About this episode
Today's daf is sponsored by Mary Lee, whose husband Steven Lee studies with Hadran daily, who is happy to listen to the voices of women, especially studying Talmud, and who would likely drive her crazy -- being locked down together during this pandemic -- if he weren't so immersed in it. Is the allowance of beams around the well applicable only for those going to the Temple for the holidays? Is it only for their animals or also for people? Is it only in Israel or also Babylonia? Why differentiate between Babylonia and other places? Do the laws of huts, burganim , regarding eruv techumim apply in other places outside of Israel? Why? The gemara brings two drashot of Rav Chisda in the name of Meri son of Mar regarding the vastness of the Torah and that evil people do not give up hope of returning to God. Rava learns something else form the verse brought in the second drasha regarding the importance of the oral Torah. The gemara continues with drashot stressing the importance of the oral Torah as it protects the written Torah. They tell a story of Rabbi Akiva who was in jail and didn't have enough water and yet used it for washing hands as he did not want to go against what the rabbis instituted. Shlomo established the laws of washing hands and eruv and a heavenly voice came down and praised what he had done. The gemara describes other things that Shlomo did that were great, explaining verses in the Tanach that describe his greatness.