Sugya Idiom & Terminology

mena hane mile

Whence these words? — a request for the source of a stated law.

amai

Why? — a question on the reason for a ruling.

mai ta‘ma

What is the reason? — request for a rationale.

metivi

They object — a challenge raised from a baraita.

ve-ha

But surely — opens an objection from a known fact.

kashya

It is difficult — the objection remains unresolved.

teyuvta

A refutation — the position is decisively overturned.

la kashya

There is no difficulty — the premise of the question is wrong.

ela

Rather — rejects the previous reading and offers a new one.

le‘olam

In fact — retains the position while narrowing its scope.

iba‘it eima

If you wish, say — offers an alternative answer.

hakha be-mai askinan

Here we are dealing with — restricts the case under discussion.

qa mashma lan

It teaches us — identifies the novelty of the statement.

salqa da‘takh amina

You might have thought — the error the novelty rules out.

ta shma

Come and hear — introduces a tannaitic source as evidence.

ditnan

As we learned — a reference to the Mishna.

tanu rabbanan

The Rabbis taught — opens a baraita.

shma minah

Infer from it — draws a conclusion from the source.

alma

It follows — states the implication.

hilkheta

The law is — a practical ruling.

de-khule alma

All agree — the point of consensus between disputants.

be-mai qamiplegi

On what do they disagree? — locates the root of the dispute.

hane mile

These words apply — limits the ruling to a specific case.

mide-rabbanan / mide-orayta

Rabbinic / Toraitic — classifies the source of an obligation.

leima

Shall we say — proposes a reading, usually to open an objection.

lav

Is it not — predicate negation, often rhetorical.