Biography

of the

Vilna Shas

תלמוד בבלי

Moshe Freedman ירושלים תמוז תשס״ז

דרכיה דרכי נעם בס״ד Introduction

Typeset by the Romm Printing House in the city of Vilna, Lithuania, the Vilna Shas is by far the most common edition of the Babylonian still in use today. This biographical analysis of a typical page of Talmud was designed to help both beginner and more advanced learners to familiarize themselves with the origin and function of the various commentators printed on the margins of the classic Vilna Shas.

Besides the primary commentaries of and Tosafos, the Romm printers made use of a variety of other important, but less well known commentaries in the outer margins of the text. The publishing house employed scholars to search for these manuscripts in libraries and private collections across Europe, including that of the Vatican. After studying these lost manuscripts, the scholars were able to copy them and bring them to the Romm publishers who included them, even though they did not cover every tractate. In this biography the only one of these commentaries mentioned is Rabbeinu Chananel whose manuscripts were found for most of Shas. Furthermore, the Sefer HaAruch (written by Nosson ben Yechiel) indicates that Rabbeinu Chananel’s commentary originally covered every tractate, although many have now been lost.

Different tractates contain other commentaries in the margins of the Gemara. The additional commentaries not included in this work include the following: Rabbi Nissim Gaon 4750 – 4822 מאור הגולה ,CE), Perush Rabbeinu Gershom, refered to as the Meor HaGolah 1062 – 990) 4720 – 4788 (960 – 1028 CE), Hagahos HaRi Landau by Rabbi Yechezkel Landau 5473 – 5553 (1713 – 1793 CE) also known as the Noda B’Yehuda and Rabbi Yeshaya of Trani I .(CE 1260 – 1180) 5020 – 4940 תוספות רי״ד ,HaZaken, known as Tosafos Rid

The ‘Tzuras HaDaf’ layout is designed to facilitate the visual learner and is based on the original printing of the Vilna Talmud. This edition was first printed between 5640 and 5646 (1880 and 1886 CE), although it has now been reproduced and reprinted with innovative features and changes that organize the commentaries on the outside columns differently. No mention has been made of new versions in this pamphlet.

Acknowledgements

I owe enormous thanks to the Roshei , Rabbi Yitzchak Hirshfeld and Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky along with all of the Rebbeim at Yeshivat Darche Noam/David Shapell College who gave advice and encouragement that facilitated the success of this project. Particular thanks must go to Rabbi Dovid Kamenetsky for checking the text and confirming that all the information contained in it is correct and to Rabbi Gidon Shoshan for his proof reading and proposals regarding the presentation. I also wish to thank Rabbi Elie Silverberg for his suggestions and corrections and to all of the other Gemara Rebbeim who gave their comments, and to Yisroel Choleva for analysing the text and pointing out various corrections.

Future projects

I will be continuing this project and beginning work on the other commentaries ,אם ירצה השם Please contact .ספרי קדש at the back of the Vilna Shas before starting new projects on other me at [email protected] for any comments you may have and to order more copies.

© Moshe Freedman Kislev 5768 Third Edition מסורת Masechta Perek Number Name of the Perek ב עין משפט הש״ס נר מצוה

means additions Rashi · Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki was born on (תוספות) Ein Mishpat Ner The · word Tosafos א א Mitzva: The Wellspring and serves as an analysis to Rashi and an 29th Shevat 4800 (February 22nd 1040) of Justice – The Lamp of Commandment was analysis of apparent contradictions in the text of and died on 22nd Tamuz 4865 (July 13th 1105). He authored by the Spanish Rabbi Yehoshua Boaz the Mishna and Gemara based on Mishnayos and was born in Troyes in France and as well as writing תורה אור : .Mevorach Gemaras elsewhere in Shas a commentary on the Talmud,

The Ein Mishpat Tosafos · is printed on the also wrote commentaries on ב ב

Ner Mitzva is a : combination of two opposite side to the Tanach Rashi was the THE MISHNA cross-reference indices. Rashi farthest from the only child · to his parents,

