Megillah 22a - Rashi's Peshat: Nichnasin Will Ask

The sevara of the tana kama to allow a parsha to begin with less than 3 pesukim being read is that the people coming in who will think that the previous reader only read 2, will be able to ask and find out that he really read 3. However, Rashi seems to add that he will be prompted to ask when he sees that the next reader reads 3 pesukim and he thinks that the previous reader only read 2 pesukim. It seems that the contrast will prompt him to ask. Based on this the heter of the tana kama to start a parsha with less than 3 pesukim will not apply to the last oleh bec. the nichnasin will have no one to compare it to.

Kriyas Megilla and Kriyas hatorah

From the mishna on todays daf that switch's gear from kriyas megilla to kriyas hatorah it became clear to me in a new way the relationship between the two. The gemorah on daf 14a says that the only thing that the neviyim added on to the torah is kriyas hamegilla. The gemorah says that the hosafa is not the yom tov of purim, not the writing of the megilla but the reading of the megilla. What chazal added on to the torah was a new kirya that is begader kriyas hatorah, as we have seen that the megilla in its kisva has dini sefer torah, sirtut, tefirah bigidin ect. Chazal instituted a kirya similar to kiryas hatorah but with some differences, for example the kirya of the megilla is medin shira mah sheain ken kriyas hatorah is not midin shira. this chiluk creates a halichik difference that you can have tri koli by megilla.( maybe this chiluk can help answer Yossis' earlier post) Also the days that chazal insituted for the kirya of kefarim is monady and thursday the same days that we read the torah. and the rambam when he talks about hilchos megilla it is all focused on dini keriya till the very end when he talks about mitzvos hayom.

Megillah 21a - Reading Megillah Sitting or Standing

The Turei Even quotes from the Rambam (Hil. Megillah 2:6) that one should not read the megillah while sitting in a tzibur. Based on this he asks, why does the gemara say there is a difference between megillah and torah? The requirement to stand for torah is also only b'tzibbur as rashi writes, so both megillah and torah seem to be the same that btzibbur the reader must stand but b'yachid the reader can sit?

It seems that although practically they may be the same, the lomdus is different. Standing for reading the Torah b'tzibbur is not just a din in kavod hatzibbur, but a din in kavod Hashem - as if to say that Hashem is standing for your reading so you must also stand. But by megillah it is only a din in kavod hatzibbur. Therefore the gemara means to say that Torah B'tzibur is not "just" a kavod tzibbur issue, but rather it must be read standing. Perhaps there would even be a practical difference bidieved if it was read while sitting were you yotzei - the mitzpah eisan mentions this.

One more question - If one is reading for a group of women, must the reader stand for kavod tzibbur?

