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Week 45 - Tuesday - 3 October 2000

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 7

There is no difference between one suffering from a discharge who sees two sightings and one who sees three, except a sacrifice. There is no difference between the quarantined leper and the declared leper except for loosening and rending. There is no difference between clean from quarantined and clean from the declared condition except shaving and birds.

Kehati

There is no difference between one suffering from a discharge who sees two sightings - of discharge, on one day or on two consecutive days, and one who sees three - sightings of discharge on one day, or on two or three consecutive days, except a sacrifice - the one who sees two sightings counts seven clean days, immerses on the seventh day, and eats of sanctified food in the evening; he is not obligated to bring a sacrifice. Whereas, he who sees three sightings, is also obligated to bring a sacrifice on the eighth day ("two turtledoves or two young pigeons" - Lev. 15:14), prior to his eating of sanctified food.

There is no difference between the quarantined leper - who was enclosed by the Kohen, in order to observe if the plague spreads (Lev. 13:4-5), and the declared leper - who has been declared unclean, except for loosening and rending - for it is written, regarding the declared leper, "His clothes shall be rent, and the hair of his head shall go loose" (Lev. 13:45), which does not apply to the quarantined leper. Regarding, however, the matter that "All the days wherein the plague is in him he shall be unclean…he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp" (ibid., v. 46), the two are equal.

There is no difference between clean from quarantined - as it is written, regarding the quarantined leper, "And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean" (ibid., v. 6), and clean from the declared condition - after the declared leper has been healed, except shaving and birds - one who becomes clean from the declared condition of leprosy shaves and brings two birds, as prescribed in the Torah regarding leprosy (Lev. 14). For it is written, "and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper" (Lev. 14:3) - this refers to the leper who requires healing, excluding one who becomes clean from quarantine, whose leprosy does not require healing but rather a period of time. Regarding, however, the requirement of immersion in a mikveh and of the washing of the clothes, the two are equal, for even regarding one who becomes clean from quarantine it is written, "and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean" (Lev. 13:6). There is also another difference: one who becomes clean from the declared condition requires an asham sacrifice and a log of oil, which are not required by one who becomes clean from quarantine; this mishnah, however, deals only with the requirements on the day of his becoming clean, and not with the sacrifices which are a requirement on the eighth day (Rashi, Bartenura).

MEGILLAH: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 8

There is no difference between the Books and tefillin and mezuzot, except that the Books may be written in any language, and tefillin and mezuzot are written only in Ashurit. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says, Even regarding the Books, they permitted that they may be written only in Greek.

Kehati

There is no difference between the Books - of the Bible (Torah, Prophets, and Writings), and - the Torah passages in - tefillin and mezuzot, except that the Books may be written in any language - even in the script and the language of another nation, and tefillin and mezuzot are written only in Ashurit - the Hebrew script and the Hebrew language (Rashi), as it is written, "And these words shall be" (Deut. 6:6) - as they actually are, without changing their form or their language. Regarding, however, the necessity to sew them with tendons and their making the hands unclean, they are alike (Gemara).

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says, Even regarding the Books, they permitted that they may be written - in another language, besides Hebrew, only in Greek - in Greek script and in the Greek language. The Gemara explains the reason for this: as it is written, "God enlarge [yaf't] Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem" (Gen. 9:47) - Japheth's beauty [yefifut] (i.e., the Greek language, which is the most beautiful of all the languages of the descendents of Japheth - Rashi) shall dwell in the tents of Shem. The Gemara states that the law follows the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel; Rambam also rules in accordance with this. Rambam writes, however, that the Greek language has been distorted and lost, and therefore the Books are written at present only in Ashurit.

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