85. During that period, "there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested him" (Shemot 15:25), referring to the scholars of the Mishnah. They too, "came to Mara (Eng. 'bitter')" (Ibid. 23). The Oral Law will again be bitter to them with great stress and poverty, and it will be fulfilled for them: "and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage" (Shemot 1:14), which refers to hard questions. "...In mortar (Heb. chomer) ..." refers to inference from minor to major (Heb. chomer). ."..And in brick (Heb. levenah)" (Ibid.), refers to explaining (Heb. libun) law. "...And in all manner of bondage in the field..." (Ibid.), refers to the Baraita, SINCE BARAITA MEANS FIELD. "All their bondage, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor" (Ibid.); that is, the unanswered problems and questions.
85. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חוֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, וְאִינּוּן מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה. אוֹף הָכָא וַיָבֹאוּ מָרָתָה, אִתְהַדָר לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְעַל פֶּה, מָרָה בְּדַחֲקִין סַגִיאִין, בַּעַנִיוּתָא, דְּיִתְקַיָּים בְּהוּ, וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה: זוֹ קוּשְׁיָא. בְּחֹמֶר: דָּא ק"ו. וּבִלְבֵנִים: דָּא לִבּוּן הֲלָכָה. וּבְכָל עֲבוֹדָה בַּשָּׁדֶה: דָּא בָּרַיְיתָא. אֵת כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ: דָּא תֵּיק"וּ.