Megillah 21b - The Institution of a Ba'al Korei

בביאור המנהג שש"ץ קורא בתורה ולא העולה

התוס' כתבו דטעם המנהג שנוהגין שש"ץ קורא היינו שלא לבייש את מי שאינו יודע לקרות כדאיתא בבכורים פ"ג מ"ז בתחלה מי שיודע לקרות קורא ומי שאינו יודע לקרות מקרין אותו נמנעו מלהביא מחמת הבושה התקינו שיהו מקרין את הכל. אלא שהקשה הרא"ש דאין הדמיון נראה דדוקא בבכורים איכא קלקול במה שנמנעו מלקיים מצות עשה דאורייתא , אבל הכא אדרבה ראוי שיתביישו ולא יעלו וממילא רק הבקיאים יקראו ועי"ז האחרים יתנו לב ללמוד הפרשה ולהיות בקיאין בו. אלא הטעם לפי שאין הכל בקיאין בטעמי הקריאה דהיינו בניקוד התיבות עד שלא יצאו הצבור בקריאתו "והוא בעיניו כיודע", ואם לא יקראוהו בתורה אתי לאינצויי, לכך התקינו שיקראו בעל קורא שהוא בקי בקריאה
ונראה שיש נפק"מ גדולה בין טעם התוס' לטעם הרא"ש. לטעמו של התוס' עיקר התקנה הוי דומיא דבכורים שיהו מקרין אותו אבל עיקר הקריאה להוציא הצבור נעשית ע"י העולה שמברך לפניה ולאחריה דומיא דבכורים שאף שמקרין אותו, עיקר קריאת הפרשה נתקיים ע"י המביא בכורים. משא"כ לטעמו של הרא"ש עיקר התקנה הוא שתהא הש"ץ קורא ומוציאים הרבים ידי חובתם והוא במקום המברך. ולפי"ז אתי שפיר שהוסיף הרא"ש שאף לפי טעמא דידיה "גם העומד לקרות יקרא בנחת ובדקדוק עם ש"ץ שלא תהא ברכה לבטלה". הרי מבואר שהעולה אינו קורא בשביל הצבור רק שקורא בנחת לעצמו שלא תהא ברכותיו לבטלה. אבל לפי התוס' פשיטא שהעולה קורא שהרי הוא מוציא את הרבים י"ח רק שש"ץ עומד ומקרין אותו ודו"ק
אולם אכתי טעמא בעי לפי דרכו של הרא"ש אמאי הוי ברכה לבטלה כשאין העולה קורא עם הש"ץ, נימא שע"י שמיעתו הוי כאילו הוא קורא בעצמו דומיא דכל מקום דאמרינן שומע כעונה. וצ"ל דלא שייך שומע כעונה רק בדבר שהוא חובה על השומע וע"י שמיעתו הוי כקורא כדאמרינן גבי קידוש בשבת וקריאת המגילה. משא"כ הכא דאין כאן מצוה לא שייך שומע כעונה, וממילא אם אינו קורא בהדי הש"ץ תהוי ברכתו ברכה לבטלה

שמיעת מגילה וקריאת התורה

הקשה לי חכם אחד דהמ"ב בקמ"ו ס"ק ט"ו לגבי שמיעת קרית התורה הביא כמה אחרונים דנכון לקרות בלחש מלה במלה עם הש"ץ דבלא זה אי אפשר לכוין ולשמוע. ולעומת זה בתר"צ לגבי שמיעת מגילה כתב בס"ק י"ג ...אבל יש מחמירין בכל גווני לפי שנותן דעתו בקריאתו ואינו משגיח למה שאומר הש"ץ כיון שהוא עסוק בקריאתה. נמצא כסותר עצמו האם עדיף שהשומע יקרא עם הש"ץ או להיפך שעדיף שישתוק. והמקור באליה רבה בתר"צ שיש להחמיר בקריאת המגילה יותר מקריאת התורה שישמע הכל ממש מהש"ץ
ובשלמא אי דין קריאת התורה לא חובה על כל יחיד ויחיד אלא על הציבור שפיר יש להחמיר במגילה אך אם קריאת התורה ג"כ חובה על כל יחיד האם יש מקום להחמיר יותר במגילה? מה דעתכם

Megillah 20 - Reading Megillah at Night

In the time of the Mishnah did they have a practice of reading the megillah at night or was the practice to read it at night (in addition to the day) first introduced by R' yehoshua ben levi?

