Siman - Megillah Daf 26
- Selling a Beis HaKnesses
The opening Mishnah of the fourth perek states: בית הכנסת לוקחין תיבה…בני העיר שמכרו – If residents of a town sold a Beis Haknesses, they may purchase an ark with its proceeds. This is based on the principle of מעלין בקודש ולא מורידין – We ascend in kodesh matters, and we do not descend. In this case, the ark has more kedushah than the Beis Haknesses. With regard to the sale of the Beis HaKnesses, Rebbe Shmuel bar Nachmeini said in the name of Rebbe Yonasan: לא שנו אלא בית הכנסת של כפרים – The Mishnah’s ruling is only in regard to a countryside shul, which is the property of the villagers. אבל בית הכנסת של כרכין – But regarding a shul in a city, כיון דמעלמא אתו ליה לא מצו מזבני ליה דהוה ליה דרבים – since people from outside the city come to it, the residents of the city have no right to sell it because it belongs to the general public. Tosafos explains that since outsiders come, the people who built it consecrate it with them in mind, even though they do not contribute to its construction . Therefore, it has great kedushah. Alternatively, the people from outside do contribute to its construction and maintenance, and therefore it cannot be considered exclusively the property of the town’s residents.
- Machlokes whether Yerushalayim was apportioned to the Shevatim
The Gemara brings a machlokes whether נתחלקה ירושלים לשבטים – Yerushalayim was apportioned to the Shevatim. After the Gemara brings a Baraisa to support the view that it was apportioned to the Shevatim, based on a Baraisa that teaches how the Temple area was divided among the tribes of Yehudah and Binyomin, it brings the following Baraisa that supports the view that it was not apportioned to the Shevatim. It was taught: אין משכירים בתים בירושלים – One may not rent out houses in Yerushalayim, מפני שאינן שלהן – because the houses are not theirs, but they belong to the greater public. Rashi explains that people were not permitted to rent out their homes to the עולי רגלים – the pilgrims. Rather, they had to let them stay for free. Rebbe Eliezer bar Tzadok said: אף לא מטות – They may also not rent out beds. Tosafos explains that since the beds are standing on public property, they did not have the right to rent them out for a full rental fee. לפיכך עורות קדשים בעלי אושפיזין נוטלן אותן בזרוע – Therefore, the innkeepers were allowed to take the hides of the people’s offerings by force.
- What can be done with תשמישי מצוה ותשמישי קדושה once they are no longer used
It was taught in a Baraisa: תשמישי מצוה נזרקין – Objects used for doing a mitzvah, may be discarded, since they do not have kedushah after their use. תשמישי קדושה נגנזין – But objects which are accessories to kadosh items, must be put in a genizah. These are תשמישי מצוה – a succah, a lulav, a shofar and tzitzis. These may be discarded after their use. And these are תשמישי קדושה – דלוסקמי ספרים תפילין ומזוזות – sacks for sacred books, tefillin and mezuzos, ותיק של ספר תורה – a case for a sefer Torah, ונרתיק של תפילין ורצועותיהן – and a case for tefillin and their straps.
