Megillah, Daf Kaf Aleph, Part 5

 

Introduction

Today’s section discusses the clause in the Mishnah about blessing before or after the Megillah.

 

מקום שנהגו לברך יברך.

אמר אביי: לא שנו אלא לאחריה, אבל לפניה – מצוה לברך. דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל: כל המצות כולן מברך עליהן עובר לעשייתן.

 

 

Where it is the custom to say a blessing, he should say it.

Abaye said: They taught this only about the blessing after the reading, but before the reading it is a mitzvah to say a blessing, since Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: All of the mitzvoth one says a blessing on them as one passes [over] them to perform them.

 

The mishnah says that the recitation of a blessing over the Megillah is dependent on custom. Abaye limits this to the blessing after the reading. One must bless before reading the Megillah, as was stated by R. Judah, that one must bless before performing any mitzvah.

R. Judah uses a slightly unusual phrase to mean "before their performance" "over le’asiyatan." The Talmud now asks how we know what this phrase means.

מאי משמע דהאי עובר לישנא דאקדומי הוא? אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק, אמר קרא +שמואל ב’ י"ח+ וירץ אחימעץ דרך הככר ויעבר את הכושי,

אביי אמר מהכא: +בראשית ל"ג+ והוא עבר לפניהם,

ואיבעית אימא מהכא: +מיכה ב’+ ויעבר מלכם לפניהם וה’ בראשם.

 

How do we know that this "passing" means "before"?

R. Nahman b. Isaac said: Scripture says, "Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and overran [wa-ya’avor] the Cushite" (II Samuel 18:23).

Abaye said: We prove it from here: "And he himself passed over before them" (Genesis 33:3).

Or, if you want, I can say: "And their king passed on before them and the Lord at the head of them" (Micah 2:13).

 

The Talmud now cites three verses in which the root "over (עבר)" is used to mean in front of.

לפניה מאי מברך? רב ששת מקטרזיא איקלע לקמיה דרב אשי, ובריך מנ"ח.

 

What blessing is said before the reading of the Megillah?

R. Shesheth from Katrazya happened [once to read] in the presence of R. Ashi, and he blessed M"N"H.

 

Before the Megillah three blessings are recited: M=mikra megillah, for reading the Megillah. N=nissim, over the miracle of Purim. H=shehehiyanu. These are basically the same three recited over Hannukah candles.

 

לאחריה מאי מברך? ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם (האל) הרב את ריבנו, והדן את דיננו, והנוקם את נקמתנו, והנפרע לנו מצרינו, והמשלם גמול לכל אויבי נפשנו, ברוך אתה ה’ הנפרע לישראל מכל צריהם. רבא אמר: האל המושיע. אמר רב פפא: הלכך נימרינהו לתרוייהו: ברוך אתה ה’ הנפרע לישראל מכל צריהם האל המושיע.

 

What blessing is said after it? Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of the universe, [the God] who fought our fight and judged our judgment and avenged our vengeance and punished our adversaries for us and paid back retribution on all the enemies of our lives. Blessed are You, O Lord, who pays back retribution to all the enemies of Israel.

Rava Says: [The concluding words are], "The God who saves."

R. Papa said: Therefore we should say both: "Blessed are You, O Lord, who pays back retribution to all the enemies of Israel, the God who saves."

 

The Talmud now turns to the blessing after the Megillah. As we can see it focuses on vengeance, which is certainly a prominent theme in the Megillah. It also is something that must have resonated with the rabbis, living under a foreign regime. They dream of a time when they can take vengeance on their foes, when they have the upper hand. That is what Purim means to them. An opposite time, when Jews are on top and their constant oppressors are being paid back.

There is a dispute about the concluding formula. Rava focuses on God’s saving power, whereas the earlier version focused on vengeance. R. Papa, as he often does, harmonizes the two, claiming that both should be said.