Talmud Israeli - Daf Yomi for Us

A beit din (court) is appointed to judge cases of Torah law brought before them. In addition, the Torah calls upon the beit din to oversee a variety of other matters. For instance, the beit din sends shlichim (agents) to notify people when it is necessary to uproot kilayim (hybrid, crossbreeds) from their fields, and inform those who need to act swiftly to contribute the half-shekel donation.

The beit din is also tasked with seeing to it that Jews observed the mitzvot. If, Heaven forbid, the beit din became aware of a Jew who refused to keep a Torah-based mitzvah, the beit din is obligated to use coercive tactics to cause that Jew to fulfill the mitzvah.

Eli the High Priest lived before the time of the First Temple. He served as kohen gadol and judge of Am Yisrael. However, his sons, Chofni and Pinchas, did not behave properly, and God informed Eli that because of his son’s abhorrent behavior, all the children born to their family would die at a young age.

In Sefer Shmuel it is written that God said that nothing would aid the members of Eli’s family — meaning, even if they were to do teshuvah (repent), the harsh decree would remain.

Regarding this matter, the Talmud adds that one thing could save members of Eli’s family from premature death — namely, the study of the Torah.

Rabbah said that even if they repented, the evil of the decree would still not be removed; however, learning Torah would atone for their sins and would spare them from dying young. Abaye added that if Eli’s family was to give charity and show kindness, they would likewise be saved from the grim Divine decree.

When the yavam (brother of deceased childless husband) and the yevamah (childless widow awaiting Levirate marriage) appear at the beit din (court) to observe the mitzvah of chalitzah, the yavam should say: “I do not want to enter a levirate marriage with her.” And after she removes his shoe, the yevamah says: “This is what shall be done to a man who does not build his brother’s house.”

Consider this scenario: The yevamah removed the yavam’s shoe and everyone left the courthouse. The head of the beit din suddenly remembered that the yavam did not say a word to the yevamah and the yevamah also said nothing, they only removed the shoe. What is the law in this case? B’diavad (ex post facto, after the fact), the chalitzah is kosher (valid), even without words.

There are several instances in which the Torah commands the burning of objects.

For example, anything sacrificed on behalf of avodah zarah (idol worship) must be burned. Therefore, if a shoe was sac-rificed to avodah zarah, it would be obligatory to burn that shoe. Accordingly, it would not be possible to fulfill the mitzvah of chalitzah with that shoe.

An ir indachat (subverted city) is a city in which most of its inhabitants were corrupt-ed into performing avodah zarah. The Torah calls for burning the entire city, along with all the possessions found there, including the shoes.

In the case of a shoe with a stain on it, which the kohen deemed as leprous, the shoe must be burned if the impure stain will not come off.

A wife whose husband died childless needs to enter a levirate marriage with her husband’s brother. If the brother does not agree to go through with the levirate marriage, then he needs to perform the mitzvah of chalitzah.

How is the mitzvah of chalitzah performed?

The widow and her husband’s brother appear before the beit din, and they recite verses written in the Torah regarding Yibbum. Then, the widow removes the shoe from the foot of the Yavam (widow’s brother-in-law). This is how the mitzvah of chalitzah is observed, with all the de-tails written in the Torah.

The Mishnah says that the shoe used to observe the mitzvah of chalitzah should be made of leather, as a shoe made of any other material is not considered a “shoe.”

A person who commits a crime for which the beit din (court) imposes punishment was not indeed punished unless two eyewitnesses forewarned the person that the action in question was prohibited. Moreover, the witnesses must also explicitly tell the person: “You should know that anyone who commits the offense (you are about to commit) is punished by the beit din with such-and-such a punishment.” That is the “hatra’ah” (forewarning) required by witnesses to caution a person poised to commit a transgression.

The beit din only imposed punishment if eyewitnesses forewarned the would-be offender just at the moment when the witnesses anticipated he would go through with committing the transgression.

It is required to set aside a portion of produce grown in Eretz Yisrael as terumah (priestly gift) for the kohanim.

