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Megillah 27b

מגילה כ״ז ע״ב

Learn Megillah 27b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Megillah 27b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Selling holy community property and a בית הכנסת, the רבית question on רבי מאיר, urinating near a place of prayer, and stories of Sages' long lives

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a ruling that charity goes to the local חבר עיר, and רב הונא adds that the poor of both towns rely on him. A new משנה follows. רבי מאיר forbids selling a community's holy item to an individual, while the רבנן say that by his logic even a sale from a big town to a small town would be forbidden. A second משנה gives three views on selling a בית הכנסת: רבי מאיר allows it only with a buy-back condition, the חכמים allow a permanent sale except for four disgraceful uses, and רבי יהודה allows a sale 'as a courtyard' with no limits. The גמרא asks how רבי מאיר's buy-back sale avoids רבית. It answers with צד אחד ברבית, and רבא offers a different reading of that dispute. Next comes שמואל's ruling that one may urinate within four אמות of where he prayed, and a ברייתא that is corrected so that one must only wait, not move away, after praying or urinating. רב אשי explains that the prayer is still on a person's lips. The amud ends with stories of Sages explaining their long lives, including רבי זכאי and רב הונא's sacrifices for קידוש wine. רבי פרידא's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

חֲבֵר עִיר,

a town scholar,

אֲבָל יֵשׁ שָׁם חֲבֵר עִיר —

but if there is a town scholar there —

תִּינָּתֵן לַחֲבֵר עִיר.

it should be given to the town scholar.

וְכׇל שֶׁכֵּן

And all the more so

The steps (38)

  1. ResponseIf a town scholar exists, the charity goes to him
  2. ConclusionAll the more so, since both towns' poor rely on me
  3. Statementרבי מאיר: a community's holy item may not be sold to an individual
  4. ChallengeThe Rabbis: then a big town couldn't sell to a small town either
  5. ChallengeThe גמרא: the Rabbis' argument sounds strong
  6. Resolutionרבי מאיר: a small town is still a community, an individual is not
  7. RejectionThe Rabbis: fewer people is a concern either way, because of 'the king's glory'
  8. StatementThree opinions on selling a synagogue
  9. ChallengeHow can buyers live there without it being interest?
  10. Resolutionרבי מאיר holds that uncertain interest is allowed
  11. ProofA ברייתא about selling a field to a creditor
  12. Statementרבי יהודה permits even the buyer to eat the produce
  13. Proofרבי יהודה brings a story about ביתוס בן זונין
  14. RejectionThe Sages say the seller ate the produce in that story
  15. QuestionWhat is the real point of their argument?
  16. ResponseThey argue about possible interest
  17. Responseרבא: they argue about interest that will be returned
  18. StatementBack to the משנה: the Sages allow a permanent sale
  19. Statementשמואל: one may urinate within four cubits of prayer
  20. Challengeרב יוסף: שמואל's ruling is already in the משנה
  21. ProofEven the Sages would agree about the four cubits
  22. StatementA ברייתא requires four cubits between prayer and urinating
  23. Proofרב נחמן accepts the second rule from a משנה
  24. Challengeרב נחמן rejects the first rule: all of נהרדעא would be holy
  25. ResolutionFix the ברייתא: wait instead of moving away
  26. ChallengeWhy wait after praying?
  27. ResolutionThe prayer is still in his mouth
  28. StatementMemory aid for the coming stories
  29. QuestionStudents ask רבי זכאי about his long life
  30. Responseרבי זכאי's three merits
  31. ProofReward of wine for honoring קידוש
  32. Statementרב הונא pawns his belt to buy wine for קידוש
  33. Statementרב's blessing comes true at רבה's wedding
  34. Statementרב is upset that רב הונא did not bless him back
  35. Questionרבי אלעזר בן שמוע is asked about his long life
  36. Responseרבי אלעזר בן שמוע's three practices
  37. Questionרבי פרידא is asked about his long life
  38. Responseרבי פרידא was always first to the בית המדרש