Megillah, Daf Lammed Aleph, Part 2
Introduction
Today’s section presents a fuller picture of what passages are read on what holidays. It also includes the readings for the haftarah and it explains what sections of the Torah are read in the Diaspora where there are two days of the festival at the beginning and end of each holiday.
Some of these sections are pretty straightforward and do not require explanation. I have only explained those sections that I believe require explanation.
גמרא. תנו רבנן: בפסח קורין בפרשת מועדות, ומפטירין בפסח +יהושע ה+ גלגל. והאידנא דאיכא תרי יומי, יומא קמא בפסח גלגל, ולמחר – בפסח יאשיהו. ושאר ימות הפסח מלקט וקורא מענינו של פסח.
מאי היא? אמר רב פפא: מאפ"ו סימן.
GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: On Pesah we read from the section of the festivals and for haftarah the account of the Pesah at Gilgal (Joshua 5).
And now that we keep two days of Pesah, the haftarah of the first day is the account of the Pesah in Gilgal and of the second day that of the Pesah of Josiah (II Kings 23:1-9, 21-25).
On the other days of Pesach the various passages in the Torah relating to Pesah are read.
What are these? R. Papa said: The mnemonic is MAPU.
The only part here that requires explanation is R. Papa’s mnemonic to remember the readings for the intermediate days of Pesah.
M=Exodus 12:21-51 (משכו).
A=Exodus 22:24-23:19 (אם כסף תלוה)
P=Exodus 34:1-26 (פסל לך)
U=Numbers 9:1-14 (וידבר ה’ אל משה)
יום טוב האחרון של פסח קורין +שמות י"ג+ ויהי בשלח ומפטירין +שמואל ב כ"ב+ וידבר דוד, ולמחר +דברים ט"ו+ כל הבכור, ומפטירין +ישעיהו י+ עוד היום. אמר אביי: והאידנא נהוג עלמא למיקרי: משך תורא קדש בכספא פסל במדברא שלח בוכרא.
On the last day of Pesah we read, "And it came to pass when God sent" (Exodus 13:17-15:26), and as haftarah, "And David spoke" (II Samuel 22:1-51).
On the next day we read, "All the firstborn" (Deuteronomy 15:19-16:19), and for haftarah, "This very day" (Isaiah 10:32-12:6).
Abaye said: Nowadays the communities are accustomed to read Draw the ox, Sanctify with money, Hew in the wilderness, and Send the firstborn.
Abaye lists a different practice for Torah reading on Pesah and provides a way to remember the order as well. His order differs from that found in the Mishnah and R. Papa’s statement.
"Draw" Exodus 12:21-51.
"the Ox" Leviticus 22:26-23:44.
"Sanctify" Exodus 13:1-16.
"With money" Exodus 22:24-23:19.
"Hew" Exodus 34:1-26.
"In the wilderness" Numbers 9:1-14.
"Send" Exodus 13:17-15:26.
"The firstborn" Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17.
By the very existence of all of these lists we can see that there was still a great degree of fluidity in Torah reading during the talmudic period.
בעצרת +דברים ט"ז+ שבעה שבועות ומפטירין +חבקוק ג+ בחבקוק, אחרים אומרים: +שמות י"ט+ בחדש השלישי, ומפטירין +יחזקאל א+ במרכבה. והאידנא דאיכא תרי יומי – עבדינן כתרוייהו, ואיפכא.
On Shavuot, we read "Seven weeks", and for haftarah from Habakuk (3:1-19).
According to others, we read "In the third month" (Exodus 19:1-20:23), and for haftarah the account of the Divine Chariot (Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:1-12).
Nowadays that we keep two days, we act in accordance with both, but in the reverse order.
The first opinion as to what we read on Shavuot accords with the Mishnah from Deuteronomy 15-16. This emphasizes Shavuot as a harvest holiday. But at some time during the tannaitic period Shavuot came to be associated with the giving of the Torah. This is reflected in a shift in Torah readings to Exodus 19 concerned with the giving of the Torah on Sinai. We should remember that the Torah itself does not describe revelation as occurring on Shavuot.
בראש השנה +במדבר כ"ט+ בחדש השביעי, ומפטירין +ירמיהו ל"א+ הבן יקיר לי אפרים, ויש אומרים +בראשית כ"א+ וה פקד את שרה, ומפטירין +שמואל א ב+ בחנה. והאידנא דאיכא תרי יומי, יומא קמא – כיש אומרים, למחר +בראשית כ"ב+ והאלהים נסה את אברהם, ומפטירין הבן יקיר.
On Rosh Hashanah we read "On the seventh month", and for haftarah, "Ephraim a precious son to me" (Jeremiah 31:1-19).
According to others, we read "And the Lord remembered Sarah" and for haftarah the story of Hannah (I Samuel 1:1-2:10).
Nowadays that we keep two days, on the first day we follow the ruling of the other authority, and on the next day we say, "And God tested Abraham", and for the haftarah we read "Ephraim is a precious son to me."
The first opinion again accords with that stated in the Mishnah, according to which we read from the list of festivals in Leviticus 23.
And again the other opinion gives a historical reading for the holiday, connecting it with the birth of Isaac and his binding on the altar.
ביום הכפורים קורין +ויקרא ט"ז+ אחרי מות ומפטירין +ישעיהו נ"ז+ כי כה אמר רם ונשא, ובמנחה קורין בעריות ומפטירין ביונה.
On Yom Kippur we read "After the death" (Leviticus 16) and for haftarah, "For thus said the high and lofty one" (Isaiah 57:14-58).
At minhah we read the section of forbidden sexual relationships (Leviticus 18:1-30) and for haftarah the book of Jonah.
One interesting question is why we read the section about forbidden relationships on Minhah of Yom Kippur. One possibility is that these types of sins are either common or at least desired by many people and therefore on the Day of Atonement are most appropriate to be read.
Others note that there was a custom on that day for women to go out in the field dressed in white to try to attract men’s hand in marriage. This reading was enacted to warn them to keep it legit.