Megillah 19b - Level of Obligation for Children to Read Megillah

משנה יט: בפלוגתא דת"ק ור"י אם קטן כשר לקריאת המגילה. עיין בר"ן שיש ב' דרכים לפרש פלוגתא דתנאי. א. אי נימא דקטנים חייבים במצות מדרבנן מטעם חינוך אתי שפיר דלת"ק אכתי אין הקטן כשר לקריאה דהוי תרי דרבנן ולא אתי ומפיק גדול שמחוייב בחד דרבנן כמש"כ התוס', ורבי יהודה סובר דלא שנא תרי דרבנן מחד דרבנן ושפיר אהני קריאת קטן אפילו לגדול. ב. אי נימא דקטנים אינם מחוייבים אפילו מדרבנן אלא דרמיא על אבוה לחנכו (רמב"ן, וכן רש"י בברכות מח.) אתי שפיר דלת"ק אין הקטן כשר לקריאה מפני שאינו מחוייב בדבר, אבל ר"י סובר דנהי דאינו מחוייב מצד מצות חינוך מ"מ אמרינן שאף הן היו באותו הנס כדאמרינן גבי נשים ( והקשה הר"ן על פירוש הב' שהוא מדברי הרמב"ן דסברא זו דאף הן היו באותו הנס שייך רק במי שמחוייב בשאר מצות כמו נשים דמטעם זה יש לחייבם אף בזו, אבל קטנים שלאו בני חיובא נינהו ופטורים מכל מצות שבתורה, לא שייך לחייבם במצוה זו מטעם אף הן היו באותו הנס).
והנה, מדברי הר"ן בפירוש השני מוכח שסובר כפרש"י בערכין ג. דהכל כשרין לקרות את המגילה לאתויי נשים שקורין לאנשים ומציאים אותם ידי חובתם, וכן הוא דעת הרמב"ם הל' מגילה א:ב כדדייק המגיד משנה מסתימת לשונו. וכן מבואר גם מדברי הר"ן בעצמו שרצה להביא ראיה שנשים מצטרפות למנין עשרה גבי קריאת המגילה משום ד"האיך אפשר שמוציאות אנשים ידי קריאה ואין מצטרפות עמהם". ולפי"ז שפיר מפרש בפירוש השני דאהני סברא דאף הן היו באותו הנס לגבי קטנים שקורין להוציא אנשים ידי חובתן. אבל אם נפרש כדעת הבה"ג בתוס' ד. ובערכין שם דנשים אין קורין לאנשים כדמוכח מתוספתא, ע"כ לא מהני סברא זו דאף הן היו וכו' לגבי קריאת נשים לאנשים, וא"כ כ"ש דלא מהני לקטנים רק שיתחייבו בקריאה לעצמן ולא שמהני קריאתם להוציא אנשים. גם מוכח מפירוש השני שאינו סובר כפרשב"ם (הובא בתוס' ד.) דאף הן היו באותו הנס היינו שהיו העיקר שע"י נעשה הנס, דזה ודאי לא שייך גבי קטנים. וכ"כ הר"ן בהדיא במגילה (ב: בדפי הרי"ף) שפירוש התוס' העיקר ודלא כרשב"ם. וכן מוכח מהר"ן בשבת (מד. בדפי הרי"ף) בשם ר"ת דנשים חייבות בג' סעודות בשבת וכן בב' ככרות מפני שאף הן היו באותו הנס של המן, ופליג הר"ן דא"צ שבלא"ה נמי בכל מעשה שבת איש ואשה שוין. מ"מ משמע מהר"ן שמסכים דשייך בזה אף הן היו וכו' אע"פ שבנס של ירידת המן לא היו נשים העיקר, אלמא שהר"ן אינו סובר כהרשב"ם.

Megillah 18a - Reading the Megillah in Alternative Languages

The Ran brings from the Ramban that the megillah may only be read in another language for one who does not understand hebrew (aside from requiring the understanding of that language). The Rashash brings a proof to this from the mishna that says that it can be read for "loazos b'la'az", and not "loazim b'la'az", which implies we are speaking about women. Women generally don't understand hebrew and that is why it can be read for them in la'az.

On another point, I had some trouble with the gemara discussing whether to read in ashuris, one must actually understand the language. First the gemara proves that it is not necessary similar to "nashim v'amei ha'aretz", but then asks that what about us, we don't understand achashteronim... so the gemara concludes that the mitzvah is to read and bring to parsumei nisah (as rashi explains). What is the shakla v'tarya? What is the difference if we prove that one does not have to understand the language from women or from achashteronim....?

Megillah 17a - Yacov Not Honoring His Parents 22 Years

The gemara works out that yacov was actually gone for 36 years but is only punished for 22 years bec. the 14 years spent studying torah in the house of eiver overrides the mitzvah to honor his parents. The obvious question is that Yacov was told by both his mother and father to go to the house of Lavan and find a wife (or 2, or 3, or 4), so the time he spent there should not be a violation of honoring his parents, rather a kiyum of honoring them.

