Thursday, March 1, 2007

First Try at it

Kelayim - the prohibition against planting together different species of vegetables, fruit or seeds – the proclamation serves as a warning to uproot any shoots of other seeds that appear among the grain

Melacha which is assur on Chol Hamoed - There is a dispute among the Rishonim if the prohibition against performing labor on Chol Hamoed (the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkos) is Biblical (Rashi) or Rabbinic (Tosfos). There are many different categories of labor that is permitted on Chol Hamoed. The first Mishna discusses the permissibility of performing labor on Chol Hamoed when otherwise, the person will suffer a substantial loss. Even in such cases, one cannot perform labor that involves excessive exertion.

Thirty-nine melochos + hasra’ah - There are thirty-nine main categories of labor that are forbidden on Shabbos and in order for one to be liable to receive a punishment for intentionally performing a prohibited labor on Shabbos; he must receive a legal warning prior to performing the act not to perform this specific labor.

tumas ohel (if the tumah source and a person or object is under the same roof)

Shomeres yom kneged yom - This is the law during these days: if she saw blood only one day, she must observe one day in cleanness, corresponding to the day of uncleanness, i.e., she immerses on the day following the day of uncleanness, and if she does not see blood on this day, then she is clean in the evening.

Gezeirah Shavah - One of the thirteen principles of Biblical hermeneutics. Gezeirah shavah links two similar words from dissimilar verses in the Torah.

Yibum - levirate marriage - the act of the brother-in-law marrying his widowed sister-in-law, when the brother died without children.

Cuthean (converts to Judaism after an outbreak of wild animals in Eretz Yisroel and their conversion was debated as to its validity) They observed some commandments, but not others.

moishev leitzim