Questions tagged [mishna]
The mishna which is part of the oral law, was written by the Tannaim in a short-form containing 6 volumes with 64 subvolumes.
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Is it important to learn Mishnah before Talmud?
I have recently started learning Talmud / Gemara recently, and though I am enjoying the experience greatly, something tells me that it would be helpful if I actually went about learning Mishnayot ...
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Understanding a Fine Point in the Rambam's Laws of Yibbum
In MT, Hilkhot Yibbum veChalitzah 7:11, the Rambam presents the case of three brothers, two of whom are married to two sisters and the third of whom is married to an unrelated woman. In the event that ...
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Concerning the time when Esther must be read
The first Mishnah in Tractate Megilla says:
מגילה נקראת באחד עשר, בשנים עשר, בשלושה עשר, בארבעה עשר, ובחמישה עשר--לא פחות ולא יתר.
The Megilla is read sometimes on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, or on ...
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Machlokes Hatanaim when Kriat Shema should be said
The first Blat of Berachot tells us about a Mahlokes when Krias Shema should be recited. There are almost 10 shitos there.
What is the Machlokes-is there a Sevara for each shita?
For instance, the ...
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Why does the Mishnah/Gemara begin with Masekhet Berakhot?
As mentioned (link 1, link 2) and I've seen on the ArtScroll Talmud series (though I don't have a picture to support the fact), the Mishnah/Gemara "begin" with Masekhet Berakhot.
Why was this order ...
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How do I understand Bava Metzia 1:6?
In the mishna B"M 1:6, it talks about finding a loan document with a lien on real property ("achrayus"), and not returning it, because we are afraid that the borrower and the lender are in cahoots to ...
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Differences between Bat Kol and prophecy
A bat kol, lit. a 'daughter of a voice', is understood by Marcus Jastrow as a divine voice, a substitute for prophecy. The instance of a bat kol occurs many times in the Talmud1. There are sources ...
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Why are the names of some Masechtot in Aramaic while others are in Hebrew?
I noticed that the names of some Masechtot have an Aramaic plural ending - nun - such as "Gittin", while others have a Hebrew ending - mem - such as "Bikurim". Was there some pattern or logic in ...
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How do we evaluate a b'raisa that quotes Rebbe against an anonymous Mishna?
At Rosh Hashanah 19b, the Gemara raises a b'raisa quoting Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (aka "Rebbe") -- the editor of the Mishna -- to counter the opinion of the anonymous Tanna quoted in the previous Mishna ...
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Why are tractates arranged in descending order of size?
The tractates of the Mishna are in approximately descending order. That is, in each Order, the longest tractates come first and the shortest ones are last (although there are a few exceptions).
In ...
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Kol Hamarbeh Haray Zeh Mishoebach
The Mishnah in Peah and in Davening in the morning for those who say Korbanot we list Mitzvot which have no shiur (limitations) it seems one important one is missing we say in the Haggadah
"Kol ...
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Why do I care what time Bnei Melachim (sons of kings) rise in the morning?
The Mishnah in Berachothch2? teaches that one may recite Shema' until the end of the third hour of the day, "for it is the way of the sons of kings to rise by three hours."
Why is that the deciding ...
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Ehad Mi Yodea on the mishnayos
I have an idea to compile a song for the Passover Seder. It is based on the famous "Ehad Mi Yodea", but the answers to the question should be mishnayos mentioning the number. The intention is to make ...
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Finding the mishnah in tractate Pesachim that talks about beers
Can someone please tell me which mishnah in tractate Pesachim talks about the subject of the different beers regarding the laws of chametz?
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Contradiction in the Bartenura regarding value to food added by firewood
There appears to be an interesting contradiction in the Bartenura's peirush on the Mishna. In Maaser Sheni 2:1, the mishna notes that if we improve the flavour of maaser sheni wine by adding honey or ...
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Why does the Mishna/Gemara so rarely mention the practical Halacha?
The Mishna frequently mentions different opinions. Some opinions are generally rejected Halachicly (Rabbi Elazar, Beis Shammai). Why doesn't the Mishna mention who the Halacha follows (in general).
