Be'ezrat Hashem, we're learning halachah from Aruch Hashulchan (The Set Table), Shulchan Aruch, and Hilchot Megillah (Laws of the Megillah). We're in tarpat. Right, I was waiting today. Shehakol chayavim bikriyat hamegillah uvo zayin se'ifim (Everyone is obligated in reading the Megillah, and it has seven clauses). I'll start alef (the first letter), and we'll go around the table. We need Mishnah Berurah (Clarifying Mishnah), rabotai (gentlemen), in front of us.
Tanya beTosefta (Supplement) dimegillah (it is taught in the Tosefta on Megillah): hakol chayavim bemikra megillah (everyone is obligated in reading the Megillah). Kohanim (priests), levi'im (Levites), yisre'elim (Israelites), avadim meshuchrarim (freed slaves), chalalim (disqualified priests), netinim (Netinim), mamzerim (mamzerim), wow, seris adam (one made infertile), seris chamah (naturally infertile man)—whether it's natural, whether somebody did it—petzua daka (one with crushed testicles), kerut shefachah (one with a severed organ). Wow, all these guys with, you know, these types of blemishes. Kulam chayavim umotzi'im et harabim yedei chovatan (They are all obligated and discharge the public's obligation). Oh, that's a big item. They're not only chayav (obligated); they're also motzi the rabim yedei chovatan (discharging the public's obligation).
Nashim (women)—this is the Tosefta, by the way; it's not in the Gemara, it's in the Tosefta—nashim va'avadim (slaves) uktanim (minors) peturim (exempt). Oho, listen to the Tosefta, rabotai. Nashim va'avadim uktanim: avadim, I know; ktanim, I know; nashim—peturim! Ve'ein motzi'im et harabim yedei chovatam (and they do not discharge the public's obligation). Ad kan leshono (thus far his wording). Obviously, if they're patur (exempt), they cannot be motzi the rabim.
Ve'anan kayma lan (and we hold) degam nashim chayavot. We don't hold like this Tosefta. We hold that women too are obligated, af al pi shehi mitzvah shehazman geramah (even though it is a time-bound commandment), mipenei shegam hen hayu be'oto hanes (because they too were part of that miracle). What was the miracle? They were saved; they were part of the gezerah (decree). They were part of the decree of lehashmid, laharog, ule'abed (to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate).
So it comes out that we have a machloket (dispute) between the Gemara and the Tosefta. The Tosefta says nashim peturot, and the Gemara says nashim chayavot. Uleshon hatosefta gam ken eino ketikuno (and the wording of the Tosefta is also not in its proper form). Aha! The Tosefta's wording is not proper. Why? The girsa is not good. Decheivan depeturot, peshita she'ein motzi'in et harabim yedei chovatan (since they are exempt, it's obvious that they do not discharge the public's obligation). Look at that, someone locked the doors—that office is not a reshut harabim (public domain)! He says, what does the Tosefta have to say? “Peturot ve'ein motzi'in” (they are exempt and do not discharge the public's obligation). Of course, if they're peturot, of course they don't discharge it. You have to tell me that? Ulechen nireh dechen tzarich lomar, chayavot ve'ein motzi'ot et harabim yedei chovatan (therefore, it seems that it should say that they are obligated but do not discharge the public's obligation). Oh, that's a middle zone. They're chayavot personally, but they're not on the level to discharge the obligation. Okay, that makes more sense.
Vechen katav hatur beshem Ba'al Halachot Gedolot (Great Book of Laws). Learn the shitot (approaches), rabotai; that's called the Bahag. The Bahag's shitah is Ba'al Halachot Gedolot: ladies are chayavot, but they're not on the level to discharge the obligation. It's a quasi. Where are they getting it from? From this Tosefta. Vechen katav beShulchan Aruch beshem yesh omrim (and so he wrote in the Shulchan Aruch in the name of some who say). Maran (our master) brings this opinion down from a yesh omrim (some say). Vehata'am mipenei she'ein zeh kevod hatzibur (and the reason is that this is not the dignity of the congregation). Oho, a new reason. Why not? Why can't they discharge the people's obligation? It's not kevod hatzibur. Ladies are going to get up and start being a chazanit (female cantor)? Kemo besefer Torah she'ein ishah koret batzibur mipenei kevod tzibur (as with a Torah scroll, where a woman does not read in public because of the dignity of the congregation), ve'od ta'am yitba'er (and another reason will be explained).
So the first reason is very simple: it's a social reason, kevod tzibur. According to this reason, it sounds like what? That if it were one-on-one, a husband, it should be okay. They only don't want women to read in a tzibur (congregation). But if you take out the tzibur factor—unless they made a lo pelug (no distinctions), and then of course we're stuck. But if that's the only reason, lich'orah (seemingly). Okay, so that's already halachah alef (the first clause). Let's continue. Who's sitting over here? We don't know anything yet; we just know the shitah of the Bahag. Benny, let's go, Benny.
