The Megillah is read on the eleventh (of Adar), the twelfth, the thirteenth, the fourteenth, and the fifteenth, [sometimes on one; sometimes, on the other, as explained below] — not earlier (than the eleventh) and not later (than the fifteenth). Cities surrounded by a wall from the days of Joshua the son of Nun read on the fifteenth, [it being written (Esther 9:19): "Therefore, the Jews of the outlying towns, who live in the unwalled cities, celebrate the fourteenth, etc." The unwalled cities, celebrating the fourteenth, the implication is that the walled cities celebrate the fifteenth. And "from the days of Joshua" is derived by identity: "perazi" ("unwalled," here) - "perazi" (Deuteronomy 3:5): "aside from the unwalled cities." Just as there, (perazi) from the days of Joshua the son of Nun; here, too, from the days of Joshua the son of Nun. And they ordained that the cities surrounded by a wall from the days of Joshua, even if they are not surrounded by a wall today, read on the fifteenth, like Shushan, in order to accord honor to Eretz Yisrael, which was in ruins in the days of Mordecai and Esther, that they, too, read as the men of Shushan and be regarded as if they were walled cities, even though now they are in ruins, so that there be a remembrance of Eretz Yisrael in this miracle. And Joshua is mentioned because he was the first who began to war against Amalek, viz. (Exodus 17:14): "Write this (the erasing of Amalek) as a remembrance in a scroll, and place it in the ears of Joshua, etc."] The villages and the large cities read on the fourteenth; but the villages may advance it (the Megillah reading) to the "day of assembly" (yom haknissah). [That is, since the walled cities read on the fifteenth, and the unwalled, on the fourteenth, all are included. How, then, could the eleventh, the twelfth, and the thirteenth obtain? The answer: The villages were permitted to advance their reading to the "day of assembly" — Monday or Thursday before the fourteenth — these (Mondays and Thursdays) being the days of assembly, when the villages assemble in the cities for judgment. For beth-din sit on Mondays and Thursdays by the ordinance of Ezra. Or it may be because the villages assemble in the cities on Mondays and Thursdays to hear the reading of the Torah. For the villagers are not so expert in the reading and need one of the men of the city to read for them; and the sages did not make them exert themselves to come back on the fourteenth, so that they be free on Purim to supply the needs of the Purim feast for the men of the cities. And they found an allusion for this in the Megillah, viz. (Esther (9:31): "to fulfill these days of Purim in their times" (bizmaneihem). If Mordecai and Esther instituted only the fourteenth and the fifteenth mentioned therein, we should have "zmanam" (connoting two times). Why "zmaneihem"? (connoting four times)? We are hereby apprised that two more times were added, aside from those mentioned in the Megillah. And it was not necessary for Scripture to include the thirteenth as fit for reading, because the miracle, essentially, occurred on that day. For it was on that day that the Jews gathered together to avenge themselves of their enemies, both in Shushan and in the other provinces. Perforce, then, Scripture adds only the eleventh and the twelfth. And it is not to be suggested that the sixteenth and seventeenth after the fourteenth and fifteenth written in the Megillah are intended, it being written (Ibid. 27): "and (the fifteenth) not to be passed by."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
מגילה נקראת באחד עשר בשנים עשר – at times on this [day] and at times on that [day] as is explained further on.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Introduction
The first mishnah of Megillah teaches that the Megillah might be read on different days, depending on the locality. Tomorrow’s mishnah will explain this in greater detail.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
מימות יהושע בן נון קורין בט"ו – as it is written (Esther 9:19): “That is why village Jews, who live in unwalled towns observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar…” And when those in unwalled towns [read the Megillah] on the fourteenth [of Adar], we infer from it that those are in walled cities read on the fifteenth [of Adar]. And this is from the time of Joshua [son of Nun], which we derive by analogy from [the usage of the words] פרזי פרזי . It is written here (Esther 9:19): “village Jews” and it is written there (Deuteronomy 3:5): “…apart from a great number of unwalled towns.” Just as there, [it is] from the time of Joshua, so here too, [it is] from the time of Joshua. And they established that cities surrounded by a wall from the days of Joshua, even though they now lack a wall , should read [the Megillah] on the fifteenth [of Adar] like Shushan/Susa, in order to distribute honor to the Land of Israel that was destroyed during the days of Mordecai and Esther, in order that they [residents in the Land of Israel] would read [the Megillah] like those who live in Shushan and would be considered as if they are walled cities, even though right now they are destroyed. And there would be a reminder to the Land of Israel through this miracle, and since Joshua began to fight with the Amalekites first, as it is written (Exodus 17:14): “[Then the LORD said to Moses,] ‘Inscribe this in a document as a reminder to the, and read it aloud to Joshua: [I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven]!’” Therefore, they mention it [Amalek – the ancestors of Haman] from the days of Joshua.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
