Gemara Clarity

Megillah 24b

מגילה כ״ד ע״ב

Learn Megillah 24b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Megillah 24b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Who may lead prayers, read from the תורה, or do נשיאת כפים, and improper practices with תפילין

Overview

The עמוד opens by finishing an earlier discussion. Even according to רבה בר שימי, who explains the rule as a way to avoid quarrels, the משנה's case of a קטן works, because his father or teacher could be drawn into a quarrel. Next, אביי rules that a קטן פוחח may not read from the תורה, because the reason is כבוד צבור. The חכמים and רבי יהודה then argue whether a סומא may lead פורס על שמע. רבי יוסי's story of the blind man with a torch shows that even a blind person benefits from light. A new משנה follows, barring a כהן with blemished or dyed hands from נשיאת כפים, and the גמרא adds more cases: spotted hands, mixing up letters, runny eyes and blindness in one eye. A כהן who is דש בעירו, or whose dyed hands are common in his town, may still bless, since people will not stare. Another משנה bars a prayer leader who insists on white clothes or bare feet, because he may be influenced by מינות. It also lists improper ways of making and wearing תפילין, and רב פפא explains that 'round' there means ball-shaped. A new משנה begins at the end and continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

הָכָא נָמֵי,

Here too,

אִיכָּא נִצּוּיֵי אָבִיו

there is the quarreling of his father

וְנִצּוּיֵי רַבּוֹ.

and the quarreling of his teacher.

פּוֹחֵחַ פּוֹרֵס עַל שְׁמַע וְכוּ׳.

One whose limbs are exposed may lead the blessings of Shema, etc.

The steps (37)

  1. ResponseThe quarrel concern applies here too
  2. StatementQuoting the משנה about a person with exposed limbs
  3. QuestionMay a minor with exposed limbs read from the Torah?
  4. Responseאביי: the reason is respect for the congregation
  5. StatementQuoting the משנה about a blind person
  6. ChallengeThe Sages answer רבי יהודה with the example of the Divine Chariot
  7. Resolutionרבי יהודה explains why the מרכבה proof does not apply
  8. ResolutionThe Rabbis hold that a blind person does benefit from light
  9. Proofרבי יוסי's puzzle about the verse of the groping blind man
  10. ResponseThe blind man with the torch
  11. StatementNew משנה: a כהן with blemished or dyed hands
  12. StatementWhich blemishes count: face, hands, and feet
  13. StatementSpotted hands disqualify
  14. ProofA ברייתא supports the ruling and adds crooked hands
  15. StatementPeople from חיפה and בית שאן may not bless
  16. ProofA ברייתא: they mix up א and ע
  17. Statementרבי חייא teases רבי שמעון about his thick voice
  18. Responseרבי answers back: your own pronunciation is worse
  19. StatementA כהן with runny eyes may not bless
  20. ChallengeBut a man near רב הונא did bless
  21. ResolutionHe was well known in his town
  22. ProofA ברייתא confirms the exception
  23. StatementA כהן blind in one eye may not bless
  24. ChallengeBut a כהן in his own neighborhood did bless
  25. ResolutionHe was familiar in his town
  26. ProofA ברייתא supports the familiar-in-town exception
  27. Statementרבי יהודה: a כהן with dyed hands may not bless
  28. StatementException when most townspeople are dyers
  29. StatementOne who refuses to lead prayers in colored clothes or sandals
  30. StatementRound תפילין: danger and no מצוה
  31. Statementתפילין on the forehead or palm is the way of heretics
  32. StatementGold-plated תפילין or worn on the sleeve is the way of outsiders
  33. QuestionWhy is this prayer leader disqualified?
  34. ResponseThe concern is heresy
  35. ChallengeDoesn't the משנה already teach that תפילין must be square?
  36. RejectionThe משנה means round like a nut
  37. StatementA new משנה begins