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by Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim
Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld


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Megilah 4

MEGILAH 2-5 (Elul 27-Rosh Hashanah 5760) - have been dedicated by Dr. Jack and Sarah Dimenstein of Zurich Switzerland. May they be blessed with a year of health and prosperity, physical and spiritual!

1) WALLED CITIES FROM THE DAYS OF YEHOSHUA BIN NUN

(a) R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: Lud, Ono, and Guy Hacharashim were surrounded by a wall from the days of Yehoshua Bin Nun
(b) Question: (Two of) these were built later, by Alpa'el!
(c) (verse) Alpa'el's sons were Eiver and Mesha'am and Shemar; he built Ono and Lud and its villages.
(d) Counter Question: Another verse says that Asa built them!
(e) Answer to both questions (R. Eliezer): These were built in the days of Yehoshua Bin Nun, destroyed in the war against Binyamin, and rebuilt by Alpa'el. They fell again, and Asa fixed them.
(f) Support (verse): "Let us build these cities" - apparently, they already were cities.
2) THE OBLIGATION OF READING THE MEGILAH
(a) R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: Women must read the Megilah, because they were also party to the miracle.
(b) R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: When Purim falls on Shabbos, we publicly expound the Megilah.
1. Question: This is obvious, the same is true of any Yom Tov!
2. (Beraisa ): Moshe enacted that we should expound laws of Pesach, Shavuous and Sukos, each on its day!
3. Answer: We must hear the law regarding Purim, since we might have thought to prohibit it, lest one carry (a Megilah) in a public domain; Rabah says that this is why we do not read the Megilah itself on Shabbos.
(c) R. Yehoshua Ben Levi: One must read the Megilah at night and *Lishnosah* by day.
1. We learn this from the verse "I call to you by day ... and night".
2. We are thinking that *Lishnosah* means to learn the Mishnayos of Megilah.
3. (R. Yirmiyah): No, it means to repeat (the reading).
4. (support - R. Chelbo): One must read the Megilah at night and in the day, as hinted in the verse, "to sing to you and not be silent".
3) VILLAGERS READ EARLY ON THE DAY OF GATHERING
(a) (R. Chanina): We were lenient on villagers, in order that they should (be free to) supply food and water to the cities (on Purim).
4b---------------------------------------4b

(b) Question: Was the enactment really to help the cities?
1. (Mishnah) When the 14th falls on Monday, villagers and city-dwellers read on that day.
2. If the enactment is to help city-dwellers, let the villagers read the previous Thursday!
3. Answer: We did not institute to read on the 10th.
4. (Mishnah) When the 14th falls on Thursday, villagers read on that day.
5. Question: If the enactment is to help city-dwellers, let the villagers read the previous Monday (the 11th)!
6. Answer: We do not push aside a day of assembly to read on a different day of assembly.
7. (Mishnah) R. Yehudah: The enactment only applies in places where villagers enter on days of assembly.
8. If the enactment is to help city-dwellers,it should apply everywhere!
9. Retraction: The enactment is *because* villagers supply food and water to the cities.
4) THE DAYS ON WHICH THE MEGILAH IS READ
(a) Question: Why does the Mishnah begin by listing the days of the month in order, and then switches to list the days of the week?
(b) Answer: If we listed on order, how the Megilah may be read on the 11th, then the 12th, etc. the order would be haphazard, and people would err.
(c) Our Mishnah is like Rebbi or R. Yosi, as we explain.
(d) (Beraisa ) When the 14th falls on Friday, villagers and city dwellers read on Thursday, walled-city dwellers read on Friday; Rebbi says that city dwellers also read on Friday.
1. (verse) "Every year"
2. The first Tana learns that every year, city dwellers read before walled city dwellers.
3. Question: Why not say that every year, city dwellers read on the 14th?
4. Answer: This is impossible (since we are more concerned that they read before the walled cities).
5. Rebbi learns that "every year", cities are not pushed off from the 14th.
6. Question: Why not say that every year, city dwellers read before walled city dwellers?
7. Answer: This is impossible (since we are more concerned that they read on the 14th).
(e) (Beraisa ) When the 14th falls on Friday, villagers and walled cities read on Thursday; open cities read on Friday; R. Yosi says that walled cities also read on Friday.
1. The first Tana learns that "Every year", open cities read on the 14th, and on a different day than walled cities.
2. Question: Let us say, every year walled cities do not read before the open cities!
3. Answer: This is not possible (since he is more concerned that they read on different days).
4. R. Yosi learns that "every year", walled cities do not read before the open cities.
5. Question: Let us say, every year they read on different days!
6. Answer: This is not possible (since he is more concerned that walled cities not read before the open cities).
(f) Question: Does Rebbi really hold that open cities do not read early on the day of assembly?
1. (Beraisa ) When the 14th falls on Shabbos, villagers read on Thursday, open cities on Friday, and walled cities on Sunday; Rebbi says that since open cities are pushed off, they are pushed back to Thursday.
(g) Answer: There, once they are being pushed off, they are pushed back to Thursday. When the 14th falls on Friday, there is no need to push them off.
(h) Question: Like whom is the following teaching:
(i) (R. Chelbo): When the 14th falls on Shabbos, all are pushed off to Thursday.
1. Question: This cannot be - certainly, walled cities read on Sunday!
2. Correction: He means, all that are pushed off are pushed off to Thursday.
(j) Answer: The teaching is as Rebbi.
(k) Question: All agree that the Megilah is not read on Shabbos - why?
(l) Answer (Rabah): All must hear the Megilah, but some are not skilled to read it, perhaps such a person will carry it in a public domain to learn from one who knows.
1. This is the same reason why we do not blow the Shofar or take the Lulav on Shabbos.
(m) Answer#2 (Rav Yosef): Because the poor look forward to gifts which are distributed on the day we read (and these may not be given on Shabbos).
1. (support - Beraisa ) Even though villagers read early, we collect and give gifts to the poor on the day they read.
2. Question: Just the opposite - because they read early, we collect and give the gifts on that day!
3. Correction of Beraisa : Because villagers read early, we collect and give the gifts on that day, since the poor look forward to them.
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