Memorize The Daf

Simple memory tricks to remember the main ideas from each page of Talmud Bavli

Bava Kamma

נג

נב

If the Nefilah happened through the cover Breaking

I.e., the person covered it but some sort of ones/peshia happened involving worms/camels

נא

If two people own the bor, the second is responsible and the first can say "Not I"

Also, the 3rd major Bor machlokes - Rebi vs Chachamim - can the person who began the bor also say "Not I" (i.e. does full responsibility go to the person who is mashlim the bor)

נ

What kind of Nefilah are we liable for? (Intro to Bor sugya - 2 major disputes)

Machlokes R' Yishmael/R' Akiva.

Machlokes Rav/Shmuel.

מט

How does one compensate for a Miscarried Tinok (1 of 2 local dafim on this topic - see mem-beis)

Chachamim vs RaShBaG, Rabbah vs Rav Chisda

מח

What's going on in the brain/Moach of the baal habayis - does he accept shemira or not? (Machlokes Rebi vs Chachamim)

מז

"Ma Zeh birshusi?"

You brought your pots/produce/animal into my chatzer - why should I be liable?

מו

New perek - Shor shenagach es haParah (Moo)

The Mishna representing Sumchos's shita of yachloku

מה

What (Mah) do I have to do to guard a shor? (Shemira meula/shmira pechusa)

מד

Is the shor that killed unintentially also patur from Money/kofer (Rav) or just Death (Shmuel)?

Alternatively: The shor wasn't Mad - it was just trying to scratch itself

מג

Is Monetary compensation Given when you can't collect kofer? (Rabbah's chiddush)

מב

Miscarried Baby (1 of 2 local dafim on this topic - see mem-tes)

One of 3 alternative drashas from "baal hashor naki" - naki midmei vlados

מא

How can a shor be Muad to kill an Adam? (Wouldn't it have been executed?)

Many answers suggested.

(The rest of the daf is chazarah from Kiddushin)

מ

Is changing of reshus (from owner to borrower and vice versa) Meshaneh?

The non-Jews, who are maximum eino metzuveh veoseh, are treated different with respect to hilchos nezikin.

לט

Don't Let a Cheresh/Shoteh/Katan have control of an ox!

לח

Damages to/from non-Jews - who are Lav bn'ei Chiyuv

The non-Jews, who are maximum eino metzuveh veoseh, are treated different with respect to hilchos nezikin.

לז

What if it's muad LAZeh ve'eino muad LAZeh?

Mishna and Gemara discuss a shor that is only muad in certain circumstances

Alternative: One of the examples is if it gores 3 times in a row on the 7th day

Alternative: Do we read the Mishna Like R Zvid (or like R Pappa)?

לו

Each time the shor shenagach 4 or 5 times gores, it becomes LO/his (transfers to the next person)

Either because each respective person is tafas and bcomes a shomer, or because of R Akiva (huchlat hashor)

Alternative: The chain of who's responsible to guard the shor that gores 4 or 5 times - 3 and 6 "guard the numbers 4 and 5 (i.e. (3456)

לה

The mishnaic source for the rule for who to believe when one person says "Lav" and one person says "Hein"

Namely, hamotzi meichaveiro alav harayah

Bonus (amud aleph): The possible 2 exceptions to the ptur of mekalkel on shabbas are Lighting a fire and Hitting someone (R Abahu vs R Yochanan)

לד

The pasuk says to divide both the Live shor and the Dead shor

How to interpret the pasuk - machlokes R Meir/R Yehuda

לג

What type of Lien Goes on a shor tam that's mazik - "yusham hashor" or "huchlat hashor"?

Introduction and analysis of the machlokes R Yishmael/R Akiva

לב

Discussion of various chiyuvei galus ir miklat, such as LOBBING a stone into the reshus harabim

Bonus (amud aleph): various bride related halachos (Love) - nezikin during tashmish and welcoming shabbas bride

לא

Do you have to shout "No!" to warn someone not to trip on you?