The Maharsha asks this question and answers in the name of the Imrei Noam that Eisav was calmed down after the 14 years that Yacov spent in the house of Eiver, so he should have returned home at that point, but he didn't, so he was punished for the remaining 22 years. This peshat seems difficult - since it took 14 years for eisav to calm down (and also to get his wives) so 14 out of 36 were justified as fulfilling kibud av v'aim. How then can the gemara prove that Torah study is more valuable that kibud av v'aim from the fact that he was not punished for the 14 years spent in the yeshiva of eiver? Even without torah being more valuable he should not have been punished since he was justified for 14 years following the command of his parents?

To explain the Maharsha, it seems that had Yacov gone straight to Lavan, the 14 years spent there can be justified in fulfilling his parents wishes. But, since he stopped to study for 14 years, he was not fulfilling the wishes of his parents in any of the 36 years he was away. He should be punished for all 36, but from the fact that he was only punished for 22 we see that Torah study take precedence.

I remember hearing another answer to the maharsha's question (but I can't recall who says it). He was punished only for the 2 years he spent travelling back home, but those to year were a cumulative build up that followed 20 years (or really 34 years) away. Therefore, to punish him for 2 years after 20, Yosef is also gone for 2 years after 20 = 22 years.

Megillah 16b - Reading from a Book

Rashi comments that we learn from "im hasefer" that the megillah must be written in front of the reader at the time of reading. The Rashash asks, when the gemara 18a is searching for a source that one cannot read the megillah ba'al peh, why is this not cited as the source? I think that the Rashash's question can be strengthened based on Tosafos 7a. The gemara says that the megillah was b'ruach hakodesh to be read but not to be written. Tosafos asks that we find one cannot read the megillah ba'al peh. Tosafos answers that on the ruach hakodesh level (k'ein d'oraysa) one can read the megillah ba'al peh (see turei even that if one does not have a megillah they should still read it ba'al peh and be yotzei on the ruach hakodesh level), but midrabonon it must be written and read from the text. Based on Tosafos there cannot be a source in the megillah itself for the megillah being written before the reader, so how can rashi claim that it is learned from the words "im hasefer". It is true that Rashi may disagree with Tosafos, but then how would rashi reconcile the gemara 7a that it is only b'ruach hakodesh likros and not lichtov?

See comments for answer.

Megillah 15b - Should Esther Have Gone To Achashveirosh?

The gemara today changes the rating of the storyline from PG to R. Mordechai instructed Esther to "visit" Achashveirosh willingly even though the consequence of this seduction would be that she can no longer return back to live with Mordechai. Regarding her relationship with Mordechai the gemara considers this to be a willing act of adultery. However, in her tefillah she asks why has Hashem left me, "maybe you are judging an o'nes like ra'tzon" - and rashi explains that although she is making a decision to go, it is regarded as o'nes since it is for the sake of saving the Jewish people. Regarding the aveira of adultery she is considered forced and not liable, but regarding her husband it is considered consentual adultery. The reason is found in the Beis Shmuel (Even Haezer 178) in the name of Maharik that although her action was not a rebellion against Hashem, she becomes assur to her husband since it is a rebellion against him (the pasuk of adultery being assur to her husband is "mu'ala bo ma'al" not "ma'al b'hashem").

R' Shlomo Kluger (E.H 178 in chochmas shlomo) tries to prove that although Yael did something similar to Esther by seducing Sisrah, she remained mutar to her husband from the fact that in shiras devorah it refers to her as "aishes chever hakeini". He then tries to make a distinction between Yael and Esther based on whether the adultery was an imminent and clear lead to saving the Jewish people. A tremendous chiddush!!

Megillah 14a - The Pile and the Hole

The gemara compares Haman to someone who had a hole in his yard and compares Achashveirosh to someone who had a pile of dirt. The mashal seems to indicate that from Haman's perspective the Jews were a dangerous hole that was prone to cause problems and detrimental to the kingdom. But, from the perspective of Achashveirosh the Jews were like a pile of dirt that is extra and unnecessary but not in any way damaging to the malchus. In fact, when we look at Haman's arguments to Achashveirosh to justify wiping out the Jews, he does not claim that they actually pose a threat. All Haman's arguments are along the lines of how it will not negatively effect the kingdom since they are dispersed and contribute very little to society.

