Torah Community Connections

Week 45 - Sunday- 1 October 2000

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 3

Which is a large town? Whichever has in it ten people at leisure. Less than this, then this is a village. Regarding these they said, They advance and they do not postpone. But the time of the wood of the priests, and the ninth of Av, and hagiggah, and Hak'hel - they postpone and they do not advance. Even though they said they advance and they do not postpone, they are permitted regarding a eulogy and fast days, and gifts to the poor. Rabbi Yehudah said, When? A place where they gather on Mondays and Thursdays; but a place where they do not gather, neither on Mondays nor on Thursdays, they may read it only at its time.

Kehati

Which is a large town - where the megillah is read on the fourteenth of Adar? Whichever has in it ten people at leisure - from their work, and who are always to be found in the synagogue at the time of prayer (Rabbeinu Nissim, Hameiri).

If there are in it - Less than this - fewer than ten people at leisure, then this is a village - and it advances to the day of gathering.

Regarding these - the time of the reading of the megillah, they - the Sages, said, They advance - the reading of the megillah, if the time on which it is to be read falls on the Shabbat, and they do not postpone - its reading to after the Shabbat, as it is written, "so as it should not pass" (Es. 9:27; see the preceding mishnah).

But the time of the wood of the priests - designated times for specific families to bring wood for the woodpile of the fire on the Altar, which is called "the wood of the priests and the people" (see Taan. 4:5). For each of these families the day it brought the wood was a holiday when it would bring a freewill offering, called the "wood offering"; and the ninth of Av - as is the law regarding the other fast days; and hagiggah - the shalmei hagiggah offerings, which were brought on the three Festivals; and Hak'hel - as it is written, "At the end of every seven years, in the set time in the Shemitah year, on the Festival of Sukkot…you shall read this Torah before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble [hak'hel] the people, the men and the women and the little ones" (Deut. 31:10-13). The time for this was the day after the first Festival day of Sukkot [the first day of Hol Hamoed]. If one of these times falls on Shabbat, they postpone - it to the following day, and they do not advance - it to precede the Shabbat.

The Gemara explains that they may not be advanced because of the time of their obligation has not yet arrived; the reason regarding the ninth of Av is because days of tribulations are not advanced. Shalmei hagiggah sacrifices do not override the Shabbat because they may be offered the entire week. The obligation of Hak'hel is postponed on account of the Shabbat, since the entire nation is obligated to come, including the children, and it is prohibited to bring children on the Shabbat, because they may not be carried in the public domain (Rashi). The Jerusalem Talmud cites the following reason: because they would build a wooden platform for the king in the Temple Courtyard, and this may not be built on the Shabbat. Neither could it be built on the eve of the Festival, because it is prohibited to cause crowding in the Temple Courtyard when not required for the needs of the Festival itself. Based on the Jerusalem Talmud, Rambam gives another reason: because of the blowing of the trumpets and the supplicatory prayers, which do not override the Shabbat (Hil. Hagiggah 3:7).

Even though they said - regarding the reading of the megillah, they advance and they do not postpone, they are permitted regarding a eulogy and fast days - on the days they advanced on which to read, and - if on these days they gave - gifts to the poor - they have fulfilled their obligation (Rambam). The sending of portions, however, is performed only on the day of the Purim festive meal, which must be held on the proper day (R. Yitzhak Alfasi, based on the Jerusalem Talmud). According to another interpretation, "gifts to the poor" means that they are exempt from giving these gifts on the days they advanced on which to read (Hameiri).

Rabbi Yehudah said, When - did the Sages permit the villages to advance to the day of the gathering?

A place where they gather on Monday and on Thursdays - when they gather in the towns, as was explained in mishnah 1, above; according to Rambam, they gather on these days in the synagogues; but a place where they do not gather, neither on Mondays nor on Thursdays, they may read it only at its time - on the fourteenth of Adar.

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 4

If they read the megillah in Adar I and the year was intercalated, they read it in Adar II. There is no difference between Adar I and Adar II except for the reading of the megillah and the gifts to the poor.

Kehati

This mishnah discusses the time of the reading of the megillah during an intercalated year.

If they read the megillah in Adar I and - after celebrating Purim - the year was intercalated - by the Court, adding Adar II to the year, they read it - a second time, in Adar II - for they do not fulfill their obligation by the reading in Adar I.

There is no difference between Adar I and Adar II - The Gemara explains that there is no difference between the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar I and the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar II, except for the reading of the megillah and the gifts to the poor - which are practiced in Adar II and not in Adar I. The Gemara states that this is because of the linkage of the redemption of Purim with that of Pesah. Regarding, however, eulogies and fast days, the two months are equal: even on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar I it is prohibited to deliver a eulogy or to fast.

Return to Mishna Yomit Index

Visit the Mishna Yomit Archives