R Yochanan vs R Nachman bar Yitzchak

ל

Just because we Let you put your stuff in the reshus harabim, doesn't mean you aren't Liable for damages

...leading to discussion of whether kansu gufan mishum shvachan

כט

Abaye, R Elazar, and R Yochanan CUT the machlokes in the Mishna into 2 (bishas nefilah and achar nefilah)

Machlokes whether someone can physically stop someone from causing him financial harm

כח

Can a person use his strength and take the law into his own hands?

Machlokes whether someone can physically stop someone from causing him financial harm

כז

Hamaniach es ha Cad bkeren Zavis

The Mishna/Gemara discusses someone who leaves a cad in the RhR...this is 1 of 4 explanations for how the person left the cad and why he's liable (namely R' Yochanan's)

כו

Adam muad l'olam - even without CaVana

And Rabbah discusses various degradations of CaVana and liability

כה

What if the shor tam Comes into your Home?

The Mishna/Gemara discuss the machlokes R Tarfon/Chachamim (and various suggested kal v'chomers)

כד

How exactly do we Count to 4? (How does a tam become a muad?)

כג

Who's chayav - the baal Kelev or the baal Gacheles?

...leading to a discussion of whether pi parah = chatzer hanizak/mazik

כב

Why do we tell the fire owner "כבה" (Put out your fire) - mishum chitzav or mamono?

Machlokes R Yochanan/Reish Lakish

כא

(Mostly continuation of כ, but also...) Situations related to Kelev and Ones

The jumping/falling dog

כ–כא

Next, the gemara explores Shein (visually, כ=mouth)

The mishna/gemara dissect the "shein" part of the earlier mishna. כ is the daf that introduces this sugya.

BONUS: Ze neeneh vezeh lo chaser which is characterized by the field fenced around on 3 sides = כ

יז–יח–יט

The new perek begins with a 3-daf sugya exploring Regel and Tzroros (visually, ז=leg and י=pebble)

The mishna/gemara dissect the "regel" part of the earlier mishna. יז is the daf that introduces this sugya.

טז

Is this R Tarfon'S mishna?

Does part/all of the mishna reflect R Tarfon's opinion?

BONUS: Transformations that happen after 7 years

BONUS: Is Treifah Zar? Is it strange for a lion to tear its prey?

טו

It's good to learn things Two times

This daf reviews two sugyas (women/men being equal in nizakin, palga nizka knas/mamon) more or less verbatim from the previous seder

יד

Two people own a field hand in hand

Various ways two people can jointly own a field and implications for liabilities

יג

R Yose HaGlili's shita that kodshin kalin is mamon b'alim...

...leads to a long discussion about hezek involving kodshin, and dissecting what exactly his shita is

יב

The 12 Tribes started off as slaves and then inherited land

Do slaves = land?

Alternatively: Can you even collect slaves from Yasmei or only from the Baal himself? (another way of stating the same question)

יא

You Assess the value of the carcass!

Determining who is responsible for retaining the value of the carcass/bringing it to beis din for assessment

י

Making a pit 10 amos (and other ways of being partially but fully responsible for damage)

ט

(New Mishna) Transfering fire/pit/animal to a cheresh - how responsible are you for damage?

ח

Bnei CHorin - different scenarios when unencumbered land is/isn't collected (rather than encumbered land)

ז

Zmanim of the year

Halachos related to the changing in value of land between summer/winter

ו

And...? (What other damages is "hatzad hashaveh shebahen" being marbeh?

ה

...Hashem's list of avos (the avos listed in the Torah, why they all had to be mentioned)

(Alternatively: The Torah had to list all the avos separately because of Hilchoseihen (their unique laws)

ד

Different Amoraim's lists of avos, and finally...

