Siman - Megillah Daf 14
- The removal of the signet ring
The passuk in the Megillah states: "ויסר המלך את טבעתו" – The king removed his signet ring. Rebbe Abba bar Kahana said: גדולה הסרת טבעת יותר מארבעים ושמונה נביאים ושבע נביאות שנתנבאו להן לישראל – Greater was the removal of the signet ring than the forty-eight neviim and the seven nevios who prophesied to Yisroel, for the neviim were unable to return the Jewish people to good, ואילו הסרת טבעת החזירתן למוטב – whereas the removal of the signet ring did return the Jewish people to good.
- Why Hallel is not recited on Purim
The Gemara continues with a Baraisa that states that the neviim did not add or subtract from the Torah, except for the mitzvah of Krias HaMegillah, and asks how they determined to do so. Rebbe Chiya bar Avin said in the name of Rebbe Yehoshua ben Korchah: ומה מעבדות לחירות אמרינן שירה ממיתה לחיים לא כל שכן – If due to having gone from slavery to freedom from Mitzrayim, we sang shirah by the Yam, then all the more so where we went from death at the hands of Achashverosh and Haman, to life, that we should publicize the miracle with the reading of the Megillah. The Gemara asks that if this is so, then Hallel should be recited on Purim as well, and gives three answers why it is not recited: 1. לפי שאין אומרים הלל על נס שבחוצה לארץ – We do not recite Hallel on a miracle that occurred outside of Israel. The Gemara clarifies that the reason for reciting Hallel for the Exodus from Mitzrayim , is that one may recite shirah on a miracle that took place outside of Israel, if the miracle took place before the Jews entered the land of Israel. 2. Rav Nachman answered: Reading the Megillah on Purim is a form of Hallel. 3. Rava said: It is fitting to recite Hallel for the exodus from Mitzrayim, because we can say the passuk, "הללו עבדי ה' '', - Give praise, you servants of Hashem, because we were servants of Pharaoh and now, we have become exclusively servants of Hashem. But it is not fitting to say this on Purim, because after the miracle the Jews remained the servants of Achashverosh.
- The 48 Neviim, 7 Nevios, and why Yoshia Hamelech went to Chuldah
The Gemara clarifies that although the total number of neviim were double the amount of those who left Mitzrayim, only forty-eight were mentioned since their prophecies were needed for future generations. The Gemara then identifies the seven prophetesses as Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Channah, Avigayil, Chuldah and Esther, and brings proofs that each one was a prophetess. With regard to Chuldah, the Gemara brings the incident when Yoshiya HaMelech sent messengers to her to determine whether the passuk in the newly discovered Sefer Torah applied to him and his generation, when it mentioned the king and the nation being led to exile. The Gemara asks how Chuldah was permitted to prophesy when Yirmiyahu was the navi? The academy of Rav said in the name of Rav: חולדה קרובת ירמיה היתה ולא הוה מקפיד עליה – Chuldah was a relative of Yirmiyah, and he did not object to her prophesying in his presence. When the Gemara persists and asks how Yoshiah himself could have ignored Yirmiyahu and gone to Chuldah, the academy of Rebbe Sheilah said: מפני שהנשים רחמניות הן – Because women have more rachmanus than men. The Maharsha explains that she will daven to Hashem to change the decree from calamity to good .
