About this episode
Today's daf is sponsored by Marc and Becki Goldstein. "In honor of our 50 years of Aliyah, our son Kobi bought and dedicated a bavli Shas to the Nezarim shul in Gaza." Today's daf is sponsored by Suri Davis in loving memory of her grandmother Esther bat Menachem Mendel. "Her husband, Chaim Davis, brought the first daf yomi shiur to the five towns in 1974." There are two opinions regarding the Torah's original script - was it initially written in ancient Hebrew characters and later changed to Ashurit (modern Hebrew script), or was it written in Ashurit from the beginning? Out of respect for the monarchy, one is prohibited from riding the king's horse, sitting on his throne, or using his scepter. Additionally, one must not view the king while he is getting a haircut or when he is naked or in the bathhouse. The text discusses Avishag the Shunamite, who served King David in his final years. Though he could have married her, he chose not to, as he already had eighteen wives. This teaches us about the gravity of divorce - rather than divorce one of his existing wives to marry Avishag, David was permitted to be secluded with her unmarried. This leads to a broader discussion about marital bonds, particularly the deep connection between spouses in their first marriage. Rabbi Yochanan compared the complexity of matchmaking to the splitting of the Red Sea. When confronted with a seemingly contradictory teaching from Rav - that forty days before a fetus's creation, a heavenly voice declares a child's future spouse, they resolve that Rabbi Yochanan was referring specifically to second marriages. Regarding grooming regulations: a king must have his hair cut daily, a kohen gadol weekly, and regular kohanim monthly. The source of these laws is discussed, along with the prohibition of wine for serving priests. There's a debate about these laws' current applicability: Rebbi maintains neither applies today, while the rabbis argue that the wine prohibition remains in effect, as the Temple might be rebuilt suddenly and intoxicated priests would be unfit for immediate service. The Gemara explores why they distinguish between the grooming and drinking regulations, offering two explanations, with the second raising an unresolved difficulty. Notably, these priestly regulations are derived from the prophet Yechezkel rather than the Torah, raising the question of how these laws were known before his time. The text concludes with a description of the kohen gadol 's distinctive hairstyle.