Megillah

In fact it follows R. Judah,1 and he holds that the act may be done even in the first instance, and there is no difficulty: in the first quotation2 he is giving his own opinion, in the second3 that of his teacher, as it has been taught: ‘R. Judah says in the name of R. Eleazar b. Azariah: One who recites the Shema’ must do so audibly, as it says, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One,4 which implies. ‘Let thine ear hear what thy mouth utters’. R. Meir says: [It says], which I command thee this day upon thy heart:5 according to the concentration of the mind, so is the value of the words. Now that you have come so far as this,6 you may even say that R. Judah was of the same opinion as his teacher, and the statement made by Judah the son of R. Simeon b. Pazzi follows R. Meir. R. JUDAH DECLARES A MINOR QUALIFIED. It has been taught: ‘R. Judah said: When I was a boy, I read it [the Megillah] before R. Tarfon and the elders in Lydda. They said to him: A proof cannot be adduced from a recollection of boyhood’.7 It has been taught: ‘Rabbi said: When a boy, I read it before R. Judah. They said to him: A proof cannot be adduced from the very authority who allows [the act]’.8 Why did they not say to him, A proof cannot be adduced from recollections of boyhood? They gave him a double answer.9 For one thing, they said, you were a boy and besides, even had you been grown up, proof cannot be brought from the very authority who allows. MISHNAH. THE MEGILLAH SHOULD NOT BE READ, NEITHER SHOULD CIRCUMCISION BE PERFORMED, NOR A RITUAL BATH BE TAKEN,10 NOR SPRINKLING11 BE PERFORMED, AND SIMILARLY A WOMAN KEEPING DAY FOR DAY12 SHOULD NOT TAKE A RITUAL BATH UNTIL THE SUN HAS RISEN. BUT IF ANY OF THESE THINGS IS DONE AFTER DAWN HAS APPEARED,13 IT COUNTS AS DONE. GEMARA. Whence this rule [about the Megillah]? — Because the Scripture says, and these days should be remembered [mentioned] and kept,14 which implies, that they are to be so by day, but not by night. Shall we say that this is a refutation of R. Joshua b. Levi; for R. Joshua b. Levi said: It is a man's duty to read the Megillah by night and a second time by day? — When the Mishnah makes this statement it is referring to the day reading. NEITHER SHOULD CIRCUMCISION BE PERFORMED. Because it is written, And on the eighth day he shall be circumcised.15 NEITHER SHOULD A RITUAL BATH BE TAKEN NOR SPRINKLING BE PERFORMED. Because it is written, And the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean . . . and on the seventh day:16 and bathing17 is put on the same footing as sprinkling. AND SIMILARLY A WOMAN WHO IS KEEPING DAY FOR DAY SHOULD NOT TAKE A RITUAL BATH TILL THE SUN HAS RISEN. This is obvious! Why should a woman keeping day for day be different from all others who are under obligation to take ritual baths?18 — Her case had to be mentioned. For you might suppose that she should be on the same footing as the first observation of one with an issue, and the first observation of one with an issue has been put on the same footing as one with a seminal issue, as it is written, This is the law of him that hath an issue and of him from whom the flow of seed goeth out:19 just as one with a seminal issue takes his bath by day, so this one also should take his bath on the same day. This woman, however, cannot bathe on the day, because it is written, all the days of the issue of her uncleanness she shall be as in the days of her impurity;20 so [you might say], by night at least she might keep watch for a short time21 and then bathe; therefore we are told that [she must not do this], because she requires to count [day for day];22 however, points out that, according to other passages in the Talmud, it is very doubtful if this is the rule, and therefore renders, ‘the hyssop (for sprinkling) should not be dipped’, v. Num. XIX, 11-12. sunrise, v. Maim. Commentary on Ber. I. 1]. this one be specified rather than any others who have to take ritual baths and who must bathe by day’.