Learners’ Tapestry

״גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים בֵּית הַמַּלְכוּת״. ״בֵּית הַנָּשִׁים״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ! אָמַר רָבָא: שְׁנֵיהֶן לִדְבַר עֲבֵירָה נִתְכַּוְּונוּ, הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרִי אִינָשֵׁי: אִיהוּ בְּקָרֵי, וְאִתְּתֵיהּ

The verse states: “Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the royal house, which belonged to King Ahasuerus” (Esther 1:9). The Gemara questions why she held the feast in the royal house, a place of men, rather than in the women’s house, where it should have been. Rava said in response: The two of them had sinful intentions. Ahasuerus wished to fornicate with the women, and Vashti wished to fornicate with the men. This explains the folk saying that people say: He with pumpkins and his wife
י״ב ב
א
בְּבוּצִינֵי.
with zucchinis, indicating that often a man and his wife engage in similar actions.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אָסוּר לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁיֵּהָנֶה מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה. וְכׇל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה מָעַל

From my naive 1/6/20 notes- somewhat precient, long before midnight zoom, this resonated: “As Rav Aḥa bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: A lyre hung over David’s bed, and once midnight arrived, the northern midnight wind would come and cause the lyre to play on its own. David would immediately rise from his bed and study Torah until the first rays of dawn.”

Rav Zeira was sitting behind Rav Gidel, and Rav Gidel was sitting before Rav Huna. And as Rav Gidel sat, he said, ‘if one erred and did not mention the supplemental passage of the Sabbath in Birkat Hamazon, he says ‘Blessed are you, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who gave Sabbaths for contentment to His people, Israel, with love, for a sign and a covenant. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who sanctifies the Sabbath. Rav Huna said to him: Who said this? Rav Gidel replied: Rav. Afterwards he sat and said: if one erred and did not mention the supplemental passage of a festival in Birkat Hamazon, he says the following, ‘Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who gave festivals to his people, Israel, for gladness and for remembrance. Blessed are You Hashem Who sanctifies Israel and the festival seasons. R. Huna said to him: who said this? Rav Gidel replied: Rav. Afterwards he sat and said:if one erred and did not mention the Rosh Chodesh passage in Birkat Hamazon, he says the following: Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who gave Rosh Chodesh to His people, Israel, for a remembrance.

Rav Zeira reported this incident and commented regarding the latter ruling:
And I do not know whether [Rav Gidel] mentioned ‘gladness’ in the Rosh Chodesh blessing or he did not mention ‘gladness’ in it. Nor do I recall whether he concluded it with a blessing clause or he did not conclude it with a blessing clause. Nor do I recall whether this ruling was his own or that of his teacher, Rav.

“If a radish and an olive were before him, he recites a blessing over the radish and exempts the olive. In what circumstances does this apply? Specifically when the radish is primary, but when the radish is not primary, everyone agrees that one recites the appropriate blessing over this one and then he again recites the appropriate blessing over that one.”

מאימתי קוראין את שמע בערבין

Three matters give a person comfort, and they are: A beautiful abode, a beautiful wife, and beautiful vessels.

ובית הלל אומרים ברוך ה יום יום

אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: כׇּל הָעוֹסֵק בְּתוֹרָה בַּלַּיְלָה — הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹשֵׁךְ עָלָיו חוּט שֶׁל חֶסֶד בַּיּוֹם