Megillah 21b

מגילה כ״א ע״ב

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

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Topic

Rules of public reading: voices and translators, the מגילה ברכות, the number of readers and פסוקים, ברכות for each עולה, and dividing the ראש חודש reading.

Overview

The גמרא begins with how many people may read and translate at the same time. The rule is strictest for the תורה, looser for נביא, and very loose for הלל and מגילה, because people love the מגילה and listen closely. אביי then rules that the ברכה before the מגילה is always required, based on שמואל's rule of עובר לעשייתן, and three פסוקים prove that עובר means 'before'. The גמרא gives the three ברכות said before the מגילה (מנ״ח) and the ברכה said after it, where רב פפא combines two endings. Next it explains the three readers on Monday, Thursday and שבת at מנחה, and the minimum of ten פסוקים, with several ideas about what each number stands for. רבא teaches that any of the three readers may read four פסוקים, and each position has its own reason for praise. The גמרא explains why today every עולה says both ברכות. Finally עולא בר רב asks how four readers can split the ראש חודש reading, and the options being tested continue on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (42)

1. StatementTwo readers are not allowed for קריאת התורה
2. StatementHow many readers and translators for תורה, נביא, הלל and מגילה
3. QuestionWhy may many people read the מגילה together?
4. ResponseBecause it is beloved, people listen closely
5. Statementמשנה: where the custom is to bless, one blesses
6. Statementאביי: the custom applies only to the blessing after
7. Proofשמואל: every מצוה gets its blessing beforehand
8. QuestionHow do we know עובר means 'before'?
9. ResponseProof from אחימעץ overtaking the כושי
10. Responseאביי's proof: יעקב went before them
11. ResponseAnother proof: their king passed before them
12. QuestionWhich blessing is said before the מגילה reading
13. Responseרב ששת recited three blessings, hinted at by the letters מנ״ח
14. QuestionWhich blessing is said after the מגילה reading
15. ResponseThe blessing of הרב את ריבנו
16. Statementרבא's different ending: the God Who saves
17. Conclusionרב פפא: say both endings together
18. StatementQuoting the משנה: three people read on Monday, Thursday, and שבת at מנחה
19. QuestionWhat do the three readers correspond to
20. Responseרב אסי: תורה, נביאים, and כתובים
21. Responseרבא: כהנים, לוים, and ישראלים
22. QuestionWhat do רב שימי's ten verses correspond to
23. ResponseThe ten verses match the ten men who sit in shul
24. ResponseThe ten verses match the עשרת הדברות
25. ResponseThe ten verses match דוד's ten praises in תהלים
26. ResponseThe ten verses match the ten statements of creation
27. QuestionWhich are the ten statements of creation?
28. ResponseThe statements are the 'And He said' lines in בראשית
29. ChallengeBut there are only nine
30. Resolutionבראשית itself counts as a statement
31. StatementAny reader who reads four verses is praiseworthy
32. ProofWhy the first reader deserves praise: the three numbered baskets
33. ProofThe middle reader is praiseworthy, learned from the מנורה's middle lamp
34. ProofThe last reader is praiseworthy because we go up in holiness
35. Proofרב פפא praises a first reader who read four
36. StatementQuoting the משנה's limit on readers and a ברייתא on who makes the blessings
37. ResolutionWhy every reader says both blessings today
38. StatementThe משנה: four people read on ראש חודש and חול המועד
39. Questionעולא בר רב asks how to split the ראש חודש reading
40. RejectionThree verses each for the first two readers does not work
41. ChallengeFour verses each causes a problem with the remaining seven
42. QuestionTesting two verses from the שבת section plus one from the next