Megillah, Daf Kaf Aleph, Part 1

 

Introduction

Today is the last section of chapter two. It relates to the last clause of the mishnah.

 

זה הכלל: דבר שמצותו ביום כשר כל היום, זה הכלל לאתויי מאי? – לאתויי סידור בזיכין וסלוק בזיכין, וכרבי יוסי. דתניא, רבי יוסי אומר: סילק את הישנה שחרית וסידר את החדשה ערבית – אין בכך כלום. ומה אני מקיים (לפני ה‘ תמיד) +מסורת הש"ס: [לפני תמיד (שמות כ"ה)]+ – שלא יהא שולחן בלא לחם.

 

This is the general principle: Any matter whose commandment is during the day, is valid all day.

[The words] "this is the general principle" what do they come to include?

To include the arrangement of the cup and the removal of the cups, and like R. Yose, as it has been taught: R. Yose says: If he removed the old [showbread] in the morning and set the new one in the evening, there is no harm. How then do I fulfill verse, "Before me continually" (Exodus 25:3)? [This is to show that] the table of the Lord should not be without bread.

 

The Talmud assumes that when the Mishnah mentions a general principle it includes cases that were not already cited in the mishnah’s list of examples. Here the Talmud answers the question what specific example is the mishnah including?

On the table in the Temple were two rows of the showbread and two cups of frankincense. When they were removed, the bread would be eaten by the priests and the frankincense would be turned into smoke. Our mishnah teaches that this removal can be done all day. And it accords with R. Yose who holds that the old showbread and with it the frankincense can be removed in the morning and only replaced in the evening, which here means after midday. This shows that the removal of the cups of frankincense can occur any time during the day.

דבר שמצותו בלילה כשר כל הלילה, לאתויי מאי? – לאתויי אכילת פסחים, ודלא כרבי אלעזר בן עזריה. דתניא, ואכלו את הבשר בלילה הזה, אמר רבי אלעזר בן עזריה: נאמר כאן בלילה הזה ונאמר להלן +שמות י"ב+ ועברתי בארץ מצרים בלילה הזה מה להלן עד חצות – אף כאן עד חצות.

 

And any matter whose commandment is at night is valid all night. What does this come to include? It includes eating the pesah sacrifice, and it disagrees with R. Elazar b. Azariah, as it has been taught: "And they shall eat the meat on that night" (Exodus 12:8): R. Elazar b. Azariah said: It says here, "On that night", and it says elsewhere, "And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that night" (Exodus 12:12): just as there up to midnight [is meant], so too here up to midnight [is meant].

 

According to the talmudic reading of the mishnah, the Pesah offering can be eaten all night. This disagrees with R. Elazar b. Azariah who says that one must eat the Pesah before midnight. Just as God passed over Egypt before midnight, so too the Pesah must be eaten before midnight.

הדרן עלך הקורא למפרע.

 

May we return to you "One who reads out of order."

 

Congratulations on finishing another chapter. Short chapter, but a good one !