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Why is the blessing of Mezonos not mentioned in the Mishnah?
The Mishnayos of the sixth perek of Berachos discuss all the different blessings which one makes on food, with the exception of the blessing 'borei minei mezonos'. Why is this not mentioned?
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carrying versus transferring on Shabbat
Transferring (lifting and setting down) an object corresponds to one of the 39 melachot.
Which of the 39 does carrying correspond to?
By carrying, I mean, for example, receiving an object from a ...
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Was R. Gamliel really a great rabbi in Jewish estimation? [closed]
In Christianity it is often said that Gamliel was the greatest rabbi of all time. But it seems that he is just being hyped because according to Acts he trained Paul. Do Jews really view him as a ...
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How many Mishnayot are there?
How many Mishnaoyot are there?
For counting purposes I am only interested in the counting of the author's. Meaning if the mishna puts two rules together under one halacha that counts as 1 and not 2.
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Why was the side door to the hechal unlocked so oddly?
The hechal (central room) of the bes hamikdash had its main entrance on its eastern end. To either side of that entrance were cubicles, and the main-floor cubicles on each side had a door to the east ...
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Is a mishna or a baraysa more authoritative?
Often, an opinion in a baraysa (by which I mean to include tosefta and any other non-mishna text of tanaim's halachic statements) and an opinion in a mishna differ on a matter of law. Is there any ...
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Why are there no Tanaaim or Amoraaim with the names Avraham or Moshe? [duplicate]
I heard this question posed a few days ago, and I've been wondering about it ever since. Why are there no Tanaaim or Amoraaim in the Mishnah or Gemara with the names Avraham or Moshe (or David, for ...
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Were the בגדי לבן 30 מנה in weight or value?
I'm studying משניות מסכת יומא and have come across this passage (in chapter 3 mishna 7, found in the Bavli on page 34:2):
בשחר היה לובש פלוסין של שנים עשר מנה ובין הערבים הנדוין של שמונה מאות זוז ...
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Dancing on Yom Kippur
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, in the final mishna of Ta'anit (4:8), speaks of women going into the vineyards on Yom Kippur and dancing for the unmarried men who would then choose wives for themselves. ...
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Questions on the Bartenura in Beitza 2:3
After listing some points of disagreement between the schools of Shammai and Hillel in Beitza 2:1-2, the third mishna commences by presenting the following case:
ושוין שמשיקין את המים בכלי אבן ...
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Parsing the mishna in Beitza 1:10
My question concerns the correct way to punctuate a ruling found at the very end of the first perek of Beitza (in the Mishna). There, the mishna in question provides a list of items that may or may ...
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Saving a non-Jew's life on Shabbat
I understand that, as per the halakha, a Jew is absolutely obligated to save the life of a non-Jew, even if doing so requires of him that he desecrate Shabbat. (See, for example, this answer.) My ...
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Why does the Mishna misquote the Tanakh?
In a number of instances, the Mishna provides quotes from Tanakh that differ from the versions of Tanakh that we have today. So, for example, Sotah 6:4 (31b). There, the mishna quotes Deuteronomy 19:...
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Can one use terumah to light a stove?
In Pesachim 23a, the gemara (in the name of Rav Papa) derives from Numbers 18:27 that the prohibition of terumah to non-priests only applies to eating and drinking, but not to other forms of enjoyment....
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How is סדר טהרות properly pronounced or pointed?
The last seder of the Mishnah is טהרות, but I can find no agreement on the vowels for this word. Some variations I have seen:
טְהָרוֹת
טַהֲרוֹת
טָהֳרוֹת
There may be others. Which answer makes the ...
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Does Rashi's commentary on a quoted mishna reflect the true explanation?
Often the Bavli will quote a mishna from another maseches (tractate) or another part of the same maseches. Does Rashi's commentary on the Bavli's quotation of the mishna reflect his interpretation of ...
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Understanding Yevamot 4:13's proof of who, exactly, is a mamzer
When it comes to the question of who is a mamzer, numerous conflicting theories abound in the early rabbinic literature. The opinion presented anonymously in Qiddushin 3:12, which appears to be ...
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Mishna Demai 5:11: why can't you take teruma from vadai on demai?
(Lomdus alert: this question is not for beginners.)
In Maseches Demai (5:10-11) we learn that taking teruma from a vadai (=untithed produce) on demai (=possibly untithed produce) does not work, even ...
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Confessing to Adultery
In the Mishna, Sotah 1:3 and 3:3 both speak of instances in which a woman suspected of having committed adultery admits of her crime before drinking the water. Given that the penalty for adultery is ...
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Witness signing on a get "ben ish ploni"
It says in the Mishnah in Gitten (See here Daf 87b)
That if an eid (witness) signs on the Get "ben ish ploni eid" then it's kosher. Meaning instead of writing for example his full name "Moshe ben ...
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Invalidating women from the priesthood and from terumah
In Yevamot 6:2, we are told that one who has sexual intercourse with various types of women will "invalidate" them. The language is as follows:
וכן הבא על אחת מכל העריות שבתורה או פסולות כגון אלמנה ...
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Reasons for divorcing a woman (sourcing a chiddush)
The Mishna in Gittin 9:10 provides a few different interpretations of ערות דבר (Deuteronomy 24:1). While the school of Shammai hold that for a man to divorce his wife he needs to find significant ...
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Zeraim Moed Nashim Nezikim Kodshim Taharos - why not Moadim?
The names of the Shisha Sidrei Mishna (Six Orders of Mishnah) are: Zeraim, Moed, Nashim, Nezikim, Kodshim, Taharos. All of them besides Moed are in plural form. However Moed is in singular form. Why ...
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Annulling nedarim on the basis of noladim
I am trying to understand the opinion of Rabbi Meir in the Mishna, Nedarim 9:3-4. If you are already familiar with Masekhet Nedarim, you can skip to the fourth paragraph of my question. If not, the ...
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Proof from Mishneh that Hilchos Chol HaMoed is M'd'rabbanan
If one looks into the Tur and Beis Yosef at the beginning of Hilchos Chol HaMoed in Simana 630 you will find a big maklokes rishonim if malacha on Chol HaMoed is an issur d'oraisa, d'rabbanan, or ...
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Niqqud for שְׁיָרֵי in Zevachim mishnah
I am really no expert in Hebrew grammar and I know there are many variants of same word. In particular I think there is no tradition for the puntuaction of the Mishnah.
However in my siddur (Panzieri,...
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Why is the wording of these cases in the Mishna arbitrarily split?
In the משנה in בבא מציעא ב:ג there are three cases in the first part:
Finding tied birds behind a fence (גפה)
Finding tied birds behing a wall (גדר)
Finding tied birds in the pathways in the field (...
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The order of the wording of the Ben Sorrer U'Moreh source Mishnah
In Mishna 1 of of the Eighth Perek of Masechet Sanhedrin it states that we know the ages in which the halachot of ben sorrer u'moreh apply from the fact that the Torah says "ben" (boy) and not "ish" (...
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Becoming Deaf and Mute
It was my understanding that the halakha differentiates between a person who cannot hear and one who can neither speak nor hear, despite the fact that the Hebrew word חרש is used for both (cf, for ...
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Is every mishna mentioned in the Bavli?
On a previous question that I asked, one correspondent pointed out the existence of a Mishnaic index, which lists every page of the early rabbinic literature on which there is a reference (or allusion)...
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Mishnayot in the Bavli
In the Miqraot Gedolot, an index exists called Toldot uVeit Aharon. It lists "every" passage in the early rabbinic literature that references every individual passuk, and is extremely useful. Another, ...
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What's the Source for Jerusalem and Sepphoris Having Larger Measuring Units?
In Rabbi Pinchas Kehati's introduction to Masekhet Challah, and again in his commentary on Eduyyot 1:2, reference is made to the adjusting of measurements when the Jews "arrived at" Jerusalem, and ...
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If someone doesn't believe in the Gemara, is he a heretic?
If someone says "I believe that the Mishnayos/Braisos/Toseftas are accurate, but I think that the Gemara made mistakes and has no holiness.
Is such philosophy heresy?
What about someone who argues ...
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