- Whose pesach does a newlywed wife eat from?
The opening Mishnah of the eighth perek states that a woman in her husband’s house eats of her husband’s pesach even if her father also shechted one for her. הלכה רגל ראשון לעשות בבית אביה – If a woman went to spend the first Yom Tov in her father’s house, שחט עליה אביה ושחט עליה בעלה – and her father shechted a pesach for her and her husband also shechted a pesach for her, תאכל במקום שהיא רוצה – she eats where she wants. After the Gemara clarifies that her choice was made at the time of shechitah, and was not a case of ברירה, the Gemara brings a Baraisa that contradicts the Mishnah, which states, אשה רגל הראשון אוכלת משל אביה – A woman, on the first Yom Tov after her wedding, eats of her father’s pesach, מכאן ואילך רוצה אוכלת משל אביה רוצה אוכלת משל בעלה – from here on, if she wants she can eat from her father’s pesach or if she wants she can eat from her husband’s pesach. Our Mishnah ruled, on the first Yom Tov she eats of her father’s offering and subsequently from her husband’s. The Gemara answers, כאן ברדופה לילך כאן בשאינה רדופה – The Baraisa is referring to a woman who is eager to go back to her father’s home whereas our Mishnah was referring to a woman who was not eager to go back to her father’s home.
- Hashem’s exchange with Hoshea
The Gemara presents the lengthy exchange between Hashem and Hoshea, the greatest navi of his era. When Hashem expressed to Hoshea that his people were sinning, Hoshea responded, העבירם באומה אחרת – Exchange them for a different nation. Hashem demonstrated to Hoshea how faulty that response was, by commanding Hoshea to marry a zonah, have children with her, and subsequently to then divorce her, which Hoshea found difficult to do. Hashem says, ישראל שהן בני בני בחוני בני אברהם יצחק ויעקב – Yisroel who are my children, the children of my tested ones, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, אחד מארבעה קנינין שקניתי בעולמי – and who constitute one of the four acquisitions I have made in the world, all the more so, it would be difficult to separate from them. The Gemara then goes on to identify the four acquisitions. 1. The Torah. 2. The Heavens and the earth. 3. The Beis Hamikdash. 4. Yisroel.
- Aspects of golus and why Bavel was chosen
The Gemara continues discussing the various aspects of galus. Rebbe Elazar said, לא הגלה הקדוש ברוך הוא את ישראל לבין האומות אלא כדי שיתוספו עליהם גרים – Hakadosh Boruch Hu, exiled Yisroel among the nations of the world, only in order that converts will be added to them. Rebbe Oshaya said HaKadosh Boruch Hu did a tzedakah in that He scattered the Jews among the nations ensuring that they could not all be wiped out at the same time. Among the reasons why Bavel was chosen, was that their language is similar to that of the Torah, and because Hashem sent them back to their mother’s house, referring to Ur Kasdim where Avraham Avinu’s emumah was realized, and also that that they would be able to eat dates, which are abundant in Bavel, and will subsequently be able to occupy themselves in limud haTorah.