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Perek 1

Mishnayos Megillah Perek 1 Mishnah 3

מגילה פרק א׳ משנה ג׳

3
What is considered a large city, where the Megilla is read on the fourteenth of Adar? Any city in which there are ten idlers. However, if there are fewer than that, it is considered a village, even if it has many inhabitants. It was with regard to these times for reading the Megilla that the Sages said that one advances the reading of the Megilla before the fourteenth of Adar and one does not postpone the reading to after its proper time. However, with regard to the time when families of priests donate wood for the fire on the altar, which were times those families would treat as Festivals; as well as the fast of the Ninth of Av; the Festival peace-offering that was brought on the Festivals; and the commandment of assembly [hakhel] of the entire Jewish people in the Temple courtyard on Sukkot in the year following the Sabbatical year to hear the king read the book of Deuteronomy; one postpones their observance until after Shabbat and does not advance their observance to before Shabbat. The mishna continues: Even though the Sages said that one advances the time for reading the Megilla and one does not postpone the reading, one is permitted to eulogize and fast on these days, as they are not actually Purim; nevertheless, gifts for the poor are distributed on this day. Rabbi Yehuda said: When is the Megilla read on the day of assembly, before the fourteenth of Adar? In a place where the villagers generally enter town on Monday and Thursday. However, in a place where they do not generally enter town on Monday and Thursday, one may read the Megilla only in its designated time, the fourteenth of Adar.

אֵיזוֹ הִיא עִיר גְּדוֹלָה, כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ עֲשָׂרָה בַטְלָנִים. פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן, הֲרֵי זֶה כְפָר. בָּאֵלּוּ אָמְרוּ מַקְדִּימִין וְלֹא מְאַחֲרִין. אֲבָל זְמַן עֲצֵי כֹהֲנִים וְתִשְׁעָה בְאָב, חֲגִיגָה וְהַקְהֵל, מְאַחֲרִין וְלֹא מַקְדִּימִין. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ מַקְדִּימִין וְלֹא מְאַחֲרִין, מֻתָּרִין בְּהֶסְפֵּד וּבְתַעֲנִיּוֹת וּמַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֵימָתַי, מְקוֹם שֶׁנִּכְנָסִין בְּשֵׁנִי וּבַחֲמִישִׁי. אֲבָל מְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין נִכְנָסִין לֹא בְּשֵׁנִי וְלֹא בַחֲמִישִׁי, אֵין קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא בִזְמַנָּהּ:

ג׳

עשרה בטלנים – of the synagogue who are idle from their work and are fed by the community, in order that they would always be found in the synagogue at the hour of prayer.

באלו אמרו – at the times [of the reading of the Megillah], they said that those who advance the reading if the time of being read falls on Shabbat.

אבל זמן עצי הכהנים והעם – that there were families among Israel who had fixed dates every year to bring wood to the Temple for the needs of the arrangement [of the piles of wood on the altar in the Temple], and they would bring an offering of wood with them as voluntary burnt offerings. If the fourteenth of Adar falls on Shabbat, we postpone [the reading] to the next day.

ותשעה באב – And the same law applies to the other fasts, if one of them falls on the Sabbath.

וחגיגה – if a Yom Tov/Jewish holy day falls on Shabbat, we postpone the holiday peace-offerings to the next day, for they have payment all seven days; and similarly הקהל – the gathering together of the people (see Deuteronomy 31:10-13, especially verse 12), when the King would read the book of Deuteronomy/Mishneh Torah, and all the people are liable to come and bring their children, as it is written (Deuteronomy 31:12): “[Gather the people] – men, women, children,[and all strangers in your communities…], and on Shabbat this is impossible and this we postpone it to the next day.

ולא מקדימין – for their time of their obligation has not yet arrived. But [regarding] Tisha B’Av we don’t advance the retribution.

עשרה בטלנין. של בית הכנסת, שבטלים ממלאכתן ונזונים משל צבור כדי להיות מצויין תמיד בשעת התפילה בבהכ״נ:

באלו אמרו. בזמנים של מגילה אמרו מקדימין אם חל זמן קריאתה בשבת:

אבל זמן עצי הכהנים והעם. שהיו משפחות לישראל שקבועים להם ימים בכל שנה להביא עצים למקדש לצורך המערכה, ומביאין קרבן עצים עמהם עולות נדבה, אם חל להיות בשבת מאחרים ליום מחר:

ותשעה באב. והוא הדין שאר תעניות אם חל א׳ מהן להיות בשבת:

וחגיגה. אם חל י״ט בשבת דוחין שלמי חגיגה למחר, שהרי יש לה תשלומין כל ז. וכן הקהל את העם, שהיה המלך קורא בספר משנה תורה, וכל העם חייבין לבא ולהביא את טפם כדכתיב (דברים ל״א:י״ב) האנשים והנשים והטף, ובשבת אי אפשר ודוחין אותו למחר:

ולא מקדימין. דאכתי לא מטי זמן חיובייהו. ותשעה באב, דאקדומי פורענותא לא מקדמינן: