Megillah 21a

מגילה כ״א ע״א

Learn Megillah 21a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Megillah 21a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Daytime and nighttime מצוות; the new chapter on how the מגילה and the תורה are read, and standing for תורה.

Overview

This amud finishes the chapter הקורא למפרע and opens a new one. First, the גמרא gives sources for the משנה's daytime מצוות (סוטה, עגלה ערופה, טהרת מצורע) and its nighttime מצוות (קצירת העומר, הקטר חלבים ואברים). It then asks what each זה הכלל adds. The daytime rule adds סידור בזיכין and סילוק בזיכין, which follows רבי יוסי. The nighttime rule adds eating the פסח all night, which goes against רבי אלעזר בן עזריה. After the הדרן, a new משנה teaches that the מגילה may be read standing or sitting, by one reader or two. It also sets how many people are called to the תורה on each kind of day. The גמרא learns from 'ואתה פה עמד עמדי' that the תורה must be read standing, and it tells how learning moved from standing to sitting after רבן גמליאל died. It gives four answers to whether משה sat or stood on the mountain. Finally, it returns to the משנה's line about two people reading the מגילה together, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. ConclusionFinishing the source: the סוטה drinks only by day
2. ProofWhy breaking the heifer's neck is done by day
3. ProofWhy the leper's purification is done by day
4. ProofWhy reaping the עומר is done at night
5. ProofWhy burning fats and limbs may be done all night
6. QuestionWhat does the general rule add?
7. ResponseIt includes arranging and removing the frankincense bowls
8. ProofThis fits רבי יוסי, who allows a gap in the bread changeover
9. ResolutionHow רבי יוסי reads 'always before ה׳'
10. QuestionWhat does the nighttime general rule add?
11. ResponseIt adds eating the קרבן פסח all night
12. Proofרבי אלעזר בן עזריה's source: until midnight
13. Conclusionהדרן — Closing the chapter הקורא למפרע
14. StatementNew chapter: rules for reading the מגילה
15. StatementThree readers on Monday, Thursday, and שבת מנחה
16. StatementFour readers on ראש חודש and חול המועד
17. StatementThe general rule for the number of readers
18. StatementAdding readers, the הפטרה, and the ברכות
19. StatementThe תורה is not like the מגילה: it must be read standing
20. QuestionAsking for the source
21. Responseרבי אבהו's source: 'Stand here with Me'
22. StatementAs it were, ה׳ Himself was standing
23. StatementA teacher should not sit higher than his student
24. Statementתורה was learned standing until רבן גמליאל died
25. ProofSupport from a משנה: the honor of תורה ended
26. ChallengeTwo verses disagree: did משה sit or stand on the mountain?
27. Resolutionרב: stand to learn, sit to review
28. Resolutionרבי חנינא: neither standing nor sitting, but bowing
29. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: 'sat' here means 'stayed'
30. Resolutionרבא: easy material standing, hard material sitting
31. StatementBack to the משנה: one or two people reading the מגילה