Megillah 7 - December 19, 15 Tevet

Today’s daf is sponsored by Norman Eliaser in honor of his wife, Shira Eliaser, on her birthday! “Happy birthday to Shira  - my wife, favorite chevruta, and favorite teacher!"

Today’s daf is sponsored by Becki Goldstein in loving memory of her father Yoel Ben Meir Fromm. “He was a lone Holocaust survivor who although arriving in Canada with no family or emotional support at the age of 19, still believed that Hakol le tova. He dedicated his life to Torah and Gmilut Chasadim. Any advice he gave was always spiced with examples of Midrashim and Aggadot. He challenged my thirst for learning by encouraging my independent thinking. I miss his music, his nigunim, zmirot and his stories. He was my guiding light. Yehi zichru baruch.”

There were questions raised about Megillat Esther - should it be written down? If so, should it be included in the canonization of the Tanach? What other books were a subject of debate whether or not to be included? Was the Megillah said with Ruach HaKodesh, inspired by the Divine Spirit? What verses can be used to prove this? Is there a way to understand each of these verses in a different manner? How many Mishloach Manot and Matanot l'Evyonim is one required to give on Purim? Stories are told of Abaye who delivered mishloach manot for Raba and his reactions both to what Raba was sending and to Meri bar Mar who returned mishloach manot to Raba. When Abaye brought the mishloach manot to Meri, Meri offered him food and even though Abaye had left Raba's house and wasn't hungry, he ate a lot of food there. One can derive from here either that poor people are hungry and they don't even realize it or that there's always room for dessert!! There were two rabbis (brothers) who would exchange meals each year, presumably, to fulfill their obligation of mishloach manot. Rava says that one is obligated to drink on Purim until one no longer knows the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai. A story is brought of Raba and Rabbi Zeira who ate together and got drunk and Raba "slaughtered" Rabbi Zeira. The next day, he prayed for mercy and brought him back to life. The following year, he invited him again to eat together and Rabbi Zeira declined, saying that one cannot rely on miracles. Purim seudah must be eaten during the day. The next Mishna begins a set of mishnayot that compare two different things, as the previous Mishna compared Adar 1 to Adar 2. The only difference between Shabbat and Yom Tov is that on Yom Tov one is allowed to prepare food. The Gemara derives from the Mishna that one is not allowed to prepare items that facilitate the preparation of food, in which case it does not hold like Rabbi Yehuda who permits that. The only difference between Shabbat and Yom Kippur is that Shabbat is punishable by the court and Yom Kippur is punishable by God, karet. The Gemara derives from here that if there was an obligation from the melacha performed on Yom Kippur to pay someone for damages, one would be exempt on both cases based on the law of kim lei b'deraba minai, one gets only the harsher punishment, just as on Shabbat. This is in accordance with Rabbi Nechunia ben HaKane. According to the Mishna is Makkot, Rabbi Hanania ben Gamliel holds that if one receives lashes for a karet obligation in the event that there are witnesses and the person was warned, one is exempt from karet. Rabbi Yochanan claims that others disagree with him. Does this fit in with our Mishna?