Megillah, Daf Lammed Aleph, Part 3
Introduction
Today’s section continues with a comment related to one of the verses read on Yom Kippur. Then we continue on with the list of Torah and haftarah readings for holidays.
אמר רבי יוחנן: כל מקום שאתה מוצא גבורתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא אתה מוצא ענוותנותו; דבר זה כתוב בתורה ושנוי בנביאים ומשולש בכתובים.
R. Yohanan said: Wherever you find [mentioned in the Bible] the power of the Holy One, blessed be He, you also find his humility. This fact is stated in the Torah, repeated in the Prophets, and stated a third time in the [Sacred] Writings.
R. Yohanan’s midrash is tied to one of the verses read on Yom Kippur described in the end of yesterday’s section.
In his statement he mentions a word that I have translated as "humility." This is probably the most common translation, but still not an exact one for "anavah." "Anavah" as understood by the rabbis is a quality in which one’s value in the eyes of God is not dictated by one’s social standing, but rather by the concept that all people were created in the image of God. The "anav" is not a wealthy person who does not take pride in his wealth or standing. The "anav" is the persecuted poor person, the lowly of society. God is portrayed as the champion of the oppressed "anavim." God uses God’s might to raise these people up.
כתוב בתורה – +דברים י‘+ כי ה‘ אלהיכם הוא אלהי האלהים ואדני האדנים, וכתיב בתריה עשה משפט יתום ואלמנה. שנוי בנביאים – +ישעיהו נ"ז+ כה אמר רם ונשא שכן עד וקדוש וגו‘, וכתיב בתריה ואת דכא ושפל רוח. משולש בכתובים דכתיב +תהלים ס"ח+ סלו לרכב בערבות ביה שמו, וכתיב בתריה אבי יתומים ודין אלמנות.
It is written in the Torah, "For the Lord your God, He is the God of gods and Lord of lords," and it says immediately afterwards, "He executes justice for the orphan and widow" (Deuteronomy 10:17).
It is repeated in the Prophets: "For thus said He who high aloft forever dwells, whose name is holy" and it says immediately afterwards, "I dwell on high, in holiness yet with the contrite and lowly spirit" (Isaiah 57:15).
It is stated a third time in the [Sacred] Writings, as it is written: "Extol him that rides the clouds, the Lord is his name," and immediately afterwards it is written, "A father of orphans and a judge of the widows" (Psalms 68:5-6).
These are the instances in which God is first presented as mighty and then His might is expressed in terms of championing the orphan, widow and oppressed poor.
יום טוב הראשון של חג קורין בפרשת מועדות שבתורת כהנים, ומפטירין +זכריה י"ד+ הנה יום בא לה‘, והאידנא דאיכא תרי יומי, למחר מיקרא הכי נמי קרינן, אפטורי מאי מפטירין? +מלכים א‘ ח‘+ ויקהלו אל המלך שלמה, ושאר כל ימות החג קורין בקרבנות החג.
On the first day of Sukkot we read the section of the festivals in Leviticus, and for haftarah, "Behold a day comes for the Lord" (Zechariah 14:1-21).
Now that we keep two days, on the next day we read the same section from the Torah, but what do we read for haftarah? "And all the men of Israel assembled unto King Solomon" (I Kings 8:2-21).
On the other days of the festival we read the section of the offerings of the festival.
The reading for Sukkot is from Leviticus, as was stated in the Mishnah. This same reading is used in the Diaspora for the second day of the festival.
The haftarah for the first day is from Zechariah’s vision of a battle at the end of days, at the end of which people will stream to Jerusalem to greet the Messiah.
The second day’s haftarah is about Solomon’s dedication of the Temple which took place on Sukkot.
The rest of the festival we read about the festival sacrifices as stated in the Mishnah.
יום טוב האחרון קורין כל הבכור מצות וחוקים ובכור, ומפטירין +מלכים א‘ ט‘+ ויהי ככלות שלמה. למחר קורין וזאת הברכה ומפטירין +מלכים א‘ ח‘+ ויעמד שלמה.
On the last day of the festival we read, "All the firstlings" [but first we read] the commandments and statutes [which precede it], and then "all the firstlings" (Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17) and for haftarah, "And when Solomon had finished" (I Kings 8:54-9:1).
On the next day we read, "And this is the blessing" (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12), and for haftarah, "And Solomon stood" (I Kings 8:23-53).
On Shemini Atzeret (the last day of Sukkot) we read from Deuteronomy 15. On the second day we read the end of the Torah to celebrate Simchat Torah.
We should note that in Israel where there is only one day of Shemini Atzeret (it’s both Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah), we still keep the Babylonian custom of finishing the Torah every year. Therefore, we read the end of the Torah and not, as the baraita says, Deuteronomy 15.
As far as the haftarah, on Simchat Torah today we do not follow this Talmud, rather we read from the beginning of Joshua and not from I Kings. The Tosafot say that this is a takannah, an enactment of R. Hai Gaon from the 10th century, although others question the accuracy of this ascription. In any case, the purpose is clearly to begin reading the section of the Bible that immediately follows the conclusion of the Torah.
אמר רב הונא אמר רב: שבת שחל להיות בחולו של מועד, בין בפסח בין בסוכות, מקרא קרינן +שמות ל"ג+ ראה אתה, אפטורי, בפסח – +יחזקאל ל"ז+ העצמות היבשות, ובסוכות – +יחזקאל ל"ח+ ביום בוא גוג.
R. Huna said in the name of R. Sheshet: On the Shabbat which falls in the intermediate days of the festival, whether Pesah or Sukkot, the passage we read from the Torah is "See, You [say to me]" (Exodus 33:14-34:26) and for haftarah on Pesah the passage of the "Dry bones" (Ezekiel 37:1-14) and on Sukkot, "In that day when Gog shall come" (Ezekiel 38:18-39:16).
R. Huna lists the Torah reading for Shabbat Hol Hamoed on Pesah and Sukkot as well as the haftarot for both occasions.
בחנוכה – בנשיאים, ומפטירין +זכריה ג‘+ בנרות דזכריה.
ואי מיקלעי שתי שבתות, קמייתא – בנרות דזכריה, בתרייתא – +מלכים א‘ ז‘+ בנרות שלמה.
On Hanukkah we read the section of the chieftains:
And for haftarah [on Shabbat] that of the lights in Zechariah (2:14-4:7).
And if there are two Shabbatot in Hanukkah, on the first we read [for haftarah] the passage of the lights in Zechariah and on the second that of the lights of Solomon (I Kings 8:40-50).
בפורים – +שמות י"ז+ ויבא עמלק. בראשי חדשים – +במדבר כ"ח+ ובראשי חדשיכם. ראש חדש שחל להיות בשבת מפטירין +ישעיהו ס"ו+ והיה מדי חדש בחדשו. חל להיות באחד בשבת, מאתמול מפטירין +שמואל א‘ כ‘+ ויאמר לו יהונתן מחר חדש.
On Purim we read "And Amalek came" (Exodus 17).
On Rosh Hodesh, "On your new moons" (Numbers 28).
If Rosh Hodesh falls on Shabbat, the haftarah is [the passage concluding] "And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another" (Isaiah 66:1-24).
If it falls on a Sunday, on the day before the haftarah is, "And Jonathan said to him, tomorrow is the new moon" (I Samuel 20:18-42).