Megillah, Daf Yod Tet, Part 3
Introduction
Today’s section deals with the second section of the Mishnah where there was a dispute as to where one must begin the Megillah reading.
מהיכן קורא אדם את המגילה וכו’. תניא, רבי שמעון בר יוחאי אומר: מבלילה ההוא.
From where does he read the Megillah etc.
It has been taught: R. Shimon b. Yohai says: From "On that night" (Esther 6:1).
There were three opinions in the Mishnah as to where we start reading the Megillah: 1) From the very beginning. 2) 2:5, "There was a Jew 3) 3:1, "It happened after these events " Here we read of a fourth opinion, that we start even later in the book, from 6:1 (Ahashverosh’s dream).
אמר רבי יוחנן: וכולן מקרא אחד דרשו: ותכתב אסתר המלכה… ומרדכי היהודי את כל תקף. מאן דאמר כולה – תוקפו של אחשורוש, ומאן דאמר מאיש יהודי – תוקפו של מרדכי, ומאן דאמר מאחר הדברים האלה – תוקפו של המן, ומאן דאמר מבלילה ההוא – תוקפו של נס.
R. Yohanan said: All these rabbis derived their rule from the same verse: "Then Esther the queen and Mordecai the Jew wrote all the acts of power" (9:29). He who says the whole Megillah, this refers to the power of Ahashverosh; he who says from "There was a Jew," the power of Mordecai; he who says from "After these things" the power of Haman; and he who says, from "On that night" the power of the miracle.
R. Yohanan says that all four opinions can be derived from a dispute over what "acts of power" Esther and Mordecai wrote of in 9:29. Chapter one begins with the acts of Ahashverosh. In 2:5 we begin to learn about Mordecai. In 3:1 Haman enters the picture. And the miracle only begins to unfold in 6:1. So we see that the dispute over where to begin reading is a dispute over whose story we are telling: Ahashverosh, Mordecai, Haman or God.
רב הונא אמר מהכא: ומה ראו על ככה ומה הגיע אליהם, מאן דאמר כולה – מה ראה אחשורוש שנשתמש בכלים של בית המקדש – על ככה – משום דחשיב שבעים שנין ולא איפרוק. ומה הגיע אליהם – דקטל ושתי,
R. Huna said: They derived it from here: "Of what they saw in that matter and of what came upon them" (9:26). He who says that the whole of it must be read [interprets thus]: What did Ahashverosh see to make him use the vessels of the Temple? "In that matter", in that he reckoned seventy years and they had not yet been redeemed; "And what came upon them?" That he killed Vashti.
R. Huna says that they all derived their opinions from a different verse, this time 9:29. The one who says all of it must be read interprets that verse in connection with Ahashverosh. Ahashverosh saw that the time had come for the Jews to be redeemed from exile and they had not yet been redeemed. This led him to throw a sumptuous feast, and ultimately led him to kill Vashti. Were it not for that act, Esther would not have been queen and the Jews would not have been saved from Haman.
ומאן דאמר מאיש יהודי, מה ראה מרדכי דאיקני בהמן – על ככה – דשוי נפשיה עבודה זרה, ומה הגיע אליהם – דאתרחיש ניסא.
He who says that it should be read from "There was a Jew" [interprets thus]: What had Mordecai seen that he provoked Haman? "In that matter", that he made himself an object of idolatry. "And what came upon them"? That a miracle occurred.
The one who says that the reading begins with the first mention of Mordecai sees the incident where Mordecai provoked Haman by not bowing down to him as the catalyst for all the future events, including the miracle that the Jews were saved.
ומאן דאמר מאחר הדברים האלה, מה ראה המן שנתקנא בכל היהודים – על ככה משום דמרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחוה, ומה הגיע אליהם – ותלו אתו ואת בניו על העץ,
He who says that it is to be read from "After these things," [interprets thus]: What did Haman see to make him provoke all the Jews? "In that matter", that Mordecai did not bow down or prostrate himself; "And what came upon him"? They hung him and his sons on the tree.
According to this opinion, the events really begin with Haman deciding to kill all of the Jews.
ומאן דאמר מבלילה ההוא, מה ראה אחשורוש להביא את ספר הזכרונות – על ככה – דזמינתיה אסתר להמן בהדיה, ומה הגיע אליהם – דאתרחיש ניסא.
He who says that it is to be read from "On that night" interprets thus: What did Ahashverosh see to make him order them to bring the Chronicles? "In that matter" that Esther invited Haman with him. "And what came upon them"? A miracle occurred.
Finally, the one who says we begin to read from "On that night" says that the verse refers to Ahashverosh’s ordering of the book of Chronicles to be read. It was from this point that the miracle that saved the Jews began to unfold.