Pesachim 52a, b

The themes of daf 52 are all worthy of more attention than I can give this evening.  The rabbis are speaking about differences in halachot between two different places.

Some highlights:

• the rabbis decide upon punishment for Torah scholars who transgress halacha
• they discuss the merits and severity of flogging versus excommunication
• the rabbis discuss three areas of Israel, each with three district: Judea, Transjordan, and Galilee
• animals in each region will not eat their region; the foods available in their 'home' are their desired diets
• the rabbis examine halachot regarding the Sabbatical year
• they consider a person who brings fruit from a crop that has ceased in the fields to another field where the crop has not ceased
• some believe that produce from a ceased crop should be offered up to the poor, others believe that excess fruit should be burned or thrown to the sea. The former argument is preferred
• produce given to domesticated animals is available only as long as it is available to undomesticated animals
• the relationship between fruits stored in barrels and the availability of those fruits in the fields
• the relationship between fruits brought from one field already left alone to another field
• older trees cannot be chopped down during the Sabbatical year if they have begun to bear fruit

Lots of interesting information to day about the treatment of animals and plants. I am not at all knowledgeable about the laws of shemita, and so today's daf began some of that learning.  Further, the rabbis continued discussion of each other - their practices, their punishments, their confidence in their own superiority and the protection that they have from G-d... this is simply golden.