Vehanach kulehu chalalim, seris vechulei, petzua daka vechulei, eino muvan mah mah revuta yesh bazeh (and all these disqualified priests, infertile men, and so on, and those with crushed testicles, and so on—it isn't understood what importance this has). What's the matter? All the candies... the candies... they're jumping. The candies are getting started. The candies are getting psyched. The Aruch Hashulchan is asking an obvious question: What is this Tosefta here? Seris chamah, petzua daka, chalalim... Since when do we start listing all these types of people legabei mitzvot (regarding commandments)? Why would I think they're patur, that you have to tell me that they're chayav in reading the Megillah? He's chayav in all the mitzvot, a petzua daka! There's a reason why the Tosefta went out of its way to give me all these odd—it's a very odd list. So what does he answer?
Ve'ulai... Ve'ulai mishum dechtiv baMegilah, “Kimu vekiblu haYehudim aleihem ve'al zaram” (The Jews accepted upon themselves and their offspring). Vehayiti omer de'ein hachiyuv ela al mi sheyesh lahem zera (and I would have said that the obligation applies only to those who have offspring). Wow! Wow! Wow! What a chidush (novel insight)! Aleihem ve'al zaram (upon themselves and their offspring). Wow! I would have—Amazing chidush! I would have thought that only people who can have zera (offspring) are included, because it says, “Kimu vekiblu haYehudim aleihem ve'al zaram.” A petzua daka cannot; a seris chamah cannot. So there was a hava amina (initial supposition) that anybody who cannot have children could be patur.
Hold on, hold on. Be patient now. Be patient, be patient. You'll see. Ulefi zeh, saris, petzua daka, vekhrut shofchah, she'eino in—lezera, de'ein re'uyim lezera, peturim (and according to this, an infertile man, one with crushed testicles, and one with a severed organ, who cannot have offspring and are not fit to have offspring, are exempt). So that takes care of that section. Vechen hayiti omer devainan zera kasher... Not only zera—what does zera mean? Zera kasher! The kids have to be kasher. And therefore, le'apukei (to exclude) chalalim, netinim, u-mamzerim; vekhevan shehem zera pasul, ka mashma lan—lo (since they are disqualified offspring, this teaches us—no). De'eino le'ikuva, vechiyuva de'avadim vechiyuva. Ka mashma lan. Vechiyuva de'avadim meshuchrarim. Why is an eved Kena'ani (Canaanite slave) that's free—why is he chayav? Mishum dechtiv ve'al kol hanilvim aleihem (because it is written, “and all who joined them”). Right, that's nilvim (those who join). They're included in the pasuk (verse), nilvim aleihem (those who join them). They joined us, which means once they get free, they're like the converts. Ulechen gam gerim (converts) chayavim beMegilah. Gerim are also nilvim aleihem.
Ve'avadim she'einam meshuchrarim, dinam ke'ishah bechol haTorah kulah, vechen... (And slaves who have not been freed have the status of a woman throughout the Torah, and so on.) Okay, an eved that's not meshuchrar has the status of an ishah. So whatever we say about an ishah, we're going to say about an eved that's not meshuchrar. VehaRambam vehaShulchan Aruch shekatvu “meshuchrarim,” mashma... (And the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch, who wrote “freed,” imply...). They wrote davka (specifically) avadim meshuchrarim. What is the Aruch Hashulchan going to say, kid? The Shulchan Aruch is going to say avadim meshuchrarim, mashma that what? Mashma de'einam meshuchrarim, peturim (it implies that those who have not been freed are exempt). Ach zeh... Wait, why? If they're not meshuchrarim, they have the status of a lady. So why would Maran only say avadim meshuchrarim? Lich'orah, even avadim she'einam meshuchrarim! Ach yesh lomar de'elu nichlelu bikhlal nashim (but one can say that these are included in the category of women). Could be they were included in nashim. Whenever you read nashim in halachah, it's nashim va'avadim she'einam meshuchrarim. They're included in nashim, so Maran didn't have to say it explicitly. Okay, beautiful.
The Aruch Hashulchan is saying that, first of all, he changed the Tosefta's girsa to make it compatible with the Bahag. And then he says, what do you have to tell me? Why would I think a petzua daka is not chayav in Megillah? He's chayav in all the mitzvot, a petzua daka! Oh, because it says—I had a hava amina because of “zaram,” and these guys can't have zera. And what about a mamzer? A mamzer is chayav in all the mitzvot! Because it says “zaram,” I would have thought zera kasher. A mamzer is not zera kasher. And he goes through all the—That's the whole list, because there was a hava amina to exempt them. Beautiful. Okay, Adam, you're up.
