Brachos 16a- Working on top of an Olive Tree

The mishnah Brachos 16a allows for Krias Shema to be said by a worker atop a tree. Shemoneh Esrei however may not be said atop a tree. The gemora qualifies this rule and notes that an olive and fig tree are different and even Shemoneh Esrei may be said atop those trees.    Rashi explains...

Brachos 12b כרע כחיזרא

The gemora (ברכות יב:) discusses how Rav Sheishes would bow during davening “כי כרע כרע כחיזרא כי קא זקיף זקיף כחיויא” when he would bow, he would bow like a staff (that falls all at once- Rashi) and when he would arise he would do so like a snake (slowly, first his head and then...

Brachos 9b – Green like a Leek

The gemara in three places uses leek as the comparison item to green.  In Brachos 9b the mishna discusses the earliest time to say קריאת שמע. According to the Tanna Kamma this time is when one can recognize/view the difference between techeles and white. Rabbi Eliezer says there must be more light, enough to tell...

Brachos 8a – חיזרא Thorns

The gemora (Brachos 8a) writes that the type of death caused by the illness\ disease called askara is compared to pulling out a thorn that had inserted itself into a tuft of wool. [[This is in contrast to death by neshika (kiss from Hashem) that is like pulling out a hair out of milk.]] כחיזרא...