(Alternatively: it isn't just the 4 in the mishna)

ג

Answer: Tzroros, which are Gmirei (Halacha leMoshe miSinai)

The daf investigates toldos of each of the avos until finally arriving at its answer

ב

Question: When are secondary (2) nezikin different from avos nezikin?

Kiddushin

פב

Don't just work at the local Pub! (career suggestions)

The importance of choosing the right job

פא

Having a Private Audience with someone (hilchos yichud)

פ

Presumptions (chazakos) - how do they work?

עט

Can a chazakah go backwards (daf before פ which is about chazakah)

עח

...Oseh Chalal

Two-daf sugya about what situations "make" a chalal

עז

Al Zeh...

Two-daf sugya about what situations "make" a chalal

עו

עה

Status of the Cusim (from Ever HaYarden)

עד

R' Yehuda agrees that an Ammoni (and Moavi) Doesn't count (they can marry a mamzeres)

After many suggestions, the daf concludes that this is the pshat in the mishna

עג

Who Is a Ger allowed to marry?

Machlokes R' Yose vs. R' Yehuda

עב

Ad heichan hi Bavel?

Borders of Bavel, and other geography-related matters

עא

In 7 years only do it 1 time! (Be careful revealing tamei families)

(Same thing regarding revealing secrets of Hashem's name)

ע

Story of the Eved from Nehardea (he called people avadim so he's an eved!)

B'mumo posel

סט

Ezra SifTing Bavel's population into Israel (the asara yochsin)

Bonus (amud aleph): If you're a mamzer, you're not STuck!

סח

סז

Does the Status of offspring follow the Zachar in mixed marriages? (or the woman)

סו

סה

Can kiddushin be effected by just one witness (SaHad)?

(And other assorted short gemaras)

Bonus (amud aleph): At a Sad time (death) is a person believed?

סד

Just marry Some Daughter of mine (not sure which one)

(And other assorted short gemaras)

Bonus (amud aleph): At a Sad time (death) is a person believed?

סג

If I Speak to the Government for you will you marry me? (And does the favor have to be worth a peruta?)

(And other assorted short gemaras)

סב

R' Yochanan's principle that if something is Sipek B'Yado (in his power to change) it's not lacking the change

סא

Does one have to Stipulate the Alternative? (t'nai kaful)

Bonus (amud aleph): Is the Stony Area included?

ס

נט

Can you Negate Text (words)?

Asi dibur umvatel dibur?

Bonus: Not a nice friend (for preemptively stealing his friend's wife/field etc)

נח

נז

נו

נה

The owner is Not Here to tell you if it's a korban

What do we do with found abandoned animals that may be consecrated

נד

The Torah was Not given to Deities! (Ein nitnah Torah l'malachei hashareis)

Introducing Rav's differing interpretation of R' Meir

נג

No kiddushin with God's property! (Kodshim, maaser, hekdesh)

Two-daf sugya: Can two things happen consecutively (at 1 time) if they can't happen in sequence (at 2 times)? Can the first thing happen (kiddushin) if the second thing can't happen (biah)?

נב

...Not Two?

Two-daf sugya: Can two things happen consecutively (at 1 time) if they can't happen in sequence (at 2 times)? Can the first thing happen (kiddushin) if the second thing can't happen (biah)?

נא

Not One because...

Two-daf sugya: Can two things happen consecutively (at 1 time) if they can't happen in sequence (at 2 times)? Can the first thing happen (kiddushin) if the second thing can't happen (biah)?

Devarim shebeleiv (things in your Noggin) einam devarim

(And assorted other small gemaras)

מט

You don't have to surpass the 49 gates of wisdom like Rabbi Akiva to be called a "chacham"...

...and other descriptive stipulations that just have to be met to a relatively small extent

מח

מז

מו

Mishna: What if the woman is putting the dates in her MOuth as they are given to her?

Various inferences from the mishna

מה

What if the father is Maskim to Her?

