Siman - Shabbos Daf 77

  • Congealed liquids

Rav Yosef said that Rebbe Nassan, who was discussing congealed wine, and Rebbe Yose b’Rebbe Yehudah, who was discussing congealed blood of a neveilah, both hold that a revi’is of a liquid substance will congeal into a solid substance the size of a kezayis.

Abaye suggests that this is not necessarily so.

Perhaps Rebbe Nassan only holds of this for congealed wine, which is a thin liquid and loses much of its volume when it congeals, but blood which is thicker may not require a revi’is to produce a kezayis when congealed.

Perhaps Rebbe Yose b’Rebbe Yehudah only holds this for congealed blood which is thick and does not lose much of its volume when it congeals, but wine which is a thin liquid, requires more than a revi’is to congeal into a kezayis.

  • Everything has a purpose

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: כל מה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא בעולמו לא ברא דבר אחד לבטלה – In all that HaKadosh Baruch Hu created in His world, He did not create even one thing needlessly. Among the few examples he brought are:

The slug was created as a remedy for a sore.

The fly was created as cure for the sting of a hornet. Rashi explains that one crushes the fly and places it on the place of the sting.

The gnat was created to be a cure for a snake bite.

  • The meaning behind the names of various garments

Rebbe Zeira once encountered Rebbe Yehudah who was in a lighthearted mood, so he decided to ask him about curiosities in the world, such as the meaning of names of various items. Rebbe Yehudah answered:

An outer cloak is called a לבושה, because wearing it keeps one from being embarrassed (lo bushah).

An overcoat is called a גלימה, because the one who wears is shapeless like a golem.

A headwrap worn by the Rabbis is called a סודרא, because the secrets of Hashem are revealed to those who fear Him (sod Hashem lirai’av).