Megillah, Daf Kaf Tet, Part 6
Introduction
Today’s section deals with what we do with Rosh Hodesh Adar and Rosh Hodesh Tevet, each of which have various complications.
אמר רבי יצחק נפחא: ראש חודש אדר שחל להיות בשבת מוציאין שלש תורות וקורין בהן, אחד בעניינו של יום, ואחד בשל ראש חודש, ואחד בכי תשא.
R. Yitzchak Nafha said: When Rosh Hodesh Adar falls on Shabbat, they take out three Torah scrolls and read them: from one the portion of the day, from one the portion for Rosh Hodesh, and from one "When you count."
This is one of the occasions in which three Torah scrolls are used, to avoid having to roll from one to the other.
ואמר רבי יצחק נפחא: ראש חודש טבת שחל להיות בשבת מביאין שלש תורות וקורין בהן: אחד בעניינו של יום, ואחד בדראש חודש, ואחד בחנוכה.
R. Yitzckah b. Nafha also said: When Rosh Hodesh Tevet falls on Shabbat, they take out three Torah scrolls and read them: one from one the portion of the day, one from the portion for Rosh Hodesh, and from one the portion for Hannukah.
This is another of the occasions when three Torah scrolls are used.
וצריכא: דאי איתמר בהא – בהא קאמר רבי יצחק, אבל בהך – כרב סבירא ליה, דאמר פרשת שקלים את קרבני לחמי, ובשתי תורות סגי, קמשמע לן. – ולימא הא ולא בעיא הך! – חדא מכלל חבירתה איתמר.
Both statements are required. For if it had been stated only about the latter, [I might have thought that] in this case R. Yitzchak required [three scrolls], but in the other case he followed the view of Rav who said that the portion of Shekalim is "My sacrifice, my food," and therefore two would be enough. Therefore we are told that this is not so.
But why not state the former [only] and the other would not need to be stated?
One was inferred from the other.
The Talmud now asks a typical question: Why did R. Yitzchak have to make both statements? The first statement is definitely necessary for in it he lets us know that he rules like Shmuel, that we read from Exodus 30 on Shabbat Shekalim. Rav said we read from Numbers 28, the same passage used for Rosh Hodesh, in which case two would have been sufficient.
However, R. Yitzchak could have stated the former and not the latter? The answer is that indeed the latter statement was not actually stated by R. Yitzchak b. Nafha, it was derived from the former statement.
איתמר, ראש חדש טבת שחל להיות בחול, אמר רבי יצחק: קרו תלתא בראש חדש וחד בחנוכה. ורב דימי דמן חיפא אמר: קרו תלתא בחנוכה וחד בראש חודש.
It was stated: Rosh Hodesh Tevet that falls on a weekday, R. Yitzchak says that three read the portion of Rosh Hodesh and one the portion of Hanukkah.
R. Dimi from Haifa, however, says that three read the portion of Hanukkah and one that of Rosh Hodesh.
R. Yitzchak and R. Dimi disagree over what to do when Rosh Hodesh Tevet falls during the week. There need to be four aliyot because it is Rosh Hodesh. But do three read from Rosh Hodesh and one from Hannukah (R. Yitzchak) or three from Hannukah and one from Rosh Hodesh (R. Dimi).
אמר רבי מני: כוותיה דרבי יצחק נפחא מסתברא, דתדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם. אמר רבי אבין: כוותיה דרב דימי מסתברא, מי גרם לרביעי שיבא – ראש חדש, הלכך רביעי בראש חדש בעי מיקרי.
R. Mani said: The opinion of R. Isaac Nappaha is the more reasonable, because when it is a question between the frequent and the infrequent, the frequent takes precedence.
R. Abin, however, said: The opinion of R. Dimi is the more reasonable. For what is it that causes a fourth man to read? Rosh Hodesh. Therefore the fourth ought to read the portion of Rosh Hodesh.
R. Mani says that since Rosh Hodesh is more frequent than Hannukah (12-8) the first three should read from Rosh Hodesh and the fourth from Hannukah.
R. Abin says that since the fourth Aliyah is necessary only because of Rosh Hodesh, the fourth reads from Rosh Hodesh. The first three would read from Hannukah.
מאי הוי עלה? רב יוסף אמר: אין משגיחין בראש חודש. ורבה אמר: אין משגיחין בחנוכה. והלכתא: אין משגיחין בחנוכה, וראש חודש עיקר.
What have we said about this?
R. Joseph said: We take no notice of Rosh Hodesh.
But Rabbah said: We take no notice of Hanukkah.
The halakhah is that we take no notice of Hanukkah, and Rosh Hodesh is the main consideration.
R. Joseph and Rabbah continue the dispute begun above. In the end the halakhah is that we "take no notice of Hannukah." This means that we read three aliyot from Rosh Hodesh and then one from Hannukah.