The Eddie B. Sit edition, an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Megilla, has been dedicated by our good friend Mr. Stephen and his wife Gila Israel, a charter member of our Daf Yomi Shiur, for the success of both sets of parents and, of course, their dear children. May Hashem protect and sustain them, and with Hashem's help, they should have continued success, prosperity, and blessing in all their endeavors. This Masechet has also been dedicated by Stephen and his wife for the elevation of the souls of Adel bat Rosa and Sara bat Adel. May the spirit of Hashem rest upon them in the Garden of Eden and upon all the daughters of Israel who lie with them, with all mercy and forgiveness, and let us say, Amen.
Today’s Daf is Daf Yud Zayin, being studied for the elevation of the soul of Avraham ben Ester. May the spirit of Hashem rest upon him in the Garden of Eden. We begin today’s Daf on Tet Zayin Amud Bet, right in the bottom two lines of the Daf. The Gemara states, “Rabba said, Rabbi Yitzchak bar Shmuel bar Marta said, ‘Greater is the study of Torah than the honoring of one’s father and mother.’” This means that the study of Torah holds a higher status than the commandment to honor one’s parents.
All the years that Jacob, our forefather, was in the house of Ever, he was not punished. Rashi explains that when he left to go to Laban’s house, he stopped by the house of Shem and Ever, the Beit Ha-Midrash of Shem and Ever, and he stayed there for fourteen years. It is known that Jacob was punished for the years he was away from his parents. The Gemara will provide a detailed calculation that altogether, the years he was away from his parents amounted to twenty-two years. This punishment came about because he could not respect them during that time, as he was not present. Therefore, Borei Olam arranged that his son, Yosef, would also be taken away from him for that exact amount of time, a principle known as mida keneged mida.
We will see through this long calculation that Jacob was actually away from his parents for thirty-six years. The fourteen years he spent in the house of Shem and Ever do not count towards this total, as one is not held accountable for not honoring one’s parents while studying in the Yeshiva. However, the years spent in Laban’s house do count, and he is held accountable for that time. The Maharsha immediately questions this, asking why Jacob should be punished for the years he spent in Laban’s house, as it was his parents who instructed him to go there. An interesting answer is given by the Imrei Noam, who explains that after the fourteen years in Shem and Ever, Esav’s anger subsided. Rivka, his mother, sent a message through Devorah, his nursemaid, to bring him home, but Jacob did not return; he stayed in Laban’s house. Therefore, he was held responsible even for the years spent there.
Another point raised by the Maharsha is the terminology used; it is referred to as the house of Ever rather than the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever. He explains that it was mentioned as the house of Ever because Shem had already died when Jacob was fifty. Jacob arrived at the house of Shem and Ever at the age of sixty-three, and since Shem was not present, the Yeshiva was referred to simply as the house of Ever. The Gemara will now present the detailed calculation of Jacob’s years.
The Gemara states, “Why does the Torah enumerate the years of Yishmael?” Rashi asks why we need to count the years of the wicked. The purpose is to relate the years of Jacob. It is written, “These are the years of the life of Yishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years.” We know that Yishmael lived for one hundred thirty-seven years. The question arises: how many years older was Yishmael than Yitzchak? It is fourteen years, as it is written that Avraham was eighty-six years old when he had Yishmael. It is also written that Avraham was one hundred years old when he had Yitzchak, resulting in a fourteen-year age difference between them. We know that Yitzchak had Jacob and Esav when he was sixty years old, which means Yishmael was seventy-four when Jacob was born.
The Gemara then asks, “How many years did Yishmael have left to live?” The answer is sixty-three years. Thus, we find that Jacob was sixty-three years old when Yishmael died. This is corroborated by the statement that Jacob was sixty-three years old when he received blessings from his father. The Gemara continues, “At that time, Yishmael died.” This indicates that the timing of Yishmael’s death coincided with Jacob receiving the blessings.
After Esav learned that Jacob had received the blessings, he went to Yishmael and married Machalat, the daughter of Yishmael. The Gemara questions why it is necessary to mention that she was the sister of Nevayot. It teaches us that Yishmael engaged to Machalat before he died, and thereafter, Nevayot, her brother, finalized the marriage. This indicates the timing of events that transpired around the blessings given to Jacob.
Continuing with the calculations, the Gemara states that Jacob was sixty-three years old when he received the blessings, and at that time, Yishmael died. The Gemara further calculates that Jacob was seventy-seven years old when his son Yosef was born, as he worked for Laban for fourteen years, completing that service before Yosef was born. It is noted that Jacob was one hundred seven years old when Yosef stood before Pharaoh at thirty years of age. Adding seven years of plenty and two years of famine brings Jacob’s age to one hundred sixteen when he descended to Egypt. The Gemara concludes that there is a fourteen-year gap in the calculations, indicating that the years spent in the house of Ever were not counted against him.
The Gemara will now discuss the implications of these calculations regarding the commandment to honor one’s parents. It concludes that the study of Torah is indeed greater than the commandment of honoring one’s father and mother, as demonstrated through Jacob’s life experiences.
As we transition to the next section of the Gemara, we begin discussing the laws concerning the reading of the Megillah. The person who reads the Megillah out of order does not fulfill their obligation. If one reads it by heart or in Aramaic, they also do not fulfill their obligation. However, it is permissible to read it to a foreigner in a foreign language. The Gemara will address the contradictions in these laws, particularly regarding the readings and their proper order.
We learn that if a person reads the Megillah in a disjointed manner or while dozing off, they fulfill their obligation provided they had the intention to do so. The Megillah must be written in ketav ashurit on parchment with black ink. The Gemara will clarify the requirements for the kosher writing of the Megillah and the implications of reading it correctly.
In conclusion, the Gemara emphasizes the importance of order in both the reading of the Megillah and the Amidah, drawing parallels to other prayers and blessings that must also be recited in a specific order. This meticulous attention to detail reflects the deep reverence for the commandments and the traditions of our ancestors.