The Ohr, found binding and is printed in Yitzchak and Leah. He ג ג between the text of the Rashi script. There were a traced his lineage through his Gemara and Rashi’s was compiled around the year number of Baalei Tosafos in father's side back to Rabbi commentary was also 3960 (200 CE) by Rabbi The Mesores HaShas written by Rabbi different throughout Yochanan Hasandlar who in means tradition of the Yehoshua Boaz and cites Yehudah Ha-Nasi. The sages of six orders of the the sources for the the 12th and 13th centuries turn was a direct descendant Mishna. pesukim in Tanach and it probably began as the Mishna are known as the of King David : Rashi’s brought down in the text of the Mishna and notes made by the talmidim Tannaim. The word Mishna commentary · was originally Gemara. It is referenced ,שנה comes from the root )משנה) : by an open circle in the on discussions and shiurim written within the text of the The Mesoras HaShas The Mishna and Gemara. Later, was written by Rabbi גמ ׳ :text like this: Some · of the most prolific which means to teach Yehoshua Boaz Baalei Tosafos period of the Gemara began the printers of the Talmud Mevorach (see Ein Mishpat Ner Mitzvah). include Rabbi Yaakov ben after the redaction of the placed his commentary Mishna. Sages throughout around the side of the text, on (ר״ת ,Meir (Rabbenu Tam from in France Eretz Yisrael and Babylonia, the inner margin by the who lived from 4860 – 4931 called Amoraim, analyzed, binding. The type face used is CE). He was debated and discussed the called ‘Rashi script’ which 1171 – 1100) רבינו חננאל the grandson of Rashi. takes its name from its use in Rabbeinu Channanel mishnayos. These discussions ben Chushiel lived Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir Rashi’s commentaries; Rashi from 990 – 1055 CE form the basis of the Gemara .and were written did not write in Rashi script (גמרא) who (רשב״ם ,in Tunisia, North ( Africa. His הגהות lived from 4845 – 4934 It developed as a printed commentary on the primarily in Aramaic, the הב״ח Talmud is one of the (1085 – 1174 CE). Rabbi language spoken in Babylonia version of the semi-cursive earliest. Rabbeinu Yitzchak of Dampierre (Ri, way that Hebrew was Channanel mainly and in Eretz Yisrael after the (A) Compiled by Rabbi (written by Jews in Italy Yoel Sirkes (the Bach – 1120) 4960 – 4880 (ר״י deals with the explanation of return from the Babylonian 1200 CE), lived in France between the 14th and 15th who wrote notes on the principle s and issues exile. The Gemara provides a textual syntax and raised in the Gemara. during the 12th century. Century. Each entry begins sentence structure in the On occasion he is detailed analysis of the Mishna, Talmud, Rashi and also cited by Tosafos. The nephew of Rabbenu with a heading called the Tosafos. ד״ה = ) ’His commentary is Tam and the Rashbam he raising difficulties and questions: ‘dibbur hamaschil unique in that it often (B) The Bach lived in In new from 5321 (1561 .( ד יּבוּר ה מ ת ח יל The text of the Mishna מתני ׳ brings equivalent was one of the most prolific sugyos from the is broken up into segments also CE) until 5400 (1640 Jerusalem Talmud. of the Baalei Tosafos. editions of the Talmud these CE). His most famous Rabbi Shmuel 4840 – 4918 known as individual mishnayos are printed in bold : The student was Rabbi (C) The Bach is cited by and commentary · has many a Rashi script letter in ( מ ׁשנ ה plural of מ ׁשנ יוֹת) Yitzchak ben Yaakov (1080 – 1158 CE) was the Alfasi, also known as brother of Rabbenu Tam. accordingly, each segment is functions. Rashi helps us parentheses (as shown .(Also above .רי״ף ,the Rif many of Rabbeinu Rabbi Shimshon ben called a Mishna. The Mishna understand the simple Chananel’s comments can be found in the Avraham of Shantz (Tosafos quoted in the text of the meaning of the Mishna and a ,ספר הערוך Shantz), lived in France during Gemara, focusing on specific dictionary compiled Talmud and introduced in the by Rabbi Noson ben the latter 12th and early 13th text of the Talmud by the word issues while resolving Yechiel of Rome. ,meaning ‘our difficulties in the text. Often מתני׳ = מ ת נ ית ין Please refer to the century and was the most introduction for other important disciple of the Ri. this is achieved by completing commentaries that Mishna’, can be one segment, a may appear here. In addition to his Tosafos he part of a segment or passages in the text that have composed a commentary to apparently been truncated by גליון הש״ס consecutive segments joined the two orders of the Mishna the Mishna or Gemara. He together. A number of The Gilyon HaShas for which no Babylonian occasionally brings different was written by Rabbi make up a Akiva Eiger who lived מ( ׁשניוֹת) mishnayos Talmud was written. Another versions of the text. Some in Posen, Prussia chapter), a number between 5522 and פ ר ק) perek Baal Tosafos was Rabbi Meir entries of Rashi are meant to 5598 (1761-1837 CE). ben Baruch of Rothenberg of be read independently from His notes reference relevant passages in while other entries are meant to Shas and other ד יּבוּר ה מ ת ח יל who was born in Worms, Germany, 4985 – the 5053 (1225 – 1293 CE). The · compilation of read as a continuation and are called ‘run-on commentaries. The Gilyon HaShas are the various Tosafos was carried out primarily Rashis’ : Rashi’s students · copied his commentary noted by a flywheel: and (קונטרסים) by French . The majority of the Tosafos into book form called Kuntresim printed in the standard Talmud editions were often Rashi is referred to by Tosafos as ‘kunterus’ : collected by Rabbi Eliezer ben Shlomo of There Touques : Rabbi · Asher ben Yechiel (the Rosh) edited and compiled Tosafos from the important French yeshivas. In 5063 (1303 CE) he left Germany for Toledo, Spain. Other significant redactors include Rabbi Shimshon of Shantz and Rabbi Peretz of Corbeil, France. His work, Tosafos Rebbeinu Peretz was written between 5110 and 5128 (1350 –1368 CE) : The

