Megillah

and counting must be by day.1 IF ANY OF THESE THINGS IS DONE AFTER DAWN HAS APPEARED, IT COUNTS AS DONE. Whence is this rule derived? — Raba said: Because the Scripture says, And God called the light day;2 that which gradually becomes light He called day.3 But according to this, [when it says] and the darkness He called night,4 [are we to explain] that which gradually becomes dark He called night? Is it not generally agreed that till the stars come out it is not night? No, said R. Zera; we derive it from here: So we wrought in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared;5 and it says further, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day.6 What is the point of the second quotation?7 — You might say that from the time of the first rising of the dawn it is not yet day, though from the time the sun begins to set it is already night and they were early and late.8 Therefore come and hear: that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day.9 MISHNAH. THE WHOLE OF THE DAY IS A PROPER TIME FOR THE READING OF THE MEGILLAH AND FOR THE RECITING OF HALLEL10 AND FOR THE BLOWING OF THE SHOFAR10 AND FOR TAKING UP THE LULAB10 AND FOR THE MUSAF10 PRAYER AND FOR THE ADDITIONAL SACRIFICES11 AND FOR CONFESSION OVER THE OXEN12 AND FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT MADE OVER THE TITHE13 AND FOR THE CONFESSION OF SINS ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT,14 FOR LAYING ON OF HANDS,15 FOR SLAUGHTERING [THE SACRIFICES], FOR WAVING,16 FOR BRINGING NEAR [THE VESSEL WITH THE MEAL-OFFERING TO THE ALTAR], FOR TAKING A HANDFUL, AND FOR PLACING IT ON THE FIRE,17 FOR PINCHING OFF [THE HEAD OF A BIRD-OFFERING]18 AND FOR RECEIVING THE BLOOD,19 AND FOR SPRINKLING,20 AND FOR MAKING THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE DRINK21 AND FOR BREAKING THE NECK OF THE HEIFER22 AND FOR PURIFYING THE LEPER.23 THE WHOLE OF THE NIGHT IS PROPER TIME FOR REAPING THE OMER,24 AND FOR BURNING FAT AND LIMBS [ON THE ALTAR].25 THIS IS THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE: ANY COMMANDMENT WHICH IS TO BE PERFORMED BY DAY MAY BE PERFORMED DURING THE WHOLE OF THE DAY, AND ANY COMMANDMENT WHICH IS TO BE PERFORMED BY NIGHT MAY BE PERFORMED DURING THE WHOLE OF THE NIGHT. GEMARA. Whence this rule [about the Megillah]? — Because the Scripture says, And these days shall be mentioned and kept.26 FOR READING THE HALLEL: as it is written, From the rising of the sun to its going down.27 R. Joseph says: Because it is written, this is the day on which the Lord hath wrought. 28 FOR THE TAKING UP OF THE LULAB: as it is written, And ye shall take you on the first day.29 FOR THE BLOWING OF THE SHOFAR, as it is written, it is a day of blowing the horn unto you.30 FOR THE ADDITIONAL SACRIFICES, as it is written, each on its own day.31 AND FOR THE MUSAF PRAYER: because the Rabbis put this on the same footing as the additional sacrifices. AND FOR THE CONFESSION MADE OVER THE OXEN, an analogy being drawn between the ‘atonement’ mentioned in this connection and that mentioned in connection with the Day of Atonement, as it has been taught in reference to the Day of Atonement: ‘And he shall make atonement for himself and for his house:32 the text speaks of atonement made by words. And atonement is by day, as it is written, For on this day shall atonement be made for you.33 AND FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT MADE OVER THE TITHE: as it is written, And thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have put away the hallowed things out of my house,34 and in the same context it says, This day the Lord thy God commandeth thee.35 FOR LAYING ON OF HANDS AND FOR SLAUGHTERING: as it is written, and he shall lay his hand . . . and he shall kill,36 and it is written in connection with killing, on the same day that ye sacrifice.37 AND FOR WAVING: as it is written, and in the day when ye wave the sheaf.38 AND FOR BRINGING NEAR; because this is compared to waving, as it is written, And the priest shall take the meal-offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the meal-offering . . . and bring it near39 [to the altar]. AND FOR PINCHING AND FOR TAKING A HANDFUL AND FOR BURNING AND FOR SPRINKLING, as it is written, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel [to present their offerings].40 AND FOR MAKING THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE DRINK: The word ‘law’ which occurs in this connection is explained by its use in another.41 It is written here, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law,42 and it is written elsewhere, According to the law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgement43