Megillah

: just as judgement is by day,1 so here it must be by day. AND FOR BREAKING THE NECK OF THE HEIFER. In the school of R. Jannai it was said: [The word] ‘atonement’ is applied to it2 as to holy things. AND FOR THE PURIFICATION OF THE LEPER: as it is written, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing.3 THE WHOLE NIGHT IS A PROPER TIME FOR REAPING THE ‘OMER. Since a Master has said that reaping and counting are to be performed by night and the bringing by day. 4 AND FOR BURNING FAT AND LIMBS: as it is written, All the night till the morning.5 THIS IS THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE: ANY COMMANDMENT THAT IS TO BE PERFORMED BY DAY CAN BE PERFORMED DURING THE WHOLE OF THE DAY. [The words] ‘this is the general principle’ are inserted to add what? — To add the setting of the cup6 and the removal of the cups, and in agreement with R. Jose, as it has been taught: ‘R. Jose says: If he removed the old [shew-bread] in the morning and set the new one in the evening, there is no harm.7 What then do I make of the verse, before me continually?8 [This is to show that] the table of the Lord should not be without bread.9 A COMMANDMENT WHICH IS TO BE PERFORMED BY NIGHT MAY BE PERFORMED DURING THE WHOLE OF THE NIGHT. What does this add? — It adds the consumption of the paschal lamb, thus differing from R. Eleazar b. Azariah, as it has been taught: And they shall eat the flesh on that night:10 R. Eleazar b. Azariah said: It says here, on that night, and it says elsewhere, And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that night:11 just as there up to midnight [is meant], so here up to midnight [is meant]. MISHNAH. HE WHO READS THE MEGILLAH MAY DO SO EITHER STANDING OR SITTING. WHETHER ONE READS IT OR TWO READ IT [TOGETHER] THEY [THE CONGREGATION] HAVE PERFORMED THEIR OBLIGATION. IN PLACES WHERE IT IS THE CUSTOM TO SAY A BLESSING,12 IT SHOULD BE SAID, AND WHERE IT IS NOT THE CUSTOM IT NEED NOT BE SAID. ON MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS AND ON SABBATH AT MINHAH,13 THREE READ FROM THE TORAH, NEITHER MORE NOR LESS, NOR IS A HAFTARAH14 HEAD FROM A PROPHET. THE ONE WHO READS15 FIRST IN THE TORAH16 AND THE ONE WHO READS LAST17 MAKE [RESPECTIVELY] A BLESSING BEFORE READING AND AFTER.18 ON NEW MOONS AND ON THE INTERMEDIATE DAYS OF FESTIVALS FOUR READ, NEITHER MORE NOR LESS, AND THERE IS NO HAFTARAH FROM A PROPHET. THE ONE WHO READS FIRST AND THE ONE WHO READS LAST IN THE TORAH MAKE A BLESSING BEFORE AND AFTER. THIS IS THE GENERAL RULE: ON ANY DAY WHICH HAS A MUSAF16 AND IS NOT A FESTIVAL FOUR READ; ON A FESTIVAL FIVE READ; ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT SIX READ; ON SABBATH SEVEN READ; THIS NUMBER MAY NOT BE DIMINISHED BUT IT MAY BE ADDED TO, AND A HAFTARAH IS READ FROM A PROPHET. THE ONE WHO READS FIRST AND THE ONE WHO READS LAST IN THE TORAH MAKE A BLESSING BEFORE AND AFTER. GEMARA. A Tanna stated: ‘This [that one may read sitting] is not the case with the Torah’.19 Whence this rule? — R. Abbahu said: Because Scripture says, But as for thee, stand thou here by me.20 R. Abbahu also said: Were it not written in the Scripture, it would be impossible for us to say it: as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, also was standing.21 R. Abbahu further said: How do we know that the master should not sit on a couch and teach his disciples while they sit on the ground? Because it says, ‘But as for thee, do thou stand here by me. 22 Our Rabbis taught: From the days of Moses up to Rabban Gamaliel, the Torah was learnt only standing. When Rabban Gamaliel died, feebleness descended on the world, and they learnt the Torah sitting; and so we have learnt that ‘from the time that Rabban Gamaliel died, [full] honour ceased to be paid to the Torah’. One verse says, And I sat [wa-esheb] in the mount,23 and another verse says, And I stood in the mount.24 — Rab says: He [Moses] stood when he learnt and sat while he went over [what he had learnt]. R. Hanina said: He was neither sitting nor standing, but stooping. R. Johanan said: ‘Sitting’ [yosheb] here means only ‘staying’, as it says, And ye stayed [teshbu] in Kadesh many days.25 Raba said: The easy things [he learnt] standing and the hard ones sitting. WHETHER ONE READS IT OR TWO READ IT, THEY HAVE PERFORMED THEIR OBLIGATION. formed the concluding part of the morning service Saturdays and Festivals when the worshippers were dismissed to their homes. V. Buchler JQR VI, p. 7].