Many years ago, it was customary for kohanim to come to fields and orchards at harvest and fruit-picking times. In the fields, kohanim would receive their terumah donation directly from field-owner. The place used by field owners to set aside terumah for kohanim was called “Beit Ha’Granot” (granary, threshing floor).

What is the basis for the name “Beit Ha’Granot”?

After the harvest, grain was collected into one place, the granary, to thresh it. In the past, field owners in every village or town would concentrate their grain in one location, and this place was called “Beit Ha’Granot,” i.e., the place in which everyone’s grain was situated.

There is an important halakhic principle: “safek d’Oraita — l’chumra” (when there is doubt regarding Torah law, the matter is decided stringently). This principle means that when any uncertainty exists regarding a Torah prohibition, e.g., it is uncertain whether an animal is kosher or has become treif (unfit) — a stringent ruling is invoked. This is the meaning of the words “safek d’Oraita — l’chumra.” “Safek”— when doubt arises concerning whether an item is mutar (permissible) or assur (prohibited); d’Oraita — and that doubt is regarding a Torah law; “l’chumra” — that case of doubt is ruled stringently, as if it is known with certainty that the matter is prohibited.

There is a basic halakhic principle concerning gerim (converts): “Ger she’hitgayer ke’katan she’nolad.” ([The legal status of] a proselyte who underwent a conversion process is like that of a child [just] born. Meaning, that when a non-Jew converts, all of that convert’s family ties are dissolved, as the convert is no longer considered their relative, in all regards.

This principle influences numerous halachot. For example, the following instance:
Two brothers may not testify together in a beit din (court), because relatives are prohibited from serving as witnesses in the same case. However, two non-Jewish siblings who converted are permitted to testify together in a beit din, since they are no longer considered relatives. For as soon as they were converted, each of them ceased to be a relative of the other, and now they are like two strangers who are permitted to testify together in a beit din.

King David offered the following supplication to God: “Sovereign of the Universe, may it be Your will that teachings in my name continue to be said in this world.”

What did King David mean?

King David prayed that even after he left this world, the words of the Torah he taught would continue to be cited in batei midrash (houses of study). Why was it important to King David that his Torah remain? Because the soul of a deceased person enjoys greater pleasure whenever words of Torah they taught are learned.

The Talmud states that when a Torah teaching is cited in the name of a deceased sage, “the talmid chacham’s lips gently mouth the words from inside the grave.” Meaning, it is as if the talmid chacham lives eternally in this world and continues to impact the living realm of Torah study.

The attribute of anger is a poor character trait.

The Talmud recounts that a heated argument once broke out in a beit midrash leading to anger. Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma said: “I would be amazed if this beit midrash did not turn into a house of avodah zarah (idol worship), in the long run.” The Gemara testifies that indeed that was the case. After some time, the site was used by the non-Jews as a house of avodah zarah.

The Maharsha explains that human anger pushes aside the feet of the Shechinah, therefore the Shechinah departs from any place in which anger exists.

This story was told to Rabbi Yochanan by the amoraim because he expressed anger toward his disciples. However, Rabbi Yochanan said to them: “Anger among friends is assur (prohibited)”. But a rabbi is permitted, and even required, to get angry with students, if need be, in order to educate them.

Two witnesses are not always required. There are some matters for which one witness alone will suffice. Regarding matters of issur (prohibition), one witness is sufficient. For example, if one person approaches and says, “This food is treif (not kosher),” that person is believed. Likewise, if one witness says, “This food is kosher,” that person is believed, and there is no need to wait until there are two witnesses.

However, there are matters regarding which two witnesses are required and one witness is not enough. For example, if a woman arrives at the beit din (court) and says: “It’s true that I was once married to Zevulun, but he gave me a get (divorce document). Therefore, since I am no longer his wife, I can now marry someone else.” If this woman has only one witness who can testify on her behalf, the judges do not accept the testimony because it is unacceptable to reach a judgment on this matter based on the testimony of one witness.