Megillah, Daf Lammed Bet, Part 1
Introduction
Get ready to learn the last daf of Tractate Megillah! This daf is short so you’ll have a breather before we begin Ketubot next week.
תנו רבנן: מקום שמפסיקין בשבת שחרית שם קורין במנחה, במנחה – שם קורין בשני, בשני – שם קורין בחמישי, בחמישי – שם קורין לשבת הבאה, דברי רבי מאיר. רבי יהודה אומר: מקום שמפסיקין בשבת שחרית – שם קורין במנחה, ובשני ובחמישי ולשבת הבאה.
Our Rabbis taught: The place [in the Torah] where they leave off in the morning service of Shabbat is the place where they begin at Minhah; the place where they leave off at Minhah [on Shabbat] is the place where they begin on Monday; the place where they leave off on Monday is the place where they begin on Thursday; the place where they leave off on Thursday is the place where they begin on the next Shabbat, the words of R. Meir. R. Judah says that the place where they leave off in the morning service on Shabbat is the place where they begin at Minah [on Shabbat], on Monday, on Thursday, and on the next Shabbat.
There are two different opinions here as to how we read through the Torah. According to R. Meir there is no overlap in reading. We begin the new portion on Shabbat, and wherever that portion ends, we continue on at Shabbat Minhah, and then proceed on Monday and Thursday. Thus we never repeat the same reading. Today we follow R. Judah who says that the Shabbat Minhah begins a new cycle. That reading is repeated on Monday and Thursday. They also begin the Shabbat reading at the same place as was left off the previous Shabbat.
אמר רבי זירא: הלכה, מקום שמפסיקין בשבת שחרית – שם קורין במנחה ובשני ובחמישי ולשבת הבאה. – ולימא: הלכה כרבי יהודה! משום דאפכי להו.
R. Zera said: The halakhah is that the place where they leave off in the morning service on Shabbat is the place where they begin at Minhah, on Monday, on Thursday and on the next Shabbat.
Why does he not say, "the halakhah follows Rabbi Judah"? Because [the names] might be reversed.
R. Zera rules that the halakhah follows R. Judah. However, instead of saying this directly, he states the content of the halakhah lest people get the names wrong.