The chiddush of Shmuel and Rav that a minor girl's kiddushin needs get and miun in case the father is Maskim to Her (and various related scenarios)

מד

Is it only a Machlokes in Divorce (or kiddushin too)?

R' Yochanan and Reish Lakish argue over whether the Machlokes between the Chachamim and R' Yehuda about a naarah is only about whether she can accept Divorce (or also kiddushin).

מג

Can a shliach MaGically become an eid?

Shliach naaseh eid

מב

Mekach Batel - sugyas of ona'ah

(ALSO: Ein shliach l'dvar aveirah - can one hire a "hitman" aka MoB)

After discussing sources for shlichus, the gemara discusses similar cases in which someone can act on behalf of someone else in which ona'ah (mekach batel) may or may not apply (beis din, apotropos)

Afterwards, the gemara discusses the notion of ein shliach l'dvar aveirah with its various exceptions (meilah, shlichus yad, tevicha/mechira).

מא

How do we know that we can Make an Agent?

The central daf for the sugya of shlichus

מ

The importance of doing just one Mitzvah

(Especially if you are right in the Middle)

Also: The importance of Mikra Mishna and Manners

לט

Yored v'LokeCH vs. yored v'LokeiT (38 into 39)

Orlah vs kilayim in chutz la'aretz - analyzing a difference in the mishna in Orlah - in one suggested edit, "lokeach" turns into "lokeit" (the sugya is on daf 38 turning into 39)

BONUS: The mishna being analyzed from Orlah is 3:9!

לח

Things that happened when B'nai Yisrael crossed the wet (lach) Jordan

No more man, and death of Moshe date calculation.

And, the 5 mitvzos (BONUS: 8 - 3) that took effect after crossing, that R' Shimon and R' Elazar ben Shimon argue over whether they apply in chutz la'artetz (chadash, orlah, kilayim, shmatas ksafim, shiluach avadim)

לז

R' Lazer's (Eliezer) opinion "af hachadash"

Discussion of mitzvos hatluyos baaretz, and fleshing out R' Eliezer's opinion and that of his baal plugta R' Yishmael (drashos of "moshav")

Alternative: Which mitzvos are applicable in a Land Zar (strange land, i.e. chutz la'aretz)

לו

Women don't Lean On korbanos (as well as other kodshim-related activities)

לה

Ladies Have to do mitvos aseh shelo hazman grama and mitzvos lo taaseh (with 3-4 exceptions)

לד

Ladies Don't have to do mitzvos aseh shehazman grama

לג

Get up on your legs for the seiva/zaken!

לב

Can we say "Let Bygones be bygones"?

Can parents, chachamim, nesiim, and/or kings be mochel on their kavod?

Bonus: first part of daf is about needing to remain of calm heart (lev) around one's parents (not to get angry if they throw a wallet into the sea, and to be respectful in Torah disagreements 

לא

"Ashrei mi shelo chama'an"

R Yochanan's famous maamar is emblematic of this daf which details the great extent to which we are expected to honor our parents

ל

How/why to be melamed Torah to your son

The third of the mitzvos haben al ha'av

כט

Discussion of mitzvos haben al ha'av, such as milah and pidyon, beginning with milah (cutting the orlah)

כח

Is the exchange in the mishna kechalipin or actually chalipin? 

Three opinions how to understand what is going on in the mishna

כז

How do we learn dinei shevuos regarding kesef from zonah (aka sota)?

כו

Do metaltelim have to be collected (tziburim) on land to perform kinyan agav?

כה

Do we add a 25th to the list of 24 rashei evarim?

(Beitzim and/or lashon)

כד

24 limbs that don't regenerate (and how we derive their significance)

Dissection of the opinions in the mishna about how to free an eved canaani with money or shtar, and major machlokes Rashi/Rishonim whether the mishna exhibits 2 opinions (R Meir vs R Shimon ben Elazar) or 3 opinions (R Meir, R Shimon ben Elazar, Chachamim)

כג

Is it 2 or 3 opinions in the mishna?