Perhaps this explains an apparent contradiction. The gemara said earlier 11a that we thank Hashem that is was a "man not a king" who wanted to destroy the Jews, namely Haman but not Achashveirosh. Yet we find in our gemara that Achashveirosh also considered the Jews to be an annoying pile of dirt and wanted it out? The answer is that for Achashveirosh the Jews were just an unnecessary appendix. He had no reason to kill them, but also no reason to spare them so he gave into Haman's wishes. Since Achashveirosh had no specific agenda, it was so easy for Esther to influence Achashveirosh to overturn the decree.

Megillah 13b - Contraception with Who?

Tosafos solves the problem of havchana between mordechai and achashveirosh by saying that esther was mishameshes b'moch. The maharsha says that with mordechai it would have been assur to be mishameshes b'moch so it must have been with achashveirosh that she used a moch. The obvious question is, so how did she get pregnant with daryavesh from achashveirosh (as rashi writes in r"h)? The maharsha says that after she went to achashveirosh b'ratzon, "ka'asher avadti, avadti", she stopped using a moch with achashveirosh since there was no longer a concern of havchana.

The Turei Even says that she got pregnant from achashveirosh bec. she used a moch with mordechai. The kunteros acharon (on turei even) says that the Turei Even must be correct, not the maharsha. He explains that esther became assur to mordechai in the 12th year of achashveirosh being king (that was when haman drew the lots), and achashveirosh was only king for 14 years, which was immediately followed by daryavesh taking over and granting permission to build the beis hamikdash. If the maharsha is correct that she only became pregnant with daryavesh after she was already assur to mordechai, then daryavesh would only be 2 and a half years old when he gives permission to build the beis hamikdash - which is highly unlikely!

Megillah Reading for Women

I am posting a pdf link to a shiur I recently gave on the megillah. The purpose of this shiur is to explain the opinion of the Behag that men are chayev to "read" and women to "listen".
http://www.freewebs.com/avilebo/Behag-Megillah.pdf



Audio Shiur discussing the approach of the Turei Even (1hr 17minutes):

Stream Link:
http://www.torahmedia.com/streamlink.php?fid=23189&bw=low

Download Link:
http://www.torahmedia.com/downloadlink.php?fid=23189&bw=low

Megilla 11a - A Man and Not a King

R' Nachman B' Yitzchok opened his drasha on the megillah by citing the pasuk that praises Hashem for protecting us when a "man" stood against us - A man and not a king. Simply, the praise to Hashem is that the main antagonist of the Jews was Haman rather than Achashveirosh, so that when the tables were flipped, they were easily flippable. I thought that perhaps this can be explained based on the gemara in gittin 56a when R' Yochanan B' Zakai greeted the general sent to take siege on Yerushalaim by saying sholom aleicha malka. The general responded, first of all I am not a king, and if I am a king, why didn't you come until now. R' Yochanan says back that you must be a king (or at least will be a king), bec. if you were not a king Hashem would not give Yerushalaim into your hands. Hashem will not degrade the Jewish people by allowing a "nobody" to destroy them, rather, their enemy will always be someone of stature. Based on this R' Nachman's drasha was to praise Hashem that it was only Haman who stood up against the Jews rather than a king, bec. if it were a king then the gezeira may have been carried out, but bec. it was a man, not a king, it was impossible for the Jews to be given in his hands.

Megilla 10b - Cutting off Language and Writing from Bavel

The Maharsha explains that people communicate in 2 ways. 1. Sending letters with a signature to people who are far away. 2. Speaking to those who are close by and able to hear. "Shem" refers to the signature at the end of a letter which is "ksav". "Sh'er" refers to those who are close by and spoken to verbaly which is "loshon". The pasuk says that Hashem will cut of "Shem" and "Sh'er" from Bavel, which means he will cut off their influence both near and far. This will answer Tosafos question, that although Aramaic is still spoken, the influence of Bavel was lost.

