Megillah

Because [the names] might be reversed.1 Our Rabbis taught: [The one who reads] opens the scroll and sees [the place], then rolls it together and says the blessing, then opens it again and reads. So R. Meir. R. Judah says: He opens and looks and says the blessing, and reads. What is R. Meir's reason? — It is similar to that of ‘Ulla [in a parallel case]; for ‘Ulla said: Why did they lay down that he who reads from the Torah should not prompt the translator? So that people should not say that the translation is written in the Torah. So here [R. Meir's reason is], so that they should not say that the blessings are written in the Torah. And [what says] R. Judah [to this]? — With regard to translation a mistake might be made, but no mistake will be made with regard to the blessings.2 R. Zera said in the name of R. Mattenah: The halachah is that he opens and looks, then says the blessing and reads. Why not say, ‘The halachah follows R. Judah’? Because the names might be reversed.3 R. Zera said in the name of R. Mattenah. No sanctity attaches to the boards and to the platforms. 4 R. Shefatiah said in the name of R. Johanan: When one rolls up a scroll of the Torah, he should make it close at a seam.5 R. Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Johanan: One who rolls together a sefer torah should roll it from without and should not roll it from within,6 and when he fastens it he should fasten it from within and should not fasten it from without.7 R. Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Johanan: If ten have had a reading of the Torah, the senior among them rolls up the sefer torah. He who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them, since R. Joshua b. Levi said: If ten have had a reading of the Torah, the one who rolls it up receives the reward of all of them. The reward of all of them, think you? No; say rather, he receives a reward equal to that of all of them. R. Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Johanan: Whence do we know that we may avail ourselves of a chance utterance8 [as an omen]?9 Because it says, And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying.10 This applies, however, only if one hears the voice of a man in town and of a woman in the country,11 and Only if it says, yes, yes, or no, no.12 R. Shefatiah further said in the name of R. Johanan: If one reads the Scripture without a melody13 or repeats the Mishnah without a tune,14 of him the Scripture Says, Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good etc.15 Abaye strongly demurred to this, saying, Because he cannot sing agreeably, are you to apply to him the verse, ‘ordinances whereby they shall not live’? No; this verse is to be applied as by R. Mesharshia, who said: If two scholars live in the same town and do not treat one another's halachic pronouncements respectfully, of them the verse says, I gave them also statutes that were not good and ordinances whereby they should not live. R. Parnak said in the name of R. Johanan: Whoever takes hold of a scroll of the Torah without a covering16 is buried without a covering. Without a covering, think you? — Say rather, without the covering protection of religious performances. Without religious performances, think you? — No, said Abaye; he is buried without the covering protection of that religious performance. 17 R. Jannai the son of the old R. Jannai said in the name of the great R. Jannai: It is better that the covering [of the scroll] should be rolled up [with the scroll] and not that the scroll of the Torah should be rolled up [inside the covering].18 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed seasons of the Lord.19 It is part of their observance that [the section relating to] each one of them should be read in its season. Our Rabbis taught: Moses laid down a rule for the Israelites that they should enquire and give expositions concerning the subject of the day — the laws of Passover on Passover, the laws of Pentecost on Pentecost, and the laws of Tabernacles on Tabernacles. ‘boards’ to mean a kind of noticeboard in the synagogue and ‘platforms’ the stand from which the Torah is read. But there is good authority for supposing that both words are technical terms for parts of the scroll of the Torah, ‘boards’ being the side margins and platforms’ the upper margins, and the meaning will be that no sanctity attaches to these if they have been cut away from the scroll (v. Tosaf.) [J. Meg. III, 1 reads ihjuuku vnhc; this leads Krauss (Synagogale Altertumer, p. 388) to render, ‘the reading desk (made of boards, on which the Torah was read) and the platform (on which it stood)’. In a word, the almemor]. open it again (Asheri). Rashi explains this passage differently. ( Tosaf.). Torah (itself) should be rolled up. MS.M. reads, The covering should be rolled (round the scroll) but not the scroll itself (without a covering); v. R. Hananel and D.S. It may however mean: It is better that the covering should be rolled round the scroll than that the scroll should be wrapped up by being rolled along the scroll].