Megillah

This would show [would it not] that the regulation is for the benefit of the cities; but we have learnt: ‘If Purim falls on Monday, the villages and large towns read on that day’. Now if it is as you say, they should push the reading forward to the [previous] Court day? — This would bring it to the tenth, and the Sages did not fix the tenth [as a possible day]. Come and hear: ‘If it falls on Thursday, the villages and large towns read on that same day’. Now if it is as you say, they should push the reading forward to the [previous] Court day which is the eleventh? — We do not shift it from one Court day to another. Come and hear [again]: ‘R. Judah says: When [is the reading pushed forward]? In places where the villagers come into town on Mondays and Thursdays, but in places where they do not come into town on Mondays and Thursdays it is read only on the proper day’. Now if you assume that the regulation is for the benefit of the cities, because they do not come into town on Mondays and Thursdays; are the cities to be deprived of the benefit? — Do not read [in the dictum of R. Hanina] ‘in order that they may furnish food and water’, but read, ‘because they furnish food and water to their brethren in the cities’. 1 HOW [DOES THIS WORK OUT]? IF IT FALLS ON MONDAY, VILLAGES AND LARGER TOWNS READ ON THAT SAME DAY etc. How is it that in the first clause of the Mishnah2 the dates of the month are mentioned and in the second3 the days of the week?4 — Since (in the second clause] the dates of the month would have to go backwards,5 the Mishnah prefers to mention the days.6 IF IT FALLS ON FRIDAY etc. Which authority does our Mishnah follow? — [You may say], either Rabbi or R. Jose. How Rabbi? — As it has been taught: ‘If it falls on Friday, villages and large towns push the reading forward to the Court day, and walled cities react on the day itself. Rabbi said: I maintain that towns should not have to shift their date,7 but both one and the other read on the day itself’. What is the reason of the First Tanna? — Because it is written, every year:8 just as every year towns read before cities, so in this case towns should read before cities. But why not argue thus: ‘Every year’: just as every year towns have not to shift their date, so here towns should not have to shift their date? — There is a special reason [for not reasoning thus here] since this is impracticable.9 What is Rabbi's reason? — [It is written], ‘every year’: just as in most years the towns have not to shift their date, so here they should not have to shift their date. But why not reason thus: ‘every year’: just as in most years towns read before walled cities, so here towns should read before walled cities? — There is a special reason [for not arguing thus here], because this is impracticable.10 How R. Jose? — As it has been taught: ‘If it falls on Friday, walled cities and villages push the reading forward to the Court day, and large towns read on the day itself. R. Jose said: Walled cities do not read before towns, but both read on the day itself’. What is the reason of the First Tanna? — Because it is written, every year’: just as in most years towns react on the fourteenth and their time is not the same as the time of the walled cities, so here towns should read on the fourteenth and their time should not be the same as the time of the walled cities. But why not reason thus: ‘Every year’: just as in most years walled cities do not read before towns, so here walled cities should not read before towns? — Here the case is different, because it cannot be avoided. What is R. Jose's reason? — [It says], ‘every year’: just as in most years walled cities do not read before towns, so here walled cities should not read before towns. But why not reason thus: ‘Every year’: just as in most years the time of one is not the same as the time of the other, so here the time of one should not be the same as the time of the other? — Here the case is different, because it cannot be avoided. But did Rabbi really hold that towns should not shift their time to the Court day? Has it not been taught: ‘If it falls on Sabbath, villages push the reading forward to the Court day, and large towns read on Friday and walled cities on Sunday. Rabbi said: My view is that, since the towns have to shift their time, they may as well shift it to the Court day’?11 — Are the two cases parallel? In this last case, the proper time is Sabbath, and since they must shift they can shift [further]; but in our case the proper time is Friday. Whose authority is followed in this dictum enunciated by R. Helbo in the name of R. Huna: ‘If Purim falls on Sabbath, all shift the reading to the Court day’? ‘All shift their reading’, do you say? [How can this be] seeing that we have the walled cities which read on the Sunday? — What we should say is, ‘All who are shifted are shifted to the Court day’.Which authority, [you ask]? — Rabbi. But at any rate all agree that the Megillah is not to be read on Sabbath. What is the reason? — Rabbah replied: All are under obligation to read the Megillah, but not all are competent to read it, and there is therefore a danger that one may take the scroll in his hand and go to an expert to be instructed and [in doing so] convey it four cubits in a public domain. This is also the reason for [not blowing] the shofar on Sabbath and [for not carrying] the lulab.12 R. Joseph said: It is because the poor are anxiously awaiting the reading of the Megillah.13 It has been taught to the same effect: ‘Although it has been laid down that villages push the reading forward to the Court day, contributions are collected and distributed on the same day’. ‘Although it has been laid down’! On the contrary, it is because it has been laid down!14 — Read therefore: Since it has been laid down that villages push the reading forward to the Court day, contributions are collected and distributed on the same day, because the poor are waiting anxiously for the reading of the Megillah, but concession in allowing them to read earlier. fourteenth, and then take the thirteenth and so on.