Megillah

Why are the years of Ishmael mentioned? So as to reckon by them the years of Jacob, as it is written, And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years.1 How much older was Ishmael than Isaac? Fourteen years, as it is written, And Abram was fourscore and six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram,2 and it is also written, And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him,3 and it is written, And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.4 How old then was Ishmael when Jacob was born? Seventy-four. How many years were left of his life? Sixty-three; and it has been taught: Jacob our father at the time when he was blessed by his father was sixty-three years old. It was just at that time that Ishmael died, as it is written, Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob...so Esau went unto Ishmael and took Mahlath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son the sister of Nebaioth.5 Now once it has been said, ‘Ishmael's daughter’ do I not know that she was the sister of Nebaioth? This tells us then that Ishmael affianced her and then died, and Nebaioth her brother gave her in marriage.6 Sixty-three and fourteen till Joseph was born7 make seventy-seven, and it is written, And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh.8 This makes a hundred and seven. Add seven years of plenty and two of famine,9 and we have a hundred and sixteen, and it is written, And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How many are the days of the years of thy life? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years.10 But [we have just seen that] they were only a hundred and sixteen? We must conclude therefore that he spent fourteen years in the house of Eber,11 as it has been taught: ‘After Jacob our father had left for Aram Naharaim two years.12 Eber died’. He then went forth from where he was13 and came to Aram Naharaim. From this14 it follows that when he stood by the well he was seventy-seven years old. And how do we know that he was not punished [for these fourteen years]? As it has been taught: ‘We find that Joseph was away from his father twenty-two years.15 just as Jacob our father was absent from his father’. But Jacob's absence was thirty-six years?16 It must be then that the fourteen years which he was in the house of Eber are not reckoned. But when all is said and done, the time he spent in the house of Laban was only twenty years?17 — The fact is that [he was also punished] because he spent two years on the way, as it has been taught: He left Aram Naharaim and came to Succoth and spent there eighteen months, as it says, And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle;18 and in Bethel he spent six months and brought there sacrifices. MISHNAH. IF ONE READS THE MEGILLAH BACKWARDS,19 HE HAS NOT PERFORMED HIs OBLIGATION. IF HE READS IT BY HEART, IF HE READS IT IN A TRANSLATION [TARGUM] IN ANY LANGUAGE,20 HE HAS NOT PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATION. IT MAY, HOWEVER, BE READ TO THOSE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND HEBREW21 IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN HEBREW. IF ONE WHO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND HEBREW HEARS IT READ IN HEBREW, HE HAS PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATION. IF ONE READS IT WITH BREAKS,22 OR WHILE HALF-ASLEEP, HE HAS PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATION. IF HE WAS COPYING IT, CORRECTING IT OR EXPOUNDING IT, THEN IF [IN DOING SO] HE PUT HIS MIND [ALSO TO THE READING] OF IT HE HAS PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATION, BUT OTHERWISE NOT. IF [THE COPY FROM WHICH HE READS] IS WRITTEN WITH SAM, WITH SIKRA, WITH KUMUS, OR WITH KANKANTUM,23 OR ON NEYAR OR DIFTERA,23 HE HAS NOT PERFORMED HIS OBLIGATION; IT MUST BE WRITTEN IN HEBREW24 ON PARCHMENT25 AND IN INK. GEMARA. Whence is this rule [not to read backward] derived? — Raba said: The text says, according to the writing thereof and according to the appointed time thereof:26 just as the appointed time cannot be backward,27 so the [reading from the] writing must not be backward. But does the text speak here of reading? It speaks of keeping, as it is written, that they would keep these two days? — The truth is that we derive the rule from here, as it is written: And that these days should be remembered and kept.28 ‘Remembering’ is here put on the same footing as ‘keeping’: just as keeping cannot be in the wrong order, so remembering also. A Tanna stated: The same rule applies to Hallel,29 to the recital of the Shema’,29 and to the ‘Amidah29 prayer. Whence do we derive the rule as regards Hallel? — Rabbah said: Because it is written, From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof [the Lord's name is to be praised].30 R. Joseph said, [from here]: This is the day which the Lord hath made.31 R. Awia said: Let the name of the Lord be blessed.32 R. Nahman b. Isaac — or you may also say, R. Aha b Jacob — said, It is from here: From this time forth and for ever.33 ‘To the recital of the Shema’’, as it has been taught: The Shema’ must be recited as it is written.34 So Rabbi. The Sages, however, say: It may be recited in any language. What is Rabbi's reason? Scripture says 41. famine passed before he saw his father. this interpretation, v. Rashi 18a s.v. vtre]. v. infra in the Gemara. backward.