Chapter 9:

Pg 83: “Zvuv” was the idol worship of the city of Ekron. Everyone made a statuette of a fly, carried it and kissed it.

Pg 84: The objects inside a sealed container cannot become ritually contaminated.

Pg 85: The Horites were expert a determining the best crops for each parcel of land.

Pg 86: One can only have relations in the dark (even during the day).

Pg 87: Moses did not address Israel when they were weary from the travel of the road.

Pg 88: God told Creation that if Israel did not accept the Torah, He would revert the world to chaos.

Pg 89: Moses to the Angels: The Torah is not for you: It says “Don’t kill, don’t steal,” do you have jealousy or an evil urge?

Pg 90: Whatever produce has roots cannot be harvested on the Sabbatical year.

Chapter 9 Summary: “Amar Rabbi Akiva”: Collection of disparate stories and laws, including ritual impurity (of idol worship, of ships, etc.), laws of items that should not be mixed (“shatnez”).

Most of the laws discussed are not rooted in the biblical text but are rather a tradition transmitted orally by Moses, as well as subsequent rabbinical enactments. Many have scriptural support though not direct biblical command.

Extensive dealing with the Giving of the Torah, both determination of the date it occurred and the surrounding events.