Megillah 9a - Translating Torah

It is not clear whether the discussion between Rabonon and R' Shimon B' Gamliel is: 1. An issur to translate the Torah. or 2. No issur but a Sefer written in another language would not qualify as Sifrei Hakodesh. According to #1 that the machlokes is simply whether a Sefer Torah written in another language has kedushas sefer torah, what would the gemara be proving from the story of Talmai that a Greek translation would have kedushas sefer torah? Who says that the 72 translations had kedushas sefer Torah! #2 must be correct - The Rabonon hold that Torah can be written in any language and have kedushas sefer Torah in any language. R' Shimon B' Gamliel argues and says that there is an issur to translate the Torah into any language other than Greek.

The Turei Even seems to concur that according to R' Shimon B"G there is an issur to translate into other languages. However, he discusses 2 possibilities whether this issur would be d'oraysa or d'rabonon. On the tzad that it is an issur d'rabonon the pasuk from yefes would only be an esmachte, but the real reason it is mutar is that since they were matir the translation by Talmai for a tzorech, the issur was removed to translate Torah (and acc. to RSBG in mishna even other seforim) into Greek. But, on the tzad that it is an issur d'oraysa and the source to be matir is a real drasha from the pasuk of yefes, it must be that the story of Talmai is cited bec. that is when they made the drasha to be matir translating into Greek.

It would seem that if the Torah was translated into another language - acc. to the first tzad since it is only an issur d'rabonon it would have kedushas sefer (like acc. to rabonon), but acc. to second tzad that it can't be translated m'doraysa it may not even have kedushas Sefer Torah.

Since we pasken like R' Shimon B' Gamliel, stone chumashim should be at least an issur d'rabonon - but the heter is the same heter to write torah not in a scroll bec. of 'eis la'asos l'hashem' - see Igros Moshe Y.D. 4:38:4.

Megillah 8b - Reading from a non-kisvei Hakodesh Book

Tosafos explains that only a megilla written with ashuris letters in hebrew language can qualify as kisvei hakodesh to be metamei yadayim, yet one can read the megillah from a book written in another language (for someone who understands that language). Clearly, the din of reading from ksav, to the exclusion of reading ba'al peh, would not require kisvei hakodesh. Based on this, I don't understand the question of Tosafos 7a. The gemara 7a says that if Ester was to be read b'ruach hakodesh, but not written b'ruach hakodesh, it would not be mtamei yadayim. Tosafos asks, if it is not metamei yadayim, why is one who reads b'al peh not yotzei? Based on Tosafos 8b, there is no question, bec. although one must read from a ksav, the ksav does not need to be kisvei hakodesh that is metamei yadayim?

megilas esther acc. to shmuel

Acc. to shmuel that esther was said beruach hakodeh likoros velo lictov . it comes out that esther is a bechina of torah shebal peh. (It seems to me the machlokes is whether after churban habais and in paras was it shayach to create torah shebecsav.)
tosfos is mebver that acc. to shmuel the kisiva of migilas esther was kein the kisiva of migillas tanis except a little stronger because by migilas esther there are dinim in the kisiva. I refer you back to the rashis in tannis that explain why by migilas tannis we find the lashon "dichsiv" because it also has a shaycus to torah shebecsav. so it comes out acc. to shmuel that migillas esther and migilas tannis are of the same type.

Megillah 7b - Seudas Purim at Night

The Rema brings down that there is a mitzvah to have a seudah also on the night of purim (after ta'anis ester). It seems very meduyak in the gemara bec. the gemara seems to take the perspective of assuming that one would have a seudah at night. It does not say that one should not have their seudah at night, rather that when one eats their seudah at night, it is not sufficient to fulfill their obligation of seudas purim. I think that this is also implied by tosafos 4a who explains that the primary mitzvah of reading the megillah is by day, just that r' yehoshua ben lavi is mechadesh that it should be done by night as well (that is why we make shehechiyanu again by day). Tosafos comments that we find a parallel to this by seduas purim, that the primary seudah is by day. It seems that the geder of seudah by night is similar to the megillah at night, and although it is not the ikar, it is still a mitzvah.