Megillah 20a

מגילה כ׳ ע״א

Learn Megillah 20a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The חרש and תרומה, a קטן reading the מגילה, and daytime מצוות that are valid from dawn

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a question from the previous amud. The question is whose view allows a חרש, who speaks but cannot hear his own words, to separate תרומה even לכתחילה. The גמרא gives two answers. First, it is רבי יהודה's own view, and the stricter ruling he taught elsewhere came from his teacher רבי אלעזר בן עזריה. Second, it may follow רבי מאיר, who holds that the heart's intent is what counts in קריאת שמע. Next, רבי יהודה tries to prove that a קטן may read the מגילה from his own childhood, and so does רבי. The חכמים reject both proofs: a child's testimony is not evidence, and the practice of the one who permits something proves nothing. A new משנה then teaches that the מגילה, מילה, טבילה and הזאה wait for sunrise but are valid from עמוד השחר. The גמרא brings a פסוק for each one, explains that רבי יהושע בן לוי's night reading of the מגילה is a separate reading, and asks why the שומרת יום כנגד יום is listed separately. Its answer, that she needs a ספירה, continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. ResolutionIt really is רבי יהודה: one source gives his own view, the other gives his teacher's
2. ProofProof that רבי יהודה's teacher requires audible קריאת שמע
3. Statementרבי מאיר: what matters is the intent of the heart
4. ResolutionSecond answer: רבי יהודה follows his teacher, and the תרומה ברייתא follows רבי מאיר
5. StatementThe משנה: רבי יהודה allows a minor to read the מגילה
6. Proofרבי יהודה's proof: he read the מגילה as a child before the elders of לוד
7. RejectionThe חכמים reject the proof: a minor's testimony is not accepted
8. Proofרבי's childhood story of reading before רבי יהודה
9. RejectionNo proof from the one who permits it
10. ChallengeWhy not say 'you were a child'?
11. ResolutionThey gave two reasons
12. StatementDaytime מצוות: wait for sunrise, but valid from dawn
13. QuestionSource for daytime reading
14. ResponseThe verse says 'these days'
15. ChallengeDoes this refute רבי יהושע בן לוי?
16. ResolutionThe משנה is about the daytime reading
17. ResponseSource for doing circumcision by day
18. ResponseSource for doing sprinkling and immersion by day
19. ChallengeWhy mention the day-for-day woman separately?
20. ResolutionWe might have compared her to a זב's first sighting
21. ResolutionRefining the mistaken idea: she cannot immerse by day, but maybe she can at night
22. ResolutionThe משנה teaches that her counting requirement makes her wait