Which is a large city? Wherever there are "ten idlers" [in the house of prayer, who are idle from work, being supported by the congregation in order always to be found there at the time of prayer.] If there are fewer than that, it is a village. With these [i.e., with the time of the Megillah reading], they said that it is to be advanced, but not delayed [if it falls on a Sabbath]; but with the times of the wood (offerings) of the Cohanim and the people, [where certain families bring wood to the Temple for the (altar) wood pile on fixed days, every year (see Ta'anith 4:5), and they sacrifice a "wood-offering," gift burnt-offerings — if it (their appointed day) falls on a Sabbath, it is delayed to Sunday], and the ninth of Av [(the same applies to all fasts which fall on a Sabbath)], and chagigah (the festival offering) [If yom tov falls on a Sabbath, the festival peace-offerings are pushed off to the next day, for they can be made up all seven days], and hakhel [viz. (Deuteronomy 31:12): "Assemble (hakhel) the people, etc.", where the king would read in the book of Deuteronomy, and all the people were obligated to bring their little children, viz. (Ibid.); "the men, the women, and the little children," which is impossible on Shabbath], (if they fall on a Sabbath,) they are delayed but not advanced, [the time of their obligation not yet having arrived. (As to the ninth of Av, "Calamity is not advanced")]. Even though they said (in respect to the time of the Megillah reading): "It is advanced, but not delayed," it is permitted (on a day that it is advanced) to eulogize, and to fast, and to fulfill the (Purim) obligation of matanoth la'evyonim (giving gifts to the poor). R. Yehudah said: When is this so (that the villages may advance the reading to the day of assembly)? Where they assemble (in the large cities) on Mondays and Thursdays. But where they assemble neither on Mondays nor on Thursdays, they may read it only in its time.
Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
עשרה בטלנים – of the synagogue who are idle from their work and are fed by the community, in order that they would always be found in the synagogue at the hour of prayer.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Introduction
This mishnah continues to deal with the topic of the various days upon which the Megillah might be read.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
באלו אמרו – at the times [of the reading of the Megillah], they said that those who advance the reading if the time of being read falls on Shabbat.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
What is considered a large town? One which has in it ten idle men. One that has fewer is considered a village. A large town is one that is considered wealthy enough to support ten men who do not work but rather sit in the synagogue or study house and study all day. Put another way, a large town is one that can support a small leisurely class. In Greece and Rome this meant philosophers and in Israel this meant rabbis. Anything smaller is considered a village and moves the reading of the Megillah up to the day of the gathering, Monday or Thursday.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
אבל זמן עצי הכהנים והעם – that there were families among Israel who had fixed dates every year to bring wood to the Temple for the needs of the arrangement [of the piles of wood on the altar in the Temple], and they would bring an offering of wood with them as voluntary burnt offerings. If the fourteenth of Adar falls on Shabbat, we postpone [the reading] to the next day.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
In respect of these they said that they should be moved up but not postponed. There are other holidays and semi-holidays during the year that are not observed on the day upon which they fall if they fall on Shabbat. The reading of the Megillah is the only holiday that is moved up all the rest are postponed. The Talmud provides a midrashic explanation for this. Esther 9:27 states, “the Jews accepted upon themselves and their descendants and all those who might join them, that these days should not pass without observing them as it is written and in their time, year after year.” My translation is intentionally slightly awkward so that we can note the midrash. The words “should not pass” are understood by the rabbis to mean that one cannot observe Purim after the fourteenth/fifteenth of Adar has already passed.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ותשעה באב – And the same law applies to the other fasts, if one of them falls on the Sabbath.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
But with regard to the bringing the wood for the priests, the [fast of] Tisha B’Av, the hagigah, and assembling the people they postpone [until after Shabbat] and they do not move them up. I will briefly explain these holidays here. The bringing of the wood for the priests occurred nine times a year. Certain families would bring wood to the Temple to be used on the altar. This was discussed in Taanit 4:5. It would not be done on Shabbat. The hagigah is a sacrifice brought on Yom Tov, the first day of the festival. If Yom Tov falls on Shabbat it is postponed until the next day. The “assembling of the people” or “Hakhel” in Hebrew occurs during the sabbatical year on Sukkot, when they would gather all the people together to read the Torah. This would not be done on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
וחגיגה – if a Yom Tov/Jewish holy day falls on Shabbat, we postpone the holiday peace-offerings to the next day, for they have payment all seven days; and similarly הקהל – the gathering together of the people (see Deuteronomy 31:10-13, especially verse 12), when the King would read the book of Deuteronomy/Mishneh Torah, and all the people are liable to come and bring their children, as it is written (Deuteronomy 31:12): “[Gather the people] – men, women, children,[and all strangers in your communities…], and on Shabbat this is impossible and this we postpone it to the next day.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Although they said that they should be moved up but not postponed, it is permissible to mourn, to fast, and to distribute gifts to the poor [on these earlier days]. On both the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, one is not allowed to fast or to mourn, because these are the two days of Purim. However, even though the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth are also days on which one might read the Megillah, it is still permitted to mourn or fast on those days. The mishnah says that it is also permitted to give gifts to the poor on those days. Giving gifts to the poor is one of the central obligations of Purim. Some commentators explain the mishnah to mean that one who gives gifts to the poor on one of these days has fulfilled his obligation. However, others say that the mishnah means that one is exempt from giving gifts to the poor on these days.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ולא מקדימין – for their time of their obligation has not yet arrived. But [regarding] Tisha B’Av we don’t advance the retribution.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Rabbi Judah said: When is this so? In a place where people gather on Mondays and Thursdays, but in places where people do not gather on Mondays and Thursdays, the Megillah is read only on its proper day. Rabbi Judah points out that the system of moving the reading up to the 11th-13th was done only when it made realistic sense at a time when Mondays and Thursdays were the days of gathering. It seems quite certain that by Rabbi Judah’s time this system of gathering on Monday and Thursday was already defunct and hence everyone would read at the proper time.
