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Week 45 - Thursday - 5 October 2000

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 11

There is no difference between Shiloh and Jerusalem except that in Shiloh they eat minor sacrifices and ma'aser sheni in all that he sees, and in Jerusalem inside the wall. And here and here major sanctified sacrifices are eaten inside the enclosures. The sanctity of Shiloh is followed by permission, and the sanctity of Jerusalem is not followed by permission.

Kehati

As was stated in the introduction to the preceding mishnah, the bamot were prohibited during the period when the Tabernacle remained in Shiloh, and all the sacrifices were offered on the Altar in the Tabernacle, as would later be the case regarding the Temple in Jerusalem. This mishnah teaches that there, nevertheless, is a difference between the Tabernacle in Shiloh and the Temple in Jerusalem.

There is no difference between Shiloh - during the period that the Tabernacle was there, and Jerusalem - during the time of the Temple, except that in Shiloh they eat minor sacrifices - such as the todah, shelamim, and Pesah sacrifices, and ma'aser sheni - for the obligation of ma'aser sheni was in force after the Israelites conquered and divided Eretz Yisrael, in all that he sees - in any place from which Shiloh was visible (Rashi); according to Rambam: in any place from which some part of the House of the Lord could be seen. This law is derived from the passage, "Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your olot in every place that you see" (Deut. 12:13) - you may not offer in every place that you see, but you may eat in every place that you see, and in Jerusalem - minor sacrifices and ma'aser sheni may be eaten only - inside the wall - of Jerusalem.

And here and here - in Shiloh and in Jerusalem, major sanctified sacrifices - such as hatat and asham sacrifices, are eaten inside the enclosures - of the Tabernacle in Shiloh, and within the walls of the Temple Courtyard (the walls of the Temple Courtyard are also called "enclosures").

The sanctity of Shiloh is followed by permission - when Shiloh was destroyed, the bamot were permitted (see the introduction to the preceding mishnah), and the sanctity of Jerusalem is not followed by permission - even after the Temple had been destroyed, the bamot were never permitted again.

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 1

If one reads the megillah in improper sequence, he has not fulfilled his obligation. If he read it by heart, if he read it in the translation, in any language - he has not fulfilled. But they may read it to the speakers of foreign languages in a foreign language. And if a speaker of a foreign language heard Ashurit, he has fulfilled.

Kehati

This chapter returns to the reading of the megillah on Purim, and teaches the details of the laws regarding the reading.

If one reads the megillah in improper sequence - he read a later section of the megillah prior to a previous one, he has not fulfilled his obligation - the Gemara concludes this from the passage, "And that these days should be remembered and kept" (lit. made) (Es. 9:28) - remembrance is equated to action: just as action cannot be out of sequence (for fifteen cannot come before fourteen - Rashi), so, too, remembrance may not be out of sequence. Hameiri explains that reading out of sequence does not constitute propagation of the miracle, and furthermore it is not considered as "reading."

If he read it by heart, if he read it in the -- Aramaic - translation - and he does not understand it, or - in any language - besides Hebrew, and he does not understand this language; even though the megillah is written in the language that he reads, he has not fulfilled - as it is written, "And that these days should be remembered [nizkarim] (Es. 9:28), and it is also written, "Write this for a memorial [zikaron] in the book" (Ex. 17:14): we learn by means of a gezerah shavah, the similar usage of remembrance in each passage, that what applies to the book in Exodus applies as well to the book of Esther (i.e., the megillah). Therefore, if one recited from memory he has not fulfilled his obligation. And if he read in Aramaic translation, or in any other language besides Hebrew, since he does not understand this language, he has not fulfilled his obligation, even though he has read from a book.

But they may read it - the megillah, to the speakers of foreign languages - who understand a foreign language, but not Hebrew, in a foreign language - in a language they understand, provided that the megillah before him is written in the language in which he reads.

And if a speaker of a foreign language heard - the megillah in - Ashurit - Hebrew, he has fulfilled - with this reading, even though he does not understand.

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