Learning mishnayos thread

amother

Thu, Jul 14 2022, 8:58 am

Anyone else learning mishnayos now, either through a program or on your own? Post what you're learning and any thoughts or reactions in here!

I started late last year and have worked my way through about 1/6 of Shas Mishnayos, all of it so far in seders Zerayim, Moed, and Nashim. It has been so interesting and I feel like I see so many connections now to things I've encountered in the mishnayos.

Right now, I am working through four masechtot: Terumos, Kesuvos, Bikkurim, and Shabbos. Terumos and Kesuvos are through two different Mishna Yomi programs, which only post 1-2 mishnayos per day. Bikkurim I learn with a young DC, so it is also a slow pace, maybe 3-4 per week. Shabbos is what I learn in the additional time I have. I aim for an average of 6 mishnayos per day.

I mostly use Rabbi Padowitz's shiurim on YUTorah, except for one Mishna Yomi program that is done by a local rav in my community. When there's something I don't understand, I find another shiur on the same mishna and usually that clears things up. I also use the English Kehati as a resource.

I would love to hear from anyone else about what you're learning, what got you started, how you like it, what materials you're using, and maybe we can also post some of our thoughts and questions on the material. I keep a running spreadsheet of mine, but don't usually follow up on discussing them or tracking down answers.

Progress update as of September 21, 2022 - currently in Maaser Sheni, Nedarim, Eruvin, Bikkurim with DC#1, and Challah for a second time with DC #2. I am just over 1/4 of the way through Shas Mishnayos.

DC#2 asked to start learning with me at the beginning of the summer, and we are repeating material that I learned with DC #1 previously. DC #2 and I just finished Orlah (was my second time learning it) and began Challah this week.

Even though it seems like I am doing a random assortment of masechtot, I find myself constantly encountering overlapping material. It's not what I would've expected, but makes the learning even more enjoyable.

amother

Tue, Jul 19 2022, 3:38 pm

Apparently, intrusive "research" for shidduchim is not a new phenomenon.

From Kesuvos 7:8,

Quote:

וְאִם יֵשׁ מֶרְחָץ בְּאוֹתָהּ הָעִיר, אַף מוּמִין שֶׁבַּסֵּתֶר אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִטְעֹן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא בוֹדְקָהּ בִּקְרוֹבוֹתָיו

Imagine if boys' mothers today examined prospective future DIL's for hidden defects in the pool locker room.

Caveat: I think this might only be referring to after erusin, which is maybe a little more understandable of a time to be extra nosy.

amother

Thu, Jul 21 2022, 9:24 pm

Quote:

מוֹנֶה אָדָם אֶת אוֹרְחָיו וְאֶת פַּרְפְּרוֹתָיו מִפִּיו, אֲבָל לֹא מִן הַכְּתָב.

Shabbat 23:2

In the process of learning this mishna, I learned for the first time that it is assur drabbanan (although there are leniencies and workarounds to permit it) to read from a pre-written menu or seating chart on Shabbos when getting ready for Shabbos guests. I definitely did not know that before.

amother

Thu, Sep 01 2022, 9:15 am

Kesuvos 10:4 explains how to divide a man's estate if he had 3 wives, all of whom he married on the same day, but with different ketubah amounts of 100, 200, and 300.

The divisions given by the mishna appear not to be consistent and a few different explanations are available. After discussing the more classical sources, R Padowitz points to a paper written by a frum economics professor who proposes an explanation from a principle in the gemara that mathematically fits perfectly. It is really cool and clever. For anyone who likes math, I highly recommend!

http://ma.huji.ac.il/raumann/p.....I.pdf

amother

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 2:27 pm

Nedarim 4:1 makes mention of men wearing נְזָמִים , which appears to mean either earrings or nose rings. It comes up in the context of what items can and can't be lent to a friend when there is a neder in place against one deriving any food-related benefit from the other (which includes any direct monetary benefit because money is fungible). Among other things, the mishna explains such a neder would not preclude the lending of a shirt, a ring, or נְזָמִים . I wonder what these earrings or nose rings were and what they looked like.