The Megillah is read on the eleventh, the twelfth, the thirteenth, the fourteenth, and the fifteenth [of Adar], never earlier and never later. This section provides all of the possible dates in Adar on which the Megillah might be read. Tomorrow’s mishnah will explain in what situation it might be read on the eleventh, twelfth, or thirteenth.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
אלא שהכפרים מקדימין – that is to say, in the aftermath that, those [who live] in walled cities read [the Megillah] on the fifteenth [of Adar] and those who are not in walled cities [read] on the fourteenth [of Adar], everyone is within this principle. So how do we find further [that one can read the Megillah] on the eleventh, the twelfth or on the thirteenth [of Adar]? Rather, those who dwell in villages were given permission to advance their reading to the gathering [i.e., market] day [prior to Purim], on the Monday of the week before the fourteenth [of the month] or the Thursday of the week [before the fourteenth] , which are the gathering day, when the villagers gather together in the villages for judgment, since the Jewish courts sit on Mondays and Thursdays according to the ordinance of Ezra [the Scribe]. Alternatively, the villagers gather together in the cities [that are unwalled] on Mondays and Thursdays to hear the reading of the Torah. But the villagers are not so expert to read [the Torah] and need that it should be read for them by one of the city-dwellers. And the Sages did not trouble them to return and come on the fourteenth [of Adar], in order that they would be free on Purim day to provide for the needs of the festive Purim meal to those who dwell in the cities. And they [the Sages] found a hint for this from the Bible, as it is written (Esther 9:31): “These days of Purim shall be observed at their proper time[s, as Mordecai the Jew – and now Queen Esther – has obligated them to do…” and if Mordecai and Esther had not established anything other than the fourteenth and fifteenth [of Adar] which is written in the Bible, let the verse say, “in their time.” What is the meaning of “at their proper time[s]?” We learn from it two other times/occasions other than those that are written in the Megillah; but it was not necessary for the Bible to include the thirteenth [of Adar] as a day appropriate for reading [the Megillah] since the essence of the miracle [of Purim] was on that day, since on it they [i.e., the Jews] gathered to be avenged of their enemies, whether in Shushan or in the rest of the [one-hundred and twenty-seven] provinces. By force, the Bible only had to include the eleventh and the twelfth [of Adar], and we don’t say that it includes the sixteenth and seventeenth [of Adar] for after the fourteen and fifteenth [of Adar] mentioned in the Megillah, as the Bible states (Esther 9:27): “[to observe these two days] in the manner prescribed/ולא יעבור [and at the proper time each year].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Cities which have been walled since the days of Joshua ben Nun read on the fifteenth; villages and large towns read on the fourteenth, Esther 9:19 reads, “That is why village Jews, who live in unwalled towns, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and make it a day of merrymaking and feasting, and as a holiday and an occasion for sending gifts to one another.” If Jews in unwalled towns celebrate Purim on the fourteenth, it implies that Jews in walled cities celebrate on another day. This day must be the fifteenth, since in verse 18 the Jews in Shushan rest from their fighting on the fifteenth. The mishnah determines what is a walled city by reference to Joshua, even though Joshua lived hundreds of years before the events of Purim. The mishnah refers back to Joshua because the land of Israel was desolate in the time of Achashverosh and none of its cities were walled. In order to honor Israel, we therefore refer back to the original conquering.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Except that villages move the reading up to the day of gathering. Small villages move the reading up to the Monday or Thursday prior to the fourteenth of Adar. These were the market days, the days on which the court would convene and the days on which the Torah was read. The idea was that on these days the Jews would gather in the larger cities and it would be more possible to have a large celebration than if each individual village had celebrated separately on the fourteenth.