Vecheivan... Vecheivan shenashim chayavot, lachen habetulot shehigi'u leyud-bet shanim veyom echad chayavot lishmo'a mikra megillah (and since women are obligated, virgins who have reached 12 years and one day are obligated to hear the reading of the Megillah). Okay, it doesn't mean davka betulot (specifically virgins). Usually they're betulot. We hope they're betulot at 12 years old. Today is another story. Vecheivan shenashim chayavot, lachen habetulot—meaning girls who get to 12 years old are chayav, finished. Vekhol adam tzarich likrot beveito lifnei hanashim vehabetulot, o sheyelchu leveit hakneset shel nashim (and every man must read at home in front of the women and the virgins, or they should go to the synagogue of the women). Shel nashim means the ladies' section. Meaning, either you read it for them in the house, or they have to go to shul.
UviYerushalmi (Jerusalem Talmud) ita deRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi hava machnish bnei beito vekara kameihon (it says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi would gather the members of his household and read in front of them). He read in front of them. Umikan nohagim bemiktzat mekomot lehavi ketanim uktanot lishmo'a mikra megillah (and from here, in some places, they have the custom to bring boys and girls who are minors to hear the Megillah reading). Oh, so this Yerushalmi made all the trouble for us. All the noise in the beit kneset (synagogue) you can thank to this Yerushalmi. Because the Yerushalmi says that Rabbi Yehoshua hava machnish bnei beito. He gathered his bnei beito. What's bnei beito? Sounds like his children, the kids. Oh, so he got the kids. So therefore, from here you see the inyan (idea) of having the kids at the Megillah reading. So from here we have the custom to bring kids to the beit kneset. Why does it say bnei beito? Bnei beito sounds like everybody.
VeRabbeinu haBeit Yosef bese'if vav katav deminhag yafeh hu, ayein sham (and our Rabbi, the Beit Yosef, wrote in clause six that it is a commendable custom; see there). Oh, that's the Beit Yosef's wording. He liked that. So you can't mezalzel (treat it lightly) anymore. Beit Yosef said, “minhag yafeh” (commendable custom). Why am I telling you this? Because in some shuls they announce, “Rabotai, no kids!” Why are there no kids? How do you have a right to announce “no kids” if Maran Beit Yosef says, “Minhag yafeh hu”? You have a right to say, “Sit next to your kids, keep them quiet, keep them behaving,” but you cannot announce, “Rabotai, leave your kids at home on Purim.” Minhag Yisrael (the custom of Israel), and it's a minhag yafeh, Maran Beit Yosef, based on the Yerushalmi. So therefore, we have to be careful not to be so, you know, Scrooge. Scrooge stole Purim. And why are we going to take Purim away from the kids? And they're also religious. No kids in shul? Purim is for our kids.
Aval, what does it say? Veyizaharu shelo yavi'u ketanim beyoter (and they should be careful not to bring very young children). That's right. Don't bring infants to the synagogue now, with the kids crying the whole time. Exactly. Shemevalbelim da'at hashome'im (because they confuse the attention of those listening). Bedyuk! Shemevalbelim—we're not interested. Ketanim yes, mevalbelim no. Min hare'ui lehazhiram sheya'amdu al mekomam veyishme'u veyishtoku (it is proper to warn them to stand in their places, listen, and be quiet). No problem. Give them all the warnings. Vekatan shehegi'a lechinuch, chayav min hadin lechancho (and a child who has reached the age of education is obligated by law to be educated). Bedyuk, six, seven years old, chayav. Train him! So what is he talking about, then? Six- or seven-year-olds—you don't need it for Gemara. So he's talking about five, four, three. But two, one, you can't control them, maybe, from crying. And even with the three-, two-year-olds, you have to tell the parents, “Hey, watch your kids.” No problem.
Ha-Rambam ve-Shulchan Aruch katvu, umechanechim et haketanim likrotah, ayein sham (the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch wrote, “and they educate the minors to read it”; see there). Ufashut hu delav davka (and it is obvious that this is not specifically so). You see? Likrotah. How is a five-year-old going to read the Megillah? Ela, it means sheyishme'u keriatah (rather, that they should hear its reading). Bedyuk! Bedyuk, ve'efshar dekavanah keriah mamash, kedei sheyihyu beki'im bah (and perhaps the intention is actual reading, so that they will become proficient in it). That's a Syrian thing. We learned in Magen David, we learned Megillat Ester (Scroll of Esther). At six years old, we were in fourth grade; we learned Megillat Ester. So at ten years old, we knew it already, Megillat Ester. We knew all ten perakim (chapters) from actor. I'm just saying, because that's the lashon (wording) of Maran. Maran says keriah (reading). Okay, continue.