פירוש על ברכות 37:25

EVEN WHEN THERE IS PEACE UPON ISRAEL. The Gemara says that one who slanders a Talmid Chochom even after his death will fall into Gehinom. The Gemara presented this verse to prove its point:
והמטים עקלקלותם יוליכם ה' את פועלי האון שלום על ישראל
Where do we see in the verse that we are speaking about a Talmid Chochom who has passed away? Tosfos explains: It is from the words שלום על ישראל.
This is referring to the period after his, the talmid chochom’s death, when he will not come to fight with those who speak of his shameful deeds. From here it is evident that the verse is speaking of after the talmid chochom’s death.

[THEY REQUIRED HER] TO DRINK [BECAUSE SHE WAS] LIKE THEM. Akavyo argued with the Rabanan who said that the waters of the sotoh, called the bitter water, which are supposed to test the suspected adulteress are given to a convert and a freed slave woman. When the Rabanan presented the case of Karkamis, a freed slave woman who was given the bitter water, Akavyo responded with the words דוגמא השקוה. The word דוגמא literally means similar or an example. How exactly does this word relate to the confrontation between Akavyo and the Rabanan?
Rashi explained that since she was a convert as they, Sh’mayoh and Avtalyon, were converts. Since they themselves were converts they tended to deal with her as a full-fledged Jewess and had her drink the bitter water, but they were not correct for doing so. And so too, it appears in Yerushalmee of Moaid Koton (perek 3): The Yerushalmee asks what is דוגמא? That she was like them. She was a convert as they were converts.
Tosfos suggests another explanation of the word דוגמא as it is used in this Mishna. The Oruch explains that השקוה דוגמא does not refer to the Rabanan who said that she must drink the bitter water, but to the water that she drank water which was dyed so that it appeared as if it was bitter water, but they were not actually the bitter waters and they did not erase the Torah onto the water as is prescribed in Parsha Noso. Obviously that water did not have the power to verify whether she had committed adultery or not, but they gave her the water to drink in order to cause her to fear the consequences of her action.

This is the reading of M. and is probably oorreot. The reading of the edd. : "Rab Pappa said, Somebody spoke evil" is intended to remove the reproach from him.

M.: Rab Hisda said: This refers.

"Our Mishnah" usually means the paragraph of the Mishnah under discussion. Here it refers to the work as a whole.

The washing of the hands before a meal is a Rabbinical ordinance, and to despite it reflects on the honour of the teachers.

Num. v. 11 ff.

They merely pretended to give her the bitter waters. This is the interpretation of many commentators. Rashi renders; "They administered them to one who was like themselves," i.e. despising Shemayah and Abtalion on the ground that they were not of pure Jewish stock. According to Gittin 57b they were descendants of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

On the Passover festival when the court was thronged with pilgrims.

"The circle-drawer." He was a famous ascetic to whom the people

M.: "There is a teaching: R. Jose said." This reading is adopted by Bacher, A. B. A. p. 103 n. 11.

With the head, legs and entrails (cf. Exod. xii. 9). But this should be done only by the pilgrims in Jerusalem, whereas Theodosius introduced the practice into Rome.

According to M. the subject is "the Sages." Some edd. make the subject Simeon b. Shetah : but this would be an anachronism. See A.T. ii. p. 561 n. 1.

Here, then, is another instance of arrogance against the Most High,

A portable earthenware oven is like an earthenware vessel and can contract defilement. In the latter instance, the vessel cannot be purified and must be broken to pieces. In the opinion of the Sages, the same rule applies to the oven. R. Eliezer allows the oven to be cut horizontally into layers and sand placed in between and cemented over.

Krauss, p. 251, thinks that the word translated "serpent" is really a proper name, Έχῖυοϛ, after whom that sort of oven was called. See his discussion in Part I of Lehnworter, pp. 295 f.

Everything which had been in contact with this oven.

Lit. "blessed," an euphemism.

That the Bet Din excommunicates a man for a lack of respect to a teacher.

He holds that, as in the Baraita here quoted, wherever in the Mishnah an individual Rabbi resists the opinion of the majority, it comes under this heading.

According to J. T., one hour before.

Lay himself open to an imputation.

In our Mishnah.