Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Rif Pesachim 17b {Pesachim 51a continues; 52a; 53a}



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17b

{Pesachim 51a continues}
When Rabba bar bar Chana came {from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel} he ate of the stomach fat which is upon the yeter {= דאייתרא}:
To explain: there are two regions in the fat which is above the keiva {stomach} - one on the keshet {=lit. bow, the curved side of the stomach}, and one on the yeter {=bowstring, the straight side of the stomach}. That which upon the keshet is forbidden and that which is on the yeter, there are some who treat it as forbidden and some who treat it as permitted. And in Bavel, they treated it as forbidden, and when Rabba bar bar Chana came from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel, he would eat the fat which is upon the yeter in accordance with the custom of his place {=Eretz Yisrael}.
Rav Avya {רב אויא - our gemara has רב עויא סבא} and Rabba bar Chanin {our gemara: Rabba son of Rav Huna} entered to {visit} him. When he saw them, he covered it. They came and related {the incident} to the father of Shmuel. He {=father of Shmuel} said to them: He {=Rabba bar bar Chana} has reckoned you to be like Cutheans.
Abaye said: These words {of accepting the stringencies of both the place you left and the place you come to} are when going from Bavel to Bavel or from Eretz Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael, but from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel, since we are reliant upon them, we do like them {when coming from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel}.
Rav Ashi said: You can even say that from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel {one accepts the stringencies of both places}. These words {of accepting the stringencies of Baval} are where you do not intend to return {to Eretz Yisrael}, and these words are when you intend to return. Rabba bar bar Chana intended to return.
And we establish like Rav Ashi, for he is later.

{Pesachim 52a}
Rav Natan the physician went from the academy of Rav to Pumpedita on the second day of Yom Tov of Shavuot. Rav Yosef placed him in shamta {usually understood to mean cherem}. Some say, Rav Yosef lashed him.
Abaye said to him {Rav Yosef}: Why did Master not place him in shamta, for both Rav and Shmuel say that we place someone in niduy {=cherem} on the two days of Yom Tov of the exile.
He {Rav Yosef} said to him {Abaye}: These words were said regarding other people, but here, he is a Torah scholar, and I did what was better for him. For in the West {=Eretz Yisrael}, they vote on lashing {negida} of a scholar but do not vote on shamta.
To explain "they vote on negida," they gather by the Rav, and do not lash him until they all agree to lash him.
"And they do not vote on shamta" because we do not place someone in shamta except on a serious matter, and in a serious matter, they do not pay respect to the Rav, but rather they place him in shamta immediately.
Therefore, shamta is more severe than lashes. And we learn in perek elu megalchin
{Moed Katan 17a}: What is shamta? Rav said: a name for death.

{Pesachim 53a}
Mishna:
In a place where they are accustomed to eat roasted {meat} on Pesach night we eat; in a place where they are accustomed to not eat roasted {meat} on Pesach night we do not eat.

In a place where they are accustomed to light the lamp on {=for} Yom Kippur night we light; in a place where they are accustomed not to light the lamp on Yom Kippur night we do not light.
But we do light in synagogues, study halls, in dark alleys, and over a sick people.

Gemara:
Rav Yehuda cited Shmuel: A man is forbidden to say "this meat is for Pesach" {which sounds like it is for a korban pesach, though he intended the holiday of Pesach} because it appears as if he is consecrating his animal outside the Land {of Israel}, and it appears as if he is eating sacrifices outside {the allowed place}.
Rav Papa said: Specifically meat, but wheat and barley, no, for people are used to guarding it for Pesach.
And a gedi mekulas {=lit. helmeted goats, goats roasted whole with the entrails placed on their heads like a helmet}, even though he did not specify and say "this is for Pesach," it is forbidden, for they learnt {in a brayta}: Rabbi Yossi said: Todus {=Thaddeus} of Rome made it the practice of the residents of Rome

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