Learning about Pesach in the days before Pesach
In the Gemara in Pesachim, what are the 2 options for how long before Pesach we start learning about the halachot of Pesach?
2 weeks (Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel) and 30 days (Braitta)
According to the Rambam which is the main Kiddush said on Shabbos?
Kiddush at Night
According to the Rambam, what are the 3 things one must mention at their pesach seder in order to fulfill their mitzvah of sipur yetziat mitzrayim?
Pesach, Matzah, Marror
What are the two main differing opinions in the Gemara in Menachot about how we count sefirah and who said each opinion?
Abaye says theres a mitzvah to count the days and the weeks
Amimar says theres only a Mitzvah to count for the days NOT the weeks.
What is the opinion of the Baal Hamaor on how we count Sefirah?
Count the weeks at the weekly intervals and count days on days that aren’t weekly intervals. (i.e. Today is 2 weeks or Today is 22 days)
According to the Netziv, what should be the focus of our learning on each holiday?
Theme of the day
What is the pasuk that tells us we need to say Kiddush on Shabbos?
זכור את יום השבת לקדשו
On Pesach night we have a Q and A, what are the 4 potential forms of asking and answering (who is asking who)?
Son asks Father, Wife asks Husband, Friend asks Friend, Ask yourself
What is the Machloet between Abaye and Amimar according to the Rambam?
Abaye says counting sefirah is Deoritah
Amimar says counting sefirah is Drabanan
What is the opinion of the Tor on we count sefirah?
Count the weeks and the days including the leftover days. (i.e. Today is the 15th day which is 1 week and 1 day)
What is the source for starting to learn about Pesach 2 weeks before?
Moshe taught about Pesach on Rosh Chodesh (which is 2 weeks before)
What is the difference between the start and the conclusion of Shabbos that causes the difference in the way we approach Kiddush and Havdalah?
For kiddush we want to say it right away because we are excited to welcome in the shabbos but at the end of shabbos we want to preserve it so we take our time
According to Rav Chaim Brisker what are the 2 types of ways to get the kids to ask questions?
Creative and Scripted
True or False: Tosfot says according to Sfirah that you cannot start making a bracha after Shikiya, you have to wait until Tzeit
False
What is the opinion of the Avi Ezri on how we count sefirah?
Count the days of each week (i.e. Today is 3 weeks and 4 days)
According to the Rambam if a chag falls out on Shabbos which aspect of Shabbos is replaced with something that has to do with the Chag?
Kriat Hatorah
What's the difference between the Rashbam and the Rived on when you should say Kidush on a Friday night?
Rashbam says that you should say it at the onset of shabbat while Rived says that you can say it at any point at night.
At the seder we have this concept of מתחיל בגנות ומסיים בשבח, what are the 2 opinions about what the גנות is and who said each opinion?
Rav: Being idol worshippers and Shmuel: Being slaves in Egypt
Why do we use the words על ספירת העומר
in the Bracha for sefirah?
Because these words encapsulate the entire mitzvah of Zecher Lemikdash and the Chiyuv Deoritah.
Is the need to count the weeks part of the daily mitzvah of Sfirah or not? (3 opinions)
1. Rambam-yes count days and weeks everyday
2. Ran-only count weeks at weekly interval
3. Rosh- depends where you are- in galut you count weeks everyday but not in Israel
What is the Ran’s understanding of the difference between the Gemara in Pesachim and the Gemara in Megillah?
Gemara Pesachim: preparation for the chag
Gemara Megillah: appreciation for the chag
What is the question(s) Rav Soloveitchick has on the Rambam?
How can one compare kiddush on Yom Tov to Kiddush on Shabbos? Aren't they two different things? For Shabbos Hashem invests kedusha but on yom tom beit din has to create the kedusha?
At the seder we have this concept of מתחיל בגנות ומסיים בשבח, for the שבח what are the 2 opinions about what kind of freedom we experienced and who said each opinion?
Rav: Spiritual Freedom and Shmuel: Physical freedom
How can Abaye's opinion (count days and weeks) and Amimar's opinion (just count days) both be Derabanan?
Abaye wants to ensure we don’t forget the mitzvah of sfirat haomer even though there’s no more Korbanot. So he formulates this mitzvah Derabanan exactly in the same way as the Deoritah.
Amimar wants the mitzvah to express our sadness and despair regarding the Chorban Beit Hamikdash. Therefore we don’t do the mitzvah the same way they did during the time of the beit hamikdash and just count days which makes the mitzvah Derabanan.
Why is there 2 opinions about when you count the weeks (counting the weeks every night and counting them at the interval)?
Because it depends on how you define weeks. Is it a culmination of 7 days or is a week it’s own discrete unit.