Megillah 9b

מגילה ט׳ ע״ב

Learn Megillah 9b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Megillah 9b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Greek translation of the תורה, the status of Greek for ספרים, and the 'אין בין' משניות on kinds of כהן גדול, altars, and שילה versus ירושלים

Overview

This amud finishes the list of wording changes the זקנים made when they translated the תורה into Greek for King תלמי. Each change avoided a wrong idea about God or an insult to the king. The גמרא then quotes רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, who says ספרים may be written only in Hebrew or Greek. רבי יוחנן rules like him and learns it from the פסוק 'God shall enlarge יפת.' רבי חייא בר אבא sharpens this reading: only the beauty of יפת, which is Greek, enters the tents of שם. A new משנה compares a כהן גדול anointed with oil to one made by the garments, and a serving כהן גדול to a former one. The גמרא finds that the first line follows the חכמים and the second follows רבי מאיר. רב חסדא and רב יוסף each explain this split in their own way. Next comes a משנה on public and private altars, which the גמרא reads as following רבי שמעון. The amud ends with a משנה comparing שילה to ירושלים, whose last sentence continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. Statementמשה did not take any valuable thing
2. StatementThe sun and moon were given to give light
3. StatementWhich I did not command them to serve
4. StatementThe hare is called the short-legged animal
5. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל allows only Greek for ספרים
6. StatementThe הלכה follows רבן שמעון בן גמליאל
7. QuestionWhat is the reason of רבן שמעון בן גמליאל?
8. ResponseThe words of יפת in the tents of שם
9. ChallengeWhy not the languages of גומר and מגוג?
10. ResolutionThe beauty of יפת means Greek
11. StatementAnointed כהן גדול versus one made by the extra garments
12. StatementServing כהן גדול versus former כהן גדול
13. StatementInference: both kinds of כהן גדול bring the יום הכפורים bull and daily offering
14. StatementThe משנה does not follow רבי מאיר
15. QuestionWhat is רבי מאיר's reason?
16. ResponseThe extra letter ה in 'הַמָּשִׁיחַ' includes the garment-made כהן גדול
17. ChallengeThe second line of the משנה seems to follow רבי מאיר
18. ProofThe ברייתא showing רבי מאיר's view on a replacement כהן גדול
19. Proofרבי יוסי's story of רבי יוסף בן אלם
20. StatementWhy the replacement fits neither role
21. ChallengeThe משנה seems to follow two different opinions
22. Resolutionרב חסדא accepts the split
23. Resolutionרב יוסף: it is all רבי, choosing between תנאים
24. StatementNew משנה: public altar versus private altar
25. ChallengeIs פסחים really the only difference?
26. ResolutionRead it as 'offerings like פסחים'
27. QuestionWhose opinion is this?
28. ResponseIt is רבי שמעון, proven from a ברייתא
29. StatementNew משנה: where lighter offerings are eaten in שילה versus ירושלים
30. StatementWhat both places share: the holiest offerings stay inside the courtyard
31. StatementOpening the next point: the holiness of שילה