Dissection of the opinions in the mishna about how to free an eved canaani with money or shtar, and even though it seems like 2 opinions (R Meir vs Chachamim), Rashi says it is split into 3 opinions (R Meir, R Shimon ben Elazar, Chachamim) - although many Rishonim understand it as being just 2 opinions.

כב

The nirtzah wants to come back

How an eved ivri extends his servitude

כא

The gambler (blackjack) needs to either be bailed out by his family or pay up in installments

Those two dinim regarding various fields/slaves

כ

יט

Was the kiddushin money given yet?

I.e. does yiud affect kiddushin retroactively from the money already given to the baal? (Machlokes R Yose bar R Yehuda vs Rabanan)

יח

Is yiud as good as chuppah?

I.e. does it affect kiddushin or nisuin

יז

Don't just use your eved ivri (give him a parting gift)

How to do haanaka

טז

טו

Two sachirs

Who isn't yalif sachir-sachir?

יד

Yavam's Death releasing Yevamah

and other similar dinim to close out the first mishna of the masechta

יג

יב

Rav Chisda and the blue stone (like the 12 colored stones on the Choshen)

Story with several chiddushim, germane to Shmuel's chiddush that kiddushin can be affected with less than a shaveh perutah

יא

Rav Yehuda b'shem Rav Assi

...offers one of four explanations of Beis Shammai (and his opinion is dissected the most)

י

ט

Text - How does kiddushin by document/shtar work?

Why the groom is the one who writes it, lishma requirements...

ח

Destruction (Churban) of kiddushin money

...and other ways to reject kiddushin

ז

The cheap (Zol) person tries to buy his wife 50% off

ו

Do Vague languages affect kiddushin?

ה

Rav Huna's opinion

Fleshing out the kal vechomer that chuppah should be koneh

ד

Derivations of kesef, shtar, biah

(Kesef minalan begins on Gimmel amud beis)

ג

Why 3?

(L'mautei mai)

ב

Binaries

The Gemara discusses:

Why Isha vs Ish?

Why kinyan vs kiddushin?

Why shalosh vs shlosha?

Why drachim vs dvarim?

Berachos

יא

י

ט

ח

ז

ו

ה

ד

ג

Rabbi Eliezer's 3 watches

Bonus: the 3 reasons we don't enter a churban

ב

When do we Begin saying krias shema?

Who Am I?

Hi! My name is Nathan Cepelinski. I'm just a guy who learns Daf Yomi and likes to come up with simple memory devices for each daf that greatly help me remember its key ideas. Just today (9/6/23), I decided to start posting them online on the chance they might be useful for other people as well.

My memory devices are meant to be as simple as possible, just to create a unique "shelf" in your memory for each daf. Whatever the main idea of the daf is, I try to associate it with the daf number in some way, so that at the end of the masechta, I can look back and have a mental "table of contents" for the whole masechta. I've noticed that having information organized in this way can greatly increase retention. 

Coming up with these simple memory devices is not always easy, so sometimes they can be a bit of a stretch, and most of the time they wouldn't make sense to someone who hasn't already learned the contents of the daf. Nonetheless, they still fulfill their purpose just as well. They enable one to mentally review the contents of a masechta at a speed of under 5 seconds per daf. This, to me, is a very useful tool. I try to mentally go through the whole masechta I'm currently learning at least once per week.

I've noticed that no matter how in-depth I learn a sefer/masechta, without a device like this, once a year or more goes by, the content becomes very nebulous in my memory and difficult to retrieve, and the next time I learn it, it feels like I'm learning it from scratch. However, with a simple memory marker for each page, even after much time goes by, I can still have an organized overview at my fingertips, and learning it again feels like review. Hope it helps you as well!

If you have any questions or advice for how to improve this system, please email me at ncepelinski@gmail.com.