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Week 45 - Friday - 6 October 2000

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 2

If he read it intermittently and he was drowsy, he has fulfilled. While writing it, interpreting it and correcting it: if he set his mind, he fulfilled; and if not, he did not fulfill. If it was written with color or with red color or with ink prepared with gum or with calcanthum, on the paper and on the diftera - he did not fulfill, until it will be written in Ashurit on the book and in ink.

Kehati

If he read it - the megillah, intermittently - with interruptions, i.e., he read a little, paused, and continued reading. Even if he paused sufficient time to complete the megillah, and - or, he read when - he was drowsy, he has fulfilled - his obligation by this reading.

While writing - copied it from another megillah, and read each verse before writing, or if - interpreting it - he interrupts the reading with his explanation, and - or - correcting it - reads in order to correct any mistakes in it: if he set his mind - to fulfill his obligation, he fulfilled - by this reading; and if - he did - not - set his mind, he did not fulfill - his obligation.

If it - the megillah, was written with color - a type of red earth, or with red color or with ink prepared with gum - tree resin, or with calcanthum - a color made from water containing copper salts, on the paper and on the diftera - partially tanned hide,

He did not fulfill, by his reading in this megillah, until it will be written in Ashurit - Hebrew script, in the Hebrew language; according to one opinion, even when the megillah is written in another language it must be written in Ashurit script (see Tosefot Yom Tov), on the book - parchment, and in ink - which is durable and noticeable on the parchment.

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 3

The resident of a town who went to a city, and the resident of a city who went to a town: if he will return to his place, he reads as his place; and if not, he reads with them. From where does a man read the megillah and fulfill his obligation? Rabbi Meir says, All of it. Rabbi Yehudah says, from "There was a certain Jew." Rabbi Yose says, From "After these things."

Kehati

The resident of a town - in which the megillah is read on the fourteenth of Adar, who went to a city - surrounded by a wall, in which the megillah is read on the fifteenth of Adar, and - or, the resident of a city who went to a town - in which the megillah is read on the fourteenth of Adar: if he will return to his place, he reads as his place - the resident of the town on the fourteenth of Adar, even though he is in a city, and the resident of a city on the fifteenth of Adar, even though he is in a town; and if - he will - not - return to his place,

He reads with them - the residents of the place where he has gone. The Gemara explains: "They taught (that the resident of a city who went to a town and will return to his place reads on the fifteenth and not on the fourteenth - Rashi) only if he will return on the night (eve) of the fourteenth (Rashi explains: he left the town before dawn; regarding such a case, the mishnah teaches that he is not required to read on the night of the fourteenth, because he will not be there during the day. R. Yitzhak Alfasi writes: "he was to have returned on the night of the fourteenth, but was delayed and did not return," i.e., he had intended to leave the town on the night of the fourteenth, and was delayed there the following day; since he had not intended to remain, he reads as in his place, on the fifteenth); but if he is not to return on the night of the fourteenth (i.e., he does not intend to return to his place that night, but rather to stay in the town at the beginning of the day of the fourteenth, even though he will return on that same day or on another day - Rashi, Rabbeinu Nissim), he reads with them (on the fourteenth, because his status is as that of a town resident for this day), as it is written, 'Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar' [Es. 9:19]." The question then arises, if the Bible states "the Jews of the villages [ha-perazim]," why does it add the superfluous wording, "that dwell in the unwalled [ha-perazot] towns"? This passage teaches that a town dweller for one day has the status of a town dweller; and since this is the case, then the city dweller for one day has the status of a city dweller.

We also learn from this, "The inhabitant of a town who went to the city, if he is to return to his place (i.e., he intends to return to his town) on the night of the fifteenth of Adar (even though he stays in the city the entire day of the fourteenth and the night of the fifteenth), he reads as his place (on the fourteenth; since he will return on the night of the fifteenth, before dawn, he does not have the status of a city dweller for one day); and if not (if he did not intend to return on the night of the fifteenth, but rather to remain in the city also at the beginning of the fifteenth), he reads with them on the fifteenth of Adar, for he is a city dweller for one day, and he has the legal status of the resident of a city surrounded by a wall (Rashi, Rabbeinu Nissim). Rambam similarly writes: The resident of a town who went to a city, or the resident of a city who went to a town: if he intended to return to his place at the time of the reading (i.e., at the time in which the megillah is read in the place where he is located at present - Maggid Mishneh), and he remained, he reads as his place. And if he intended to return only after the time of the reading, he reads with the people of the place where he is (see Kesef Mishneh). According to one interpretation, the wording of the Gemara ("They taught only if the person will return on the night of the fourteenth") refers to all of the current mishnah. I.e., even regarding the resident of a town who went to a city, the ruling is dependent upon his intent to return on the night of the fourteenth (and not on the night of the fifteenth, as was explained above), for if he intended to remain in a city at the beginning of the day of the fourteenth, he has already lost his status as a town resident, he is a city resident for one day, and he reads on the fifteenth (Rabbeinu Ahser, Ravad).

From where does one read the megillah and fulfill by it his obligation? Rabbi Meir says, All of it - from the beginning to end.

Rabbi Yehudah says, from "There was a certain Jew" - from 2:5 onwards, beginning with the activities of Mordekhai and Esther.

Rabbi Yose says, From "After these things - did King Ahasuerus promote Haman…," i.e., form the beginning of chap. 3, which tells of Haman's wickedness. The Gemara explains that each of the three Tannaim deduced this ruling from the same verse: "Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Avihail, and Moredekhai the Jew, wrote down all the acts of power" (Es. 9:29): Rabbi Meir states that this refers to the power of Ahasuerus, and therefore the entire megillah must be read; Rabbi Yehudah states that it refers to the power of Mordekhai; and Rabbi Yose states that it refers to the power of Haman. The halakhah follows Rabbi Meir.

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