Megillah

no corresponding verses [to those read by him] are required [in the prophetical reading]. Raba strongly demurred to this: There is, he said, [the haftarah of] ‘Add your burnt-offerings’1 in which there are not twenty-one verses, and yet we read it! — The case is different there, because the subject is completed [before twenty-one verses]. But where the subject is not completed, do we then not [read less than twenty-one]? Has not R. Samuel b. Abba said: Many times I stood before R. Johanan, and when I had read ten verses he said,2 ‘Stop [both of] you’? — In a place where there is a translator3 it is different, since R. Tahlifa b. Samuel has taught: This rule was laid down only for a place where there is no translator, but where there is a translator a stop may be made [earlier]. MISHNAH. THE INTRODUCTION TO THE SHEMA IS NOT REPEATED,4 NOR DOES ONE PASS BEFORE THE ARK,5 NOR DO [THE PRIESTS] LIFT THEIR HANDS,6 NOR IS THE TORAH READ [PUBLICLY] NOR THE HAFTARAH READ FROM THE PROPHET,7 NOR ARE HALTS MADE [AT FUNERALS],8 NOR IS THE BLESSING FOR MOURNERS SAID,9 NOR THE COMFORT OF MOURNERS,10 NOR THE BLESSING OF THE BRIDEGROOMS,11 NOR IS THE NAME [OF GOD] MENTIONED IN THE INVITATION TO SAY GRACE,12 SAVE IN THE PRESENCE OF TEN. FOR REDEEMING SANCTIFIED PROPERTIES13 NINE AND A PRIEST [ARE SUFFICIENT], AND SIMILARLY WITH HUMAN BEINGS. GEMARA. Whence these rules?14 — R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan: Because Scripture says, But I will be hallowed among the children of Israel:15 every act of sanctification requires not less than ten. How does the verse denote this? — As R. Hiyya taught: We explain the word ‘among’ here by reference to its use in another place. It is written here, ‘But I will be hallowed among the children of Israel’, and it is written elsewhere, Separate yourselves from among this congregation;16 and we further explain the word ‘congregation’ here by reference to what is written in another place, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation.17 Just as there ten are indicated,18 so here. NOR ARE HALTS MADE [AT FUNERALS]. Since [the conductor of the funeral] requires to say, ‘stand, dear friends, stand; sit, dear friends, sit’, 19 it is not proper20 [to have less than ten]. NOR IS THE BLESSING OF MOURNERS NOR THE BLESSING OF BRIDEGROOMS SAID etc. What is the blessing of mourners? The blessing of the public square,21 since22 R. Isaac said in the name of R. Johanan: The blessing of mourners requires the presence of ten, the mourners not being counted; the blessing of bridegrooms requires the presence of ten, the bridegroom being counted. THE NAME [OF GOD] IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE INVITATION TO SAY GRACE WITH LESS THAN TEN. Since the one who invites has to say, ‘Let us bless our God’,it is not seemly to do so with less than ten. FOR REDEEMING PROPERTIES NINE AND A PRIEST. Whence is this rule derived? — Samuel said: Ten priests are mentioned in the section [dealing with sanctifications],23 one for the actual priest required (and [the first] one [after] to limit),24 and the rest constitute a limitation after a limitation, and a limitation after a limitation has the force of an addition, to include, namely, nine Israelites and one priest.25 But cannot I [rather] say five priests and five Israelites?26 — This is indeed a difficulty. AND SIMILARLY WITH HUMAN BEINGS. But can a human being become sanctified?27 — R. Abbahu said: It refers to one who says, ‘My money [value] be upon me’, as it has been taught: ‘If a man says, My money [value] be upon me, we estimate his value as we would that of a slave’. And a slave is put on the same footing as landed property, as it is written, And ye may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession. 28 MISHNAH. ONE WHO READS THE TORAH [IN SYNAGOGUE] SHOULD READ NOT LESS THAN THREE VERSES, AND HE SHOULD NOT READ TO THE TRANSLATOR MORE THAN ONE VERSE [AT A TIME].29 number of persons (not less than ten, or seven, or six, or three, according to various opinions, v. Tosaf. and Asheri) come into synagogue after the Shema’ has been said, it is allowable for the congregation to repeat the kaddish and bareku and the first blessing before the Shema’ for their benefit. From the context one would say that it means here more simply ‘say the Shema’ with its attendant blessings’. V. P.B. pp. 37ff. V. Rabbinowitz Mishnah Megillah, ad loc. [Kohler (The Origin of the Synagogue and the Church; p. 58) explains the phrase: ‘The lifting up the hands towards heaven at the recital of the Shema’ — In continuation of the old practice of the Hasidim’. Krauss (Israel-Theol. Lehranstalt, Wien, Bericht, 1933 p. 53): The stepping forward of the reader to recite the Shema’]. during which lamentation was made in honour of the dead. V. infra. after the funeral; v. Keth. 8b and Sanh. 19a. Some texts omit ‘NOR COMFORT OF MOURNERS’. Keth., Sonc. ed. p. 41, n. 5. animals vv. 11-13, four with sanctification of property vv. 14, 18, 23; v. 21 is not included as the word priest is not mentioned there in connection with the act of ‘valuation’.