Megillah 19b

מגילה י״ט ע״ב

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Topic

A מגילה written inside a scroll of כתובים, the limit of 'בציבור שנו', the הלכה למשה מסיני about leaving the edges of a ספר תורה unstitched, and an אגדה about the cave of משה and אליהו

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a story. לוי בר שמואל read the מגילה from a scroll that held all the כתובים, and רב יהודה told him it does not count. Then רבי חייא בר אבא reports several teachings in the name of רבי יוחנן. First, a combined scroll does not count, but 'ומחו לה אמוחא' limits this to a public reading. Second, leaving the edges of a ספר תורה unsewn is a הלכה למשה מסיני, but it exists only to keep the parchment from tearing. Third, an אגדה: even a pinhole in the cave of משה and אליהו would have let in too much light. Fourth, משה was shown at סיני even the future laws of the סופרים, such as מקרא מגילה. Next comes a new משנה: everyone may read the מגילה except a חרש, a שוטה and a קטן, and רבי יהודה allows a קטן. The גמרא asks whose view excludes a חרש even בדיעבד. It goes back and forth between רבי יוסי and רבי יהודה, and ends with two ברייתות, about תרומה and about ברכת המזון, that no single reading of רבי יהודה can fit. The resolution comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. Statementרב יהודה rules that a מגילה written among the כתובים does not count
2. Statementרבי יוחנן states the same rule
3. RejectionThe rule is limited to public reading
4. StatementLeaving the edges unstitched is a law from Sinai
5. RejectionThe unstitched edges are only to prevent tearing
6. StatementThe cave of משה and אליהו
7. Statementה׳ showed משה even the future rabbinic laws, like reading the מגילה
8. StatementNew משנה: who is fit to read the מגילה
9. QuestionWhich תנא says a deaf person's reading fails even after the fact?
10. Responseרב מתנה: it is רבי יוסי, who requires hearing your own words
11. ChallengeMaybe the משנה is רבי יהודה, banning the deaf only at the outset
12. RejectionA deaf person is grouped with an imbecile and a minor
13. ChallengePerhaps each person in the list has his own rule
14. ResolutionThe first part of the משנה cannot be רבי יהודה
15. ChallengePerhaps the whole משנה is רבי יהודה
16. ResolutionThe two parts contradict each other about a minor
17. ChallengePerhaps the משנה speaks of two kinds of minors
18. QuestionPinning down what the last suggestion means
19. ChallengeA deaf person separating תרומה from the outset fits no one
20. QuestionShould we say רבי יהודה allows it even from the outset?
21. ChallengeSilent ברכת המזון would then fit no one