I know that DIN followers are smart and I decided to make you smarter...
Even the women are encouraged to learn these little snippets ... so that they can question their husbands who say they are off to learn the daf .... and who knows where they really are!
Father's can quote from these "snippets" to their children at the Shabbos table, and the children can then ask questions and share in their parent's learning..
The Talmud is called the "Yam Ha'Talmud" "The Talmud Ocean" because the Talmud is basically an ocean of ideas, halachic analysis, biblical law, oral law, rabbinical decrees, historic info, stories, and parables.
There is no shallow waters .... you must dive right into the depth of the ocean ....
I will try to make it very brief and interesting ..... so that when the bigshot in shul talks about the Daf .... you won't feel like a blithering idiot, and will be able to go head to head with this arrogant "daf learner."
But to follow my understanding of the daf, you must have at least an elementary understanding of the Chumasah and Mishnah ....
But if you don't ... you still may find it interesting.
For others, you may be inspired and encouraged to one day open a page of the Talmud and even better, to join a daf group!
For those actually learning the daf, you may actually learn something you didn't know or it may act as review of parts of the daf I highlight that you already learned...
I will use translations and commentaries found in the Hebrew "Mesivtah Edition" the Hebrew Artscroll Editions and the English Artscroll Editions!
This will appear weekly .... hopefully ...
We are presently learning Tractate Menachois .... the Talmud is discussing sacrifices that were performed in the Temple.
I will dive right into Daf 58 ... (page 58)
"The Doves that were placed upon the baskets of Bikkurim"
The word bikkurim comes from the word bechor ... firstborn ...
so bikkurim are the first fruits that appear ...
A farmer goes out to his orchard and notices that some of the fruits of the tree have begun to sprout, he proceeds to take a ribbon and ties those fruits that have begun to sprout and pronounces "these will be bikkurim."
When these "tied" fruits have ripened and ready to eat, he cuts them off and puts them into a basket and brings them to Jerusalem to give to the Kohanim.
The Talmud mentions that those farmers that brought these first fruits would place doves on top of the basket that contained those fruits ..... to make those fruits look pretty and beautiful and to show appreciation to Hashem for the good bounty.
The Talmud says that these doves were than sacrificed as an Olah!
The Talmud adds that these farmers brought additional doves that weren't in the basket, and these doves were given to the Kohanim as a gift !
* it should be noted that there was no obligation for the farmers to bring the doves to begin with .... but once there were brought then the above mentioned procedure had to take place ...
Rashi cites a Mishna in Bikkurim (2:4) that does require the bringing of an accompanying offering with the bikkurim but not necessarily doves!
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