְרֵי וְנִקְרָע — פְּסוּל. וְאִי לָאו — כָּשֵׁר. הָוֵי בֵּהּ רָבָא: הֵיכָא? אִילֵּימָא לְמַטָּה מֵעֲטָרָה — … Continue reading →

Walked into The Little Point Bookshop last week, which I do now more often since it moved across the street to larger quarters on Arnold Avenue in our home town of Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. I didn’t have much time … Continue reading →