Megillah, Daf Kaf Heh, Part 4
Introduction
Today’s section lists some other portions of the Bible that we do or do not read or translate.
גמרא. תנו רבנן: יש נקרין ומתרגמין, ויש נקרין ולא מתרגמין, ויש לא נקרין ולא מתרגמין.
אלו נקרין ומתרגמין: בל"ת עק"ן נשפ"ה סימן.
GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: Some portions [of Scripture] are both read and translated, some are read but not translated, and some are neither read nor translated. The following are both read and translated: (Mnemonic: B’L’T E’K’N N’SH’P’H ).
This baraita is an introduction to the rest of the passage which lists which passages are read and translated, and which are not. The mnemonic is there to help remember all of the passages referenced below.
מעשה בראשית נקרא ומתרגם.
פשיטא. מהו דתימא: אתו לשיולי מה למעלה מה למטה, ומה לפנים ומה לאחור, קמשמע לן.
The account of the creation is both read and translated.
This is obvious! What might you have thought? That people might ask what is above and what is below, and what is before and what is after. Therefore it teaches us.
One might have thought that translating the story of the creation of the world would lead one to speculative questions that one should not ask, such as what is above the heavens and what is below. Today we might say that reading Genesis leads to potentially difficult scientific questions. Nevertheless, the rabbis still rule that is read and translated.
מעשה לוט ושתי בנותיו נקרא ומתרגם. פשיטא.
מהו דתימא: ניחוש לכבודו דאברהם, קמשמע לן.
The story of Lot and his two daughters is both read and translated.
This is obvious! We should be concerned for the respect for Abraham. Therefore it teaches us.
We might have thought that reading and translating the story of Lot and his two daughters (thinking that there is no one else left in the world, the girls get him intoxicated and lay with him) was disrespectful to Abraham, Lot’s uncle. The mishnah teaches that it is nevertheless read and translated. But not taught all that much in Hebrew schools, at least from what I remember.
מעשה תמר ויהודה נקרא ומתרגם.
פשיטא. מהו דתימא: ליחוש לכבודו דיהודה, קמשמע לן: שבחיה הוא דאודי.
The story of Tamar and Judah is both read and translated.
This is obvious!
What might you have thought? We should be concerned about the honor of Judah. Therefore it teaches that this is actually to his credit.
The story of Tamar and Judah is found in Genesis 38. It is read and translated, even though one might have thought that it is not respectful to Judah, who after all, lies with his daughter-in-law. It is read and translated because ultimately, the fact that he admits to his sin means the entire story is to his credit.
מעשה עגל הראשון נקרא ומתרגם, פשיטא.
מהו דתימא: ליחוש לכבודן של ישראל. קמשמע לן: כל שכן דניחא להו דהויא להו כפרה.
The first account of the making of the calf is both read and translated.
This is obvious! What you have thought? That we should be concerned for the honor of Israel. Therefore it teaches us that all the more so it is to them, because it was followed by atonement.
We might have thought that we don’t read and translate the first story of the making of the calf because it is disgraceful to Israel, reminding us of our worst transgression. The mishnah teaches that we do read it because in the end we did receive atonement.
Later we shall discuss the second story of the making of the calf.
קללות וברכות נקרין ומתרגמין,
פשיטא. מהו דתימא: ניחוש דלמא פייגא דעתייהו דצבורא, קמשמע לן.
The curses and blessings are both read and translated.
This is obvious! What might you have thought? That we should be concerned lest the congregation should become disheartened; therefore it teaches us.
The curses and blessings found at the end of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are read and translated, even though they might cause the people to become disheartened. Hearing bad prophesies about your future is frightening, but ultimately the point of these verses is to serve as a warning to repent. As such, it is important that they be understood.
אזהרות ועונשין נקרין ומתרגמין,
פשיטא. מהו דתימא: ניחוש דלמא אתו למעבד מיראה, קמשמע לן.
Warnings and penalties are both read and translated.
This is obvious! What might you have thought? That they will come to observe the commandments out of fear; therefore it teaches us.
The warnings not to transgress the commandments and the penalties for having transgressed them are read and translated. We are not afraid that by reading them we will cause people to perform mitzvot only out of fear.
מעשה אמנון ותמר נקרא ומתרגם, [מעשה אבשלום נקרא ומתרגם],
פשיטא. מהו דתימא: ליחוש ליקריה דדוד, קמשמע לן.
The story of Amnon and Tamar is both read and translated.
This is obvious! What might you have thought? That we should be concerned for the honor of David. Therefore it teaches us.
The story of Amnon and Tamar is one of the ugliest stories in the Tanakh. Amnon desires Tamar, his half-sister, and when she refuses to lay with him immediately, he rapes her, and then is revolted by her. Later, as revenge, Avshalom kills Amnon, setting off a rebellion, which leads to Avshalom’s death as well. It’s ugly. And it doesn’t say good things about David and his dysfunctional family. But we read it and translate it anyway.
מעשה פילגש בגבעה נקרא ומתרגם, פשיטא. מהו דתימא: ליחוש לכבודו דבנימין, קמשמע לן.
The story of the concubine in Gibeah is both read and translated.
This is obvious! What might you have thought? That we are concerned for the honor of Benjamin. Therefore it teaches us.
The story of the concubine of Gibeah (Judges 19-20) is one of the most brutal ugly stories in the Tanakh. A man visits the town of Gibeah with his concubine in tow. The depraved men of the town brutally rape her. She eventually makes her way home to her husband, but then dies upon arrival. He cuts her up into pieces and sends a piece to each tribe of Israel, calling for war against the town of Gibeah and the Benjamites. This sets off a civil war.
We might have thought that we don’t read this passage because it is a disgrace to Benjamin.