עין משפט Masechta Perek Number Name of the Perek 4 מסורת נר מצוה הש״ס There are times · when Rashi uses the French The style · in which Tosafos raises a difficulty The Ein Mishpat א ד vernacular to explain the meaning of a word : and then offers an answer may vary. Often (small letters) contains references to the main ,codes of Jewish law וא״ת = ו םא ּת אׁ מ ר There are some tractates · where the text states a problem will be raised by ’ Mishna (ּתֵ ימ א also spelled) ּתֵ ימ ה that Rashi died before completing his commentary literally ‘if you say’ or the Tur and ,(מיי׳) Torah תורה אור of that tractate, and that it meaning ‘wonder’ and (טוש״ע) chapters) פ ר ק ים) of perakim was completed by a resolved with the words and the Sefer Mitzvos .(סמ״ג) Gadol מ ס כ ת) make up a maseches literally וי״ל = ו יֵ ׁש לוֹ מ ר student. This is true of the The Mesoras HaShas tractate) and a number of The Ner Mitzvah ב ה cross-references to other tractate Makkos, the ‘there is to say’ meaning ‘it (tractates) (the large letters מ ס כ ּתוֹת) passages in the Talmud masechtos where the same quote concluding parts of which is possible to say’. Another enumerates, in order of order). their appearance, all the סֵ ד ר) appears. make up a seder were composed by his son- common classic question – codified laws that are Shisha answer combination is contained in each ש״ס) in-law Rabbi Judah ben The term Shas meaning chapter of the Talmud ( ׁש ׁש ה ס ד רים Sedarim and it is difficult’ (i.e.. all the laws that are‘ ו ק ׁש ה Nathan (Rivan) and in Bava Basra by his grandson, the six orders, may refer to the which is usually answered indexed in the Ein The link from the Mishpat). .’and it seems‘ ו נ רא ה Talmud text can be Rabbi Samuel ben Meir complete Mishna. The orders by The marginal notes ג ו designated by an asterisk : · of the Mishna are: 1. Zeraim * that points to a (Rashbam) Descendants Additional questions are (shown here) link up to or the superscript letters set in ו עוֹד Seeds) dealing with introduced by ז ר ע ים) ;reference directly Rashi had three daughters opposite in the margin or the Talmud text. ו תוּ by a Hebrew letter Yocheved, Miriam and agricultural laws and prayers. Aramaic equivalent pointing to a list of ו עוֹד ק ׁש ה Festival) ‘and further’ or מוֹעֵ ד) references that are Rachel. Yocheved married 2. Moed assembled together in the Meir ben Shmuel and had ‘and a further difficulty’. margin or at the bottom concerning the laws of the הגהות of the page. four sons: Rashbam, and Festivals as well Additional answers are

