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Megillah 7a

מגילה ז׳ ע״א

Learn Megillah 7a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The two פורים verses, how מגילת אסתר became Scripture and its holiness, proofs that it was said with רוח הקודש, and the minimum amounts for משלוח מנות and מתנות לאביונים.

Overview

This amud finishes the leap-year discussion. It explains why both "השנית" and "בכל שנה ושנה" are needed to keep פורים once, in אדר שני, and what רבי אליעזר ברבי יוסי learns from "השנית" instead. Next come two versions of אסתר's request to the חכמים: to make פורים permanent, and to write her book into תנ"ך. In the second version the חכמים find room for the מגילה in the פסוק "כתב זאת זכרון בספר", a reading that matches a dispute between רבי יהושע and רבי אלעזר המודעי. שמואל rules that ספר אסתר does not make the hands טמא, because it was given to be read, not written, and he follows רבי יהושע. Side discussions cover קהלת and שיר השירים. Several תנאים then bring proofs that אסתר was said with רוח הקודש. רבא knocks down every proof except שמואל's "קיימו וקבלו", and רב יוסף and רב נחמן בר יצחק add proofs of their own. Finally the גמרא returns to the משנה: משלוח מנות is two portions to one person, and מתנות לאביונים is two gifts to two poor people. It then begins a story of a פורים gift that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״הַשֵּׁנִית״

"The second"

וְאִיצְטְרִיךְ לְמִיכְתַּב ״בְּכׇל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה״.

and it was necessary to write "in each and every year".

דְּאִי מִ״בְּכׇל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה״

For if [we learned only] from "in each and every year",

הֲוָה אָמֵינָא כִּי קוּשְׁיַן,

I would have said it means what our question suggested,

The steps (32)

  1. ResolutionWhy both verses are needed
  2. QuestionWhat does the other opinion do with "the second"?
  3. Response"The second" teaches that פורים spread from שושן to the world
  4. Statementאסתר asks the חכמים to set up פורים for all generations
  5. StatementA second version: אסתר asks that her book be written in תנ"ך
  6. ResolutionThe חכמים find a פסוק that makes room for the מגילה
  7. StatementThe same reading matches a dispute between תנאים
  8. Statementשמואל says אסתר does not make the hands טמא
  9. ChallengeBut שמואל himself said אסתר was said with רוח הקודש
  10. ResolutionSaid with רוח הקודש to be read, not to be written
  11. ChallengeA ברייתא where everyone agrees אסתר makes the hands טמא
  12. Resolutionשמואל follows רבי יהושע
  13. Statementקהלת is only the wisdom of שלמה
  14. ChallengeThe חכמים prove קהלת came from רוח הקודש
  15. QuestionWhy was the second פסוק needed?
  16. ResponseThe first proof could be pushed off, so 'אל תוסף' was added
  17. Statementרבי אליעזר: proof from what המן thought in his heart
  18. Statementרבי עקיבא: proof from everyone seeing אסתר with favor
  19. Statementרבי מאיר's proof: מרדכי found out about the plot
  20. Statementרבי יוסי בן דורמסקית's proof: no one touched the plunder
  21. Statementשמואל's better proof: heaven confirmed what they accepted
  22. Statementרבא: every proof can be refuted except שמואל's
  23. RejectionRefuting רבי אליעזר: המן's thoughts were obvious
  24. RejectionRefuting רבי עקיבא: each nation saw אסתר as its own
  25. Rejectionמרדכי could have understood the plotters' language
  26. RejectionMessengers could have reported that no spoils were taken
  27. Conclusionשמואל's proof has no answer
  28. StatementOne sharp pepper beats a basket of pumpkins
  29. Statementרב יוסף: פורים will never stop
  30. Statementרב נחמן בר יצחק: the memory will never end
  31. StatementHow many portions and how many gifts
  32. Statementרבי יהודה נשיאה sends a Purim gift to רבי אושעיא