Mishnah Megillah
by Jonathan Wolf

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The second chapter in Mishnah Megillah concerns the method by which the Megillah must be read. We see once again a common theme of the Sages. In order for a person to fulfill his obligation in the performance of a mitzvah, proper intent is essential. Additionally, the Sages prescribe the manner in which the scroll must be read, who is obligated to hear it, and to follow the customs of a new place of residence.

Mishnah 1:

If one read the Megillah backwards he has not fulfilled his obligation. If one read it by heart, or if he read it in translation in any language, he has not carried out his duty. But they may read it to such as speak a foreign tongue in their foreign tongue; but if one who spoke a foreign tongue heard it in Hebrew, he has done his duty.

Commentary:

We turn first to the Rambam for elucidation:

"If a man read the Megillah by heart, he has not fulfilled his duty. If a speaker of a foreign tongue heard the Megillah read from a copy written in the Hebrew language and in Hebrew script, he has fulfilled his duty even though he did not know what they said. Similarly, if the Megillah is written in Greek, and he heard it read, he has discharged his duty, even though he knows no Greek, and even if the listener is familiar with Hebrew. If the Megillah is written in Aramaic or in some other foreign tongue, except Greek, only a person who is familiar with that tongue fulfills his duty by hearing it read."

You should recall that the Haggadah for Pesach can be written in any language. There is a debate in the Talmud whether the Shema must be recited in Hebrew. Since the Shema contains the word "hear", some Rabbis interpreted this to mean that the words must be said in a language which the person understands and thinks.

The gemara discusses the rule against reading the Megillah backwards:

" Whence is this rule (not to read backward) derived? Raba said: The text

(Esther 9:27) says- ‘according to the writing thereof and according to the appointed time thereof’. Just as the appointed time cannot be backward, so the reading from the writing must not be backward. But does the text speak here of reading? It speaks of keeping, as it is written ‘that they would keep these two days’. The truth is that we derive the rule from here, as it is written: ‘And that these days should be remembered and kept’. ‘Remembering’ is here put on the same footing as ‘keeping’: just as keeping cannot be in the wrong order, so remembering also."

The gemara goes on to state that the same rule applies to certain other prayers:

"A Tanna stated: the same rule applies to Hallel, to the recital of the Shema, and to the Amidah prayer. Whence do we derive the rule as regards Hallel? Rabbah said: Because it is written (Tehillim 123), ‘From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof, the Lord’s name shall be praised.’ Just as the sun can never go backward, so the praise of the Lord should not go backward. To the recital of the Shema, as it has been taught: The Shema must be recited as it is written. So Rabbi. The Sages, however, say: It may be recited in any language. What is Rabbi’s reason? Scripture says (Devarim 6:6) : ‘And these words shall be…’ , which implies that they shall be kept as they are. And what is the reason of the Rabbis? Because Scripture says, ‘Hear’, which implies in any language which you understand….To the Amidah prayer. Whence is this rule derived? As it has been taught: ‘Simeon the Pakulite formulated eighteen blessings in the presence of Rabban Gamliel in the proper order in Yavneh. Rabbi Yochannen said: A hundred and twenty elders, among whom were many prophets, drew up eighteen blessings in a fixed order."

Mishnah 2:

If one read it piecemeal or when drowsy, he has carried out his obligation; if he were copying it or expounding it or correcting it, and he had it in mind to fulfill his duty, then he has done so, but if not, then he has not done his duty. If it were written with paint, or with red dye, or with resin, or with copperas, on paper or on partially prepared hide, he has not performed his duty, unless it is written in Hebrew on parchment and with ink.

Commentary:

The Rambam writes: "If a man read the Megillah without due intention, he has not discharge his duty." It is interesting that the Sages ruled that a Torah scroll as well as a Megillah must be written from a copy and not by heart!

Mishnah 3:

A resident of a town who has gone to a walled city or of a walled city who has gone to a town, if he is likely to return to his own place reads according to the rule of his own place. And otherwise, reads with the rest. From where must a man read the Megillah so as to fulfill his obligation? Rabbi Meir says, He must read the whole of it; Rabbi Yehudah says, He must read from ‘There was a Jew’; Rabbi Jose says, From "After these things’.

