Siman - Megillah Daf 5
- Days that we push off until later when they fall on Shabbos
The next Mishnah states: באלו אמרו מקדימין ולא מאחרין – It was with these times, referring to the Megillah reading, that the Chochomim said can be read push forward to an earlier day but not delayed until a later day, אבל זמן עצי כהנים ותשעה באב חגיגה והקהל מאחרין ולא מקדימין – but with regard to the wood offering of the Kohanim, Tisha B’Av, the chagigah and the mitzvah of Hakhel, the times are delayed later and not pushed earlier. The Gemara explains that Tisha B’Av is not brought forward to an earlier day אקדומי פרוענות לא מקדמי – because we do not push earlier the commemoration of tragedy. The chagigah and Hakhel are also not brought earlier, משום דאכתי לא מטא זמן חיובייהו – because the time of their chiyuv has not come yet.
- The Jews did not accept Purim as a Yom Tov
Rebbe Elazar said in the name of Rebbe Chanina: רבי נטע נטיעה בפורים - Rebbe planted a shoot on Purim, he bathed on the market day of Tzipori on Shiva Asar b’Tammuz and he wanted to uproot Tisha B’Av but the Chochomim did not agree with him. The Gemara explains that he wanted to uproot Tisha B’Av when it fell on Shabbos, הואיל ונדחה ידחה – Since it was pushed off it should be pushed off altogether. The Gemara asks how Rebbe could plant, given that it was taught that when the passuk states regarding Purim "יום טוב", it teaches that it is forbidden to do melachah, and it brings three answers. The second answer is brought by Rabba brei d’Rava, who said: הספד ותענית קבילו עלייהו מלאכה לא קבילו עלייהו – that the Jews accepted upon themselves the prohibitions of giving a hesped and fasting, but they did not accept the prohibition of doing melachah. We see this, for before the Jews accepted Purim it is written: "שמחה ומשתה ויום טוב" – simchah, and feasting, and Yom Tov, but later, after they accepted it, it is written, "לעשות אותם ימי משתה ושמחה"– to make them days of feasting and simchah, ואילו "יום טוב" לא כתיב and the term “Yom Tov” is not written.
- Chizkiyah’s doubt regarding the status of Teveryah that had water on one side
The Gemara brings that Chizkiyah read the Megillah in Teveryah on both the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar because he was in doubt whether it was surrounded by a wall in the days of Yehoshua bin Nun or not. Once the Gemara determines that it was known that Teveriyah was a walled city in the times of Yehoshua, it clarifies that Chizkiyah was uncertain because one side was bordered by a wall of water and he was not sure if that was considered a wall. The Gemara further clarifies that while an actual wall must surround a city with regard to the dinim of בתי ערי חומה - redeeming houses in walled cities, he was in doubt regarding krias haMegillah: מאי פרזים ומאי מוקפין – What is considered an unwalled city and what is considered a walled city? Is it משום דהני מיגלו והני לא מיגלו – that unwalled cities are exposed and walled cities are not exposed, in which case Teveryah is exposed and is considered unwalled? Or is it משום דהני מיגנו והני לא מיגנו – because walled cities are sheilded and unwalled cities are not sheilded, in which case Teveryah is considered walled because the water acts as a barrier?
