Megillah 21a — the Talmud in English

We learned in our Mishna:

and for the breaking of the heifer’s neck.

From where do we derive this?

The scholars of the academy of Rabbi Yannai say:

because

“atonement” is written in it

[“Atone for Your people Israel”]—

like sacred offerings,

and as for offering sacred offerings, we learned above that it is by day.

We learned in our Mishna:

and for the purification of the person with leprosy.

From where do we derive this?

For it is written: “This shall be the law of the person with leprosy on the day of his purification.”

We learned in our Mishna:

the entire night is fit for the reaping of the omer, etc.

From where do we derive this?

For the Master said: Reaping and counting—

at night, and bringing—

by day

[and we derive it in Tractate Menahot 66a from verses].

We learned in our Mishna:

and for burning the fats and limbs.

From where do we derive this?

For it is written:

“upon its fire, upon the altar,”

“the entire night until the morning.”

We learned in our Mishna:

This is the general rule: anything whose mitzva is by day is fit throughout the entire day.

And we raised it as a difficulty: this that it teaches,

“This is the general rule”—

to include what?

And we explain:

to include the arranging of the bowls and the removing of the bowls

[the two spoons full of frankincense] that come with the showbread, which is made specifically by day,

and in accordance with Rabbi Yosei.

For it was taught: Rabbi Yosei says:

if

he removed the

arrangement

old

of the showbread in

the morning

[at dawn],

and arranged the

arrangement

new in the evening —

there is nothing in this,

even though during the day there was a period when the table was without bread.

And how do I understand “You shall place upon the table showbread

bread of the Presence

always,”

which implies that there must always be bread on the table?

From this verse we learn

that it should not spend the night

the

table

at night

without bread

[and the Rabbis disagree there with Rabbi Yosei, and maintain that even during the day it is forbidden for the table to be without bread].

We learned in our Mishna:

anything whose mitzva is at night—

is fit throughout the entire night.

And we raised it as a difficulty: this general rule—

to include what?

And we explain:

to include the eating of the Passover offerings,

whose mitzva is throughout the entire night,

and not in accordance with Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah.

For it was taught,

it is written:

“And they shall eat the meat on this night.” Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah said: It is said here, “on this night,” and it is said elsewhere

regarding the plague of the firstborn:

“And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on this night.” Just as there—

until midnight,

as it is written there: “At about midnight I shall go out in the midst of Egypt, etc.,”

so here—

until midnight

specifically it is permitted to eat the Passover offering, and no further .

We have completed Chapter “The One Who Reads Retroactively”

Mishna:

The one who reads the megilla,

may read it either

standing

or

sitting .

Whether

one read it,

or whether

two read it

together—

they have fulfilled [their obligation].

And we do not say here: “Two voices are not heard” [and the reason will be explained in the Gemara].

Where the custom is to bless

after the reading of the megilla—

he should bless .

And where the custom is

not to bless—

he should not bless.

That is, he need not bless.

On

the days of

Monday and Thursday,

and

on Shabbat at the afternoon service,

which Ezra instituted that they should read from the Torah,

three are called

for reading: a kohen, a Levite, and an Israelite.

They do not reduce their number,

from three called for reading,

and they do not add to their number.

And what is the reason that they do not add to their number?

On Monday and Thursday—it is because of the interruption of work, for they are workdays.

And on Shabbat—it is because throughout the entire day they were accustomed to expound, and they prayed the afternoon service only close to nightfall; and if they were to add to those called for reading, the delay would be difficult for the congregation.

And

likewise,

they do not read the haftarah

from the Prophets

on these times, because of these reasons. On Shabbat, because it is burdensome for the congregation. And on Monday and Thursday, because of the interruption of work.

The one who opens and the one who concludes with the Torah—

blesses before it

and after it.

That is, the one who opens blesses before it, and the one who concludes blesses after it, while the other ones called for reading do not bless at all [and the reason for our custom, that all those who ascend bless, will be explained in the Gemara].

On the New Moons and on the intermediate days of a festival, four are called for reading. They do not reduce their number, and they do not add to their number,

because on these times there is interruption of work, for even on the intermediate days of a festival work involving a preventable loss is permitted.

And they do not read the haftarah from the Prophets

for this very reason [that of interruption of work].

And even on these days, on which additional people are called for reading, only

the one who opens and the one who concludes with the Torah—

bless before it and after it,

and the additional ones called for reading do not add a blessing before it and after it .

This is the general rule:

Whenever there is an additional offering and it is not a festival—

four are called for reading,

that is, the New Moon and the intermediate days of a festival . And on these days, they do not reduce [the number], they do not add [to it], and they do not read the haftarah—as above.

On a festival—

four are

called for reading.

On Yom Kippur—

six are

called for reading.

On Shabbat—

seven [are called for reading].

And on these days,

they do not reduce their number, but they add to their number ,

and they read the haftarah from the Prophets.

And even though additional people are called for reading on these days, only

the one who opens and the one who concludes with the Torah—

blesses before it and after it.

Gemara:

The tanna taught: Which is not so with

the reading of the

Torah,

for it is not read in the congregation except while standing .

From where are these words?

Rabbi Abbahu said: For the verse says,

for the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Moses:

“But you, stand here with Me,” and

because he precisely inferred this,

Rabbi Abbahu said: Were it not a verse written—

it would be impossible to say it. As it were—

even the Holy One, blessed is He, [was] standing.

For the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Moses, “Stand with Me,” and, as it were, He too stood like a person.

We see that standing is required when one reads and makes others hear, for the Holy One, blessed is He, stood when He made Moses hear [the Torah] .

And

he further precisely inferred,

Rabbi Abbahu said

from this verse:

From where [do we know] that a teacher should not sit on a couch and teach his student

who is sitting

on the ground ,

but either both of them should sit on the couch, or both of them on the ground,

as it is stated: “But you, stand here with Me.”

We see that both of them, the teacher and the student, must be in the same place in their sitting or standing.

The Sages taught: From the days of Moses until Rabban Gamliel, they did not study Torah—

except while standing .

When Rabban Gamliel died—

illness descended upon the world, and they studied Torah while sitting,

because of weakness.

And this is what we learned: When Rabban Gamliel died—

the honor of Torah ceased .

One verse says

regarding Moses:

“And I sat on the mountain.” And one verse says: “And I stood on the mountain.”

The verses contradict one another?!

Rav said: Standing—

and learning

from the mouth of the Omnipotence;

sitting—

and reviewing

again by himself what he had learned.

Rabbi Hanina said: He was not standing

literally,

and not sitting

literally,

but

he was

bowing .

Rabbi Yohanan said:

He truly was standing, and that which is written, “And I sat on the mountain,” means that he remained there, for

sitting is—

only an expression of remaining [

delay].

As it is stated: “And you remained at Kadesh many days,”

that is, they remained there many days.

Rava said: Soft matters,

words that are soft and easy for a person to hear—Moses heard them

while standing, and difficult matters—

he heard them

while sitting.

We learned in our Mishna:

“One read it, two read it—they have fulfilled [their obligation], etc.”