Siman - Megillah Daf 19
- בן עיר שהלך לכרך ובן כרך שהלך לעיר
The next Mishnah states: בן עיר שהלך לכרך ובן כרך שהלך לעיר – A town dweller that went to a walled city, or a walled city dweller that went to an unwalled town , עם עתיד לחזור למקומו קורא כמקומו – if he will return to his place, he reads the Megillah on the same day as those in his regular place. ואם לאו קורא עמהן – But if he will not return, he reads with them, referring to the people in the place he is visiting. Rava said: לא שנו אלא שעתיד לחזור בלילי י''ד – This only applies in the case of a town dweller who will return to his town on the night of the fourteenth, but if he will still be in the town in the morning, he reads with the people in the town. Rava said he knows this from the following passuk: "על כן היהודים הפרזים הישבים בערי הפרזות" – Therefore the Jews of the unwalled places, that live in unwalled towns.” Since it is already written that they are Jews of unwalled places, why did the passuk repeat itself and say, “that live in unwalled towns?" It is coming to teach, דפרוז בן יומו נקרא פרוז – A person who is in an unwalled place for only a day, on the fourteenth, is considered a resident of an unwalled place, and is required to read then. The Gemara concludes that we can assume that the same rule applies to people who are visiting walled cities for only a day.
- How much of the Megillah must be read?
The Mishnah continues: ומהיכן קורא אדם את המגילה ויוצא בה ידי חובתו – From where in the Megillah must a person read to fulfill his chiyuv? Rebbe Meir says: One must read all of it. Rebbe Yehudah says: מ"איש יהודי" – from the passuk “a Jewish man,” until the end. Rebbe Yose says: מ"אחר הדברים האלה" – from the passuk, "After these things," referring to the Megillah’s depiction of the rise of Haman, until the end. It was taught in a Baraisa that Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai says: מ"בלילה ההוא" – from the passuk, "that night," referring to when Achashverosh could not sleep. Rebbe Yochanan said that all the opinions were based on the same passuk, "ותכתב אסתר המלכה ומרדכי היהודי את כל תוקף" – And Queen Esther and Mordechai the Jew wrote all the acts of power. Rebbe Meir holds that כל תוקף is referring to the acts of Achashverosh, and so the Megillah must be read from the beginning. Rebbe Yehudah holds that it refers to the acts of Mordechai. Rebbe Yose holds that it refers to the acts of Haman. Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai holds that it refers to תוקפו של נס – the power of the miracle. Rav Huna brought an alternative passuk.
- The light of the Shechinah and what HaKadosh Boruch Hu showed Moshe
The Gemara brings a number of statements made by Rebbe Chiya bar Abba in the name of Rebbe Yochanan. Had there been an opening the size of the eye of a small needle, inside the cave where Moshe and Eliyahu stood when the Shechinah passed before them, לא היו יכולין לעמוד מפני האורה – they could not have stood there because of the light, for the passuk states: "כי לא יראני האדם וחי" – for no man shall see Me and live. He also explained the meaning of the passuk which discusses the luchos, "ועליהם ככל הדברים אשר דבר ה' עמכם בהר" – And the writing on them was according to all the words that Hashem spoke to you on the mountain. מלמד שהראהו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה דקדוקי תורה ודקדוקי סופרים ומה שהסופרים עתידין לחדש – This teaches that HaKadosh Boruch Hu showed Moshe all of the fine interpretations of the Torah, and the fine interpretations of the Rabbis, and what the Chochomim would innovate in the future. The Gemara asks what the Chochomim originated, and answers, מקרא מגילה – the reading of the Megillah.