הגר״א , the Rivam as Eruvin and fast days. 3. often introduced by the and‘ ו עוֹד יֵ ׁש לוֹ מ ר the Baalei Tosafos) and words) The Vilna Gaon [א] (Women נ ׁש ים) Nashim Shlomo who died young : regarding the laws of marriage it is possible to say (Rabbi Eliyahu ben ,if also’ Shlomo Zalman‘ א י נ מ י Later, additional notes further’ or ] and references were added and divorce, levirate marriage, vows and nazirus. 4. known as the Gra) by the Rabbi of Breslau, was born on the 15th meaning ‘alternatively’ : ) dealing with criminal and torte Nissan 5480 (April נ ז יק ין) Rabbi Yeshaya Nezikin 5486 – 5560 (1725 CE – 23, 1720) and died on Holy things), regarding the sacrificial order, the laws of 19th Tishrei 5558 ק ד ׁש ים) CE). These are law. 5. Kodoshim 1799 Purities) concerning the (October 9, 1797). He ט ה רוֹת) enclosed in square the Temple and the dietary laws and 6. Teharos brackets.] wrote corrections to laws of spiritual impurity including Taharas Mishpacha – the laws of family the text of the Gemara that were later printed .with the Talmud : ס ד רים is used to remember the order of the six ז מ ״ן נ ק ״ט purity. The acronym

for which no Gemara was written in ש״ס in מ ס כ ּתוֹת There are certain גמ ׳ The changes [ב] הגהות The Babylonian Talmud is therefore suggested by the Gra מ. ׁשניוֹת Babylonia and only contain the are often cited with הב״ח

תא״מ = ּתֵ בוֹת אֵלה מ חוּקוֹת The remaining .מוֹעֵד and נ ׁשים , נ ז יקין ק, ד ׁשים found primarily on the Mishnayos in (A) The Bach will often which means ‘these ’only have Gemara (from Babylonia) on the tractates words were erased ט הרוֹת and ז ר עים מ, ס כ ּתוֹת cite the part of the text The Tannaim lived in a number of followed by the phrase :( ט הרוֹת) and Niddah ( ז ר עים) Thisof the isGemara, the Rashi Mesoras or Berachos נ״ב = נ כ ּתב ּב צדּוֹ מתני׳ HaShasTosafos that needs correction. cities in Eretz Yisrael. During the time of the Mishna, the spiritual Jewish center ‘written at its side’ introduces what the text

was Yerushalayim, but in 3830 (70 CE), after the destruction of the city of should have said and ב''ח B) The ‘Bach’ or) usually the Gra completes בית חדש stands for Yerushalayim and the Second Temple, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai founded a his emendation with meaning ‘new house ‘ כצ״ל = כֵן צ ריך לוֹ מ ר which is his commentary new religious center in Yavne, while other centers of learning were established meaning ‘this is what on the Arbah Turim. it should say’. in Lod, Bnei Brak, the Galil and other small enclaves dispersed throughout th The Roshei Teivos [ג] During the early part of the 5 century CE, Ravina I and גמ ׳ :Eretz Yisrael )acronyms , ׁ י ראׁשֵ ּתֵ בוֹת) Rav Ashi led a group of Amoraim to compile the Babylonian Talmud. The are also found in other Babylonian Talmud refers to the sections of Gemara written primarily in the commentaries.

The notes are [ד] Yeshivos of Sura, Pumbedisa and Mechasia, which lay close to the Euphrates גליון הש״ס River in Babylon, now modern day Iraq. The last of these editors and compilers introduced with a The comments of the square letter enclosed Gilyon HaShas usually was Ravina II. After Ravina II died in 4235 (475 CE), no further additions were by square brackets. consist of concise observations on the made to the Talmud, except for minimal editing by the Rabbanan Savurai 4236 – Talmud, Rashi, and Tosafot. Occasionally 4320 (476 – 560 CE). The debate often centers on specific questions. The there are references to Tannaim and Amoraim often used the thirteen principals of biblical exposition to similar sources in Shas. Usually, other sources derive their positions on halachic issues from biblical sources. The Gemara may are cited that either contradict or pose a clarify the rationale behind particular non-Torah laws, or laws based on logic. difficulty to the sugya. Problematic words or language used in the Mishna are explained, as well as the Answers are rarely given and are often concluded context and practical application of the statement. Resolutions are sought for וצ״ע = ו צ ריך ע יּוּן with meaning further study is difficulties found in the internal logic of the Mishna and contradictions based on needed. excluded from the Mishna ,ש״ס and other Tannaitic sources elsewhere in מ ׁשניוֹת On occasion, the scholars of the Romm printers .( ּב ר ייתאוֹת ,such as a Braisos) discovered differences in the various manuscripts that were used to print the Vilna Shas. They derived a system where curved brackets ( ) indicated that the text that should be excluded, and square brackets [ ] and when words should be included :