Megillah

A Tanna stated: This is not the case with [the public reading of] the Torah. Our Rabbis taught: As regards the Torah, one reads and one translates,1 and in no case must one read and two translate [together]. As regards the Prophets, one reads and two may translate, but in no case may two read and two translate. As regards Hallel and the Megillah,2 even ten may read [and ten may translate].3 What is the reason? Since the people like it, 4 they pay attention and hear.5 WHERE IT IS THE CUSTOM TO SAY A BLESSING, IT SHOULD BE SAID. Abaye said: This rule applies only to the blessing after the reading, but before the reading it is a religious duty to say a blessing, since Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: ‘Over the performance of all religious precepts a blessing is said as one passes on [‘ober] to perform them’. How can you prove that this ‘passing on means ‘just in front of’? — R. Nahman b. Isaac said: Scripture says, Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and overran [wa-ya'abor] the Cushite.6 Abaye said: We prove it from here: And he himself passed over before them.7 Or, if you prefer, I can prove it from here: And their king is passed on before them and the Lord at the head of them.8 What blessing is said before the reading of the Megillah? — R. Shesheth from Kateriza happened [once to read] in the presence of R. Ashi, and he made the blessings M'N'H’.9 What blessing is said after it? — ‘Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, [the God]10 who espoused our quarrel and vindicated our cause and executed our vengeance and punished our adversaries for us and visited retribution on all the enemies of our soul. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who avenges Israel on all their enemies’. Raba Says: [The concluding words are], ‘The God who saves. R. Papa said: Therefore we should say both: ‘Blessed art thou, O Lord, who avenges Israel on all their enemies, the God who saves’. ON MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS AND ON SABBATH AT MINHAH THREE READ. What do these three represent? — R. Assi said: The Pentateuch, the Prophets and the Hagiographa. Raba said: Priests, Levites, and lay Israelites. But now, in the statement of R. Shimi, ‘Not less than ten verses [of the Torah] should be read in the synagogue, the verse ‘and [God] spoke to [Moses saying]’ being counted as one’,11 — what do these ten represent? — R.Joshua b. Levi said: The ten men of leisure in the synagogue.12 R. Joseph said: The ten commandments which were given to Moses on Sinai. (R. Levi said: The ten times hallel [praise] which David uttered in the book of Psalms.)13 R. Johanan said: The ten utterances with which the world was created.14 What are these? The expressions ‘And [God] said’ in the first chapter of Genesis.15 But there are only nine? — The words ‘In the beginning’ are also a [creative] utterance, since it is written, By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.16 Raba said: If the first reads four verses17 he is to be commended; if the second reads four verses18 he is to be commended; if the third reads four verses he is to be commended. ‘If the first reads four verses he is to be commended’, as we have learnt: ‘There were three bags holding three se'ahs19 each, in which the priests take up the money-offerings out of the [shekel] chamber,20 and they were labelled Aleph, Beth, Gimel,21 so as to show which was taken out first, so that sacrifices could be brought from that one first, since it is a religious duty to offer from the first. ‘If the middle one reads four verses, he is to be commended’, as it has been taught: ‘[The seven lamps] shall give light in front of the candlestick;22 this teaches that they were made to face the western lamp23 and the western lamp faced the Shechinah; and R. Johanan said: This shows that the middle one is specially prized’. ‘If the last reads four verses he is to be commended’: because of the principle that ‘in dealing with holy things we promote but never degrade’.24 R. Papa was once in the synagogue of Abe Gobar,25 when the first one [who was called up] read four verses, and R. Papa commended him. NEITHER LESS NOR MORE [etc.]. A Tanna stated: The one who reads first makes a blessing before the reading, and the one who reads last makes a blessing after it. Nowadays that all make a blessing both before and after the reading, the reason is that the Rabbis ordained this to avoid error on the part of people entering and leaving synagogue.26 ON NEW MOONS AND ON THE INTERMEDIATE DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL FOUR READ. ‘Ulla b. Rab enquired of Raba: How is the portion of New Moon27 to be divided? [The paragraph commencing] ‘command the children of Israel and say to them’28 has eight verses. How are we to deal with them? Shall two persons read three verses each? Then two verses will be left [to the end of the paragraph], and it is not proper to leave over less than three verses to the end of the paragraph.29 Shall two read four verses each? Then seven verses will be left altogether, [the paragraph beginning] ‘and on the sabbath day’30 being two, and [the paragraph beginning] ‘and on your new moons’31 being five. How are we to do? Shall we read [as one portion] two from one paragraph and one from the next? there is such a Targum, though it is not attributed to Jonathan b. Uzziel; v. supra 3a. (or Hayyim, life) ‘who has kept us alive to this day’. supra p. 21, n. 9. Psalms and applies to Psalm CL by itself (v. R.H. 32a) hence, the omission]. Genesis. the western end. R. Johanan evidently adopted the first opinion. blessing, might think that no blessing is necessary before the reading. Similarly, those who leave before the reading is concluded might think that no blessing at all is necessary after the reading.