The Eddie B Sit Edition, an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Megillah, 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 them and give them life, and with the help of Hashem, they should have continued success and prosperity 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 Sarah bat Adel. May the spirit of Hashem rest upon them in the Garden of Eden and all the daughters of Israel who lie with them, in all mercy and forgiveness, and let us say Amen. Today’s Daf is being studied for the elevation of the soul of Avraham ben Esther. May the spirit of Hashem rest upon him in the Garden of Eden, Amen. Today’s Daf is also being studied for the complete recovery of Yosef ben Sarah. Please, Hashem, heal him among all the sick of His people Israel, Amen.
We begin today’s Daf on Kaf Gimmel Amud Bet, starting two lines from the bottom at the Mishnah. The Mishnah reads: “The person reading from the Torah should not read less than three verses.” This implies that when one reads from the Torah, a minimum of three verses must be recited. Furthermore, “One should not read to the interpreter more than one verse.” In earlier times, there was a custom to have an interpreter, known as a Meturgeman. The Mishnah states that one should not read more than one verse at a time before allowing the interpreter to interpret. If one were to read more than one verse, the interpreter might become confused, which could lead to inaccuracies. Since the Torah discusses halachot and mitzvot, it is crucial to ensure that the interpretation is precise.
Rashi explains that the Meturgeman interprets by heart, thus reading too many verses could cause him to make a mistake. The Mishnah continues, “And in the case of the Navi, three verses.” This means that when reading from the Haftarah, the reader can recite three verses and then allow the Meturgeman to interpret. This is a greater allowance, as we are less concerned about potential mistakes in the Navi, since it does not contain halachot. The Mishnah states, “If the three verses are from three different subjects or from three different sections, one must read them one at a time and let the Meturgeman interpret.”
The Mishnah further teaches that one may skip from one chapter in the Navi to another, but one may not skip from one section of the Torah to another. Rashi explains that this is because if one skips, the listener may become confused, as the subjects would change abruptly. The Mishnah then asks, “How much can one skip in the Navi?” This means that in the Navi, one may skip from one section to another as long as the Meturgeman has not yet finished interpreting. If the Meturgeman stops, one cannot continue rolling the scroll, as this would be a burden to the congregation.
Tosafot adds that nowadays, the custom is not to use a Meturgeman, even for the Navi. Instead, the practice is to read one verse at a time to avoid mistakes. However, at the beginning of the Haftarah, they would read three verses to remind themselves of the original institution that allowed three verses for interpretation. The Gemara asks, “These three verses, what do they correspond to?” Rav Assi answers that they correspond to the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim—the three sections of the Tanach.
The Mishnah continues, “And one should not read to the Meturgeman more than one verse, and in the case of the Navi, three verses.” If the three verses are from three different sections, one must read them one at a time. For example, if one reads, “Thus says Hashem, you were sold for nothing,” and “Thus says Hashem, God of Egypt, My people came down first,” and “And now, what do I have here, says Hashem,” these are three verses from Yeshaya, each representing a separate section. Therefore, the reader must read one verse and allow the Meturgeman to interpret.
The Mishnah concludes with the distinction that one may skip in the Navi but not in the Torah. The Gemara then presents a contradiction regarding the reading on Yom Kippur, where the Kohen Gadol reads from the Torah, starting from Acharei Mot and skipping to Ach B’asor. The Gemara questions this, as it seems to contradict the previous statement about not skipping. Abaye answers that in this case, the skipping occurs before the Meturgeman finishes interpreting, which is acceptable.
However, the Gemara raises another contradiction based on the Mishnah, which states that skipping is permitted in the Navi but not in the Torah. The Gemara concludes that it is acceptable to skip in the Torah under certain conditions, such as when one can do so before the Meturgeman finishes interpreting.
The Gemara continues to discuss the implications of skipping and the conditions under which it is permissible. It states that if the skipping is done within the same subject, it is allowed, but if it involves different subjects, it is not permitted. The discussion then shifts to the nature of the Meturgeman and the implications of his role in interpreting the readings, emphasizing the importance of clarity and precision in the reading of the Torah and Navi.
As the Gemara progresses, it highlights the significance of community practices and the need for adherence to established customs in the reading of sacred texts. The emphasis on the role of the interpreter and the guidelines for reading illustrate the delicate balance between tradition and practical application, ensuring that the integrity of the Torah and its teachings are maintained.