Unit+2-+Brachot+Worksheet+1

Jordan Menczer- We are studying the first of the **six** sederim (orders) of the Mishnah. The first Masechet (**tractate)** in our seder is called **Brachot** which means **blessings.** The first Perek or **Chapter** is called Perek יַתָמיֵאֵמ and the first Mishnah in that Perek is called Mishnah **Aleph** אקרפתוכרב
 * // Beginning the Mishnah //**

?תיִברַעְעבעַמְעשתֶאןירִוקיַתָמיֵאֵמ

“From When does one read the shema in the evening?”

1.The first Seder of the Mishnah is //Zeraim// (seeds) (that deals with agricultural laws). Why is the first seder seeds (and not, festivals, marital laws, damages, sacrifices, or ritual purity). **Seeds are the beginning of life. You need to eat to survive. It is a necessity. The laws of giving to the poor or forbidden seed mixtures are not necessary for blunt survival.** 2.Why is brachot the first masechet in //Zeraim// (seeds) first? (as opposed to the laws of tithing, giving //peot// (corners) to the poor, or //kilayim// (forbidden seed mixtures) **First, you need to give thanks for what you have been given in nature before you can utalize it. You need to pray for crops. Life depends on prayers.** 3.Why does the Mishnah start with the evening Shema (and not the morning one)? **Technically, the day in Judaism starts in the evening. So, it would make sense for the mishna to start in the evening.**  4.What is the Shema about? **The shema is the decloration of the Jewish people’s faith towards god.**  5.So what message is the compiler of the Mishnah telling us by discussing the laws of Shema first?
 * Chevruta on first line **

Page 1 // Rabbi Margrett //// b”h // ? אקרפתוכרב תיִברַעְעבעַמְעשתֶאןירִוקיַתָמיֵאֵמ.

“From when do we read the shema at night?

ןָתָמורְתִבלֹכֱאֶלםיִסָנְעכִנםיִנֲהֹכַהֶשהָעָשִמ.

From the time did the cohaniem enter to eat their contribution or trumah. (1/50th of the crops of an Israeli are given to the cohaniem)

סנוכ = םיִסָנְעכִנ, םיִנֲהֹכ + ַה + ֶש = םיִנֲהֹכַהֶש = םהלשהָמורְת = ןָתָמורְתִב tithe [to the Cohen] n

רֶזֶעיִלֱאיִברירְעבִד, הָנושארִָההרָומְעשַאָהף וסדַע.

Until the end of the 1st watch, said rabbi Eleizer.

הָנושארִָההרָומְעשַאָה first watch

תוצֲחדַע, םירְִעמואםיִמָכֲחַו

The scholars said until the middle of the night . רַחָשַהדומַעהֶלֲעַיֶשדַע, רֵמואלֵאיִלְעמַגןָבר.

Rabbi Gamiel said until the dawn rises up = הֶלֲעַיֶש rises up = רַחָשַהדומַע , dawn Page 2 // Rabbi Margrett //// b”h // רַחָשַהדומַע 1.For the day outlined above what is //amud/alot hashachar//? 2.When is sunrise? 3.When is Sunset? 4.Who many hours are their in a halachic day? 5.How long is each hour? Page 3 // Rabbi Margrett //// b”h // הָמורְת The Terumah is the main gift that every Jew at the time of the Bet Hamikdash (The Temple) was obligated to give to a Kohen before he could eat his produce of grain, fruits or vegetables. See Bemidbar 18:8-12 and Devarim 18:4. It is called Terumah from the Hebrew word Ram which means “to lift” since it had to be separated from a larger quantity by lifting it out of the pile. Hence the English term “heave offering” since the word “heave” means to lift. The Terumah consisted generally of 1/50 th of every type of produce that was gathered by that person, although it was possible to give 1/60 th if the person felt stingy or 1/40 th if he felt especially generous. See Mishna Terumot 4:3. This was known as Terumah Gedolah – The Big Terumah. Besides it when a Levi received his First Tithe (Maaser Rishon) from a regular Israelite he then had to separate from it 1/10 th of what he received and give that to a Kohen. That was called Terumat Maaser – the heave offering of the tithe. See Bemidbar 18:26. The Kohen was allowed to eat Terumah only when he was in the state of ritual purity (Tahor). If the Kohen became ritually impure (Tameh), either by touching an impure object or by becoming a Metzora (leprous), then he was not allowed to eat Terumah until he  purified himself. Purification basically consisted of waiting a specific amount of days to pass since him becoming impure depending on the impurity he acquired and going to the Mikvah, a ritual pool. In order for the Kohen to become completely pure both things had to happen, the proper number of days to pass and him dipping in the Mikvah, however the Kohen was allowed to dip in the Mikvah during the day of the last day of his purity count and he did not have to wait for the day to complete that coming evening before he could dip. Such a person who has dipped in the Mikvah but still had to wait for the evening for the day to be over is known as a Tevul Yom. The Sages are referring to the time of the evening when the day count was officially over and the Kohen, who was a  Tevul Yom, finally became Tahor and was allowed to eat Terumah. From: http://www.toseftaonline.org/blog/?p=147
 * Concepts **

Terumah is gift to a **kohen.** It is **1/50th** of a Yisrael's produce. Only a **Tahor** Kohen can eat Terumah. A kohen who is ritually impure must first wait the required number of days to go on the **mikvah.** If they dip first during the last day then they must wait