Commentary:

The gemara states:

" Raba said: This rule applies only if he intends to return on the night of the fourteenth; but if he does not mean to return on the night of the fourteenth, he reads with the rest. Said Raba: Whence do I derive this ruling? Because it is written ‘Therefore do the Jews of the villages that dwell in the unwalled towns’; See now, it is written ‘the Jews of the villages’. Why then should it be further written ‘that dwell in unwalled towns’? This teaches su that one who is a villager for one day is called a villager. We have proved this for a villager. How do we know that it applies also to the inhabitants of walled towns? It is reasonable to suppose that since a villager of one day is called a villager, a walled city dweller of one day is called a walled city dweller."

"Raba also said: A villager who has gone to a town reads with the rest in any case. What is the reason? By rights he ought to read at the same times as the townspeople, and it is the Rabbis who made a concession to the villagers so that they might supply food and drink to their brethren in large cities. Now this applies only so long as they are in their own place, but when they are in the town, they must read like the townspeople. Abaye raised an objection to this from the following: ‘If a resident of a walled city has gone to a town, in any case he reads according to the custom of his own place’. ‘A resident of a walled city’ do you say? His rule depends on whether he means to return! What you must read, then, is ‘ a villager’. But must you not, in any case explain the passage? Read then, ‘reads with the rest’."

Mishnah 4:

All are qualified to read the Megillah except a deaf person, or an imbecile, or a minor. Rabbi Yehudah declares a minor qualified. The Megillah should not be read, neither should circumcision be performed, nor a ritual bath taken, nor sprinkling be performed, and similarly a woman keeping day for day should not take a ritual bath until the sun has risen. But if any of these things is done after dawn has appeared, it counts as done.

Commentary:

The ruling of Rabbi Yehudah is rejected as halacha. The word "imbecile" is a bit insensitive in modern times, but it refers to one who is incapable of understanding what he/she is doing.

This mishnah sets the time for the reading of the Megillah as well as other rituals dependent on a proper time. The English phrase "after the dawn has appeared" is referred to in Hebrew as amud hashachar or the "rising of the pillar of the morning". It occurs approximately one hour before sunrise.

The gemara comments on the need to restrict the preferred time for performance:

"Whence this rule about the Megillah? Because Scripture says ‘and these days should be remembered and kept’, which implies that they are to do so by day, but not by night. Shall we say that this is a refutation of rabbi Joshua b. Levi? For Rabbi Joshua b. Levi says: It is a mans duty to read the Megillah by night and a second time by day? When the mishnah makes this statement, it is referring to the day reading."

" Neither should circumcision be performed. Because it is written, ‘And on the eighth day shall he be circumcised. Neither should a ritual bath be taken nor sprinkling be performed. Because it is written , ‘And the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean…and on the seventh day’. And bathing is put on the same footing as sprinkling.

And similarly a woman who is keeping day for day (observing an issue) should not take a ritual bath till the sun has risen. This is obvious…"

Mishnah 5:

The whole day is valid for the reading of the Megillah, and for the reciting of Hallel, and for the sounding of the shofar, and for the carrying of the lulav, and for the Additional Prayer, and for the Additional sacrifices, and for the confession at the bullock sacrifices, and for the confession over the tithe, and for the confession on the Day of Atonement, for the laying on the hands, for the slaughtering , for the waving, for the bringing along, for taking the handful and for burning it, for nipping the neck (during a bird offering), and for receiving (the bowl with the blood), and for the sprinkling , and for administering the water to a suspected adulteress(making a wife suspected of adultery drink the "bitter waters"), and for breaking the heifer’s neck, and for the purification of the leper. The whole night is valid for the reaping of the omer and for the burning of the fat and the limbs(on the night of Pesach. The Sages ordained that the paschal sacrifice must be consumed by midnight). This is a general principle: any rite prescribed to be performed by day is valid throughout the whole day; and any rite whose fulfillment is ordained for the night is valid during the whole night.

Commentary:

The last sentence serves as a nice summary of this last mishnah in chapter 2.