If an unwalled city man [whose time (for reading the Megillah) is the fourteenth], went to a walled city, [whose time is the fifteenth], or a walled city man went to an unwalled city — If he intends to return to his place, he reads as (in) his place; if not, he reads with them. [If he is a walled city man who went to an unwalled city, and he intends to leave the city the night of the fourteenth before dawn — even though he spends the night in the city, since he does not intend to be there in the daytime, he is not even regarded as "unwalled for a day," for which reason he reads in his place on the fifteenth. But if he does not intend to leave there at night, he is "unwalled" for that day. Even though he intends to return the next day or some other day, he is called "unwalled" and reads with them. The same applies to an unwalled city man who went to a walled city. If he intends to return on the night of the fifteenth, he is not "walled for a day," and he reads on the fourteenth, even though he is in the walled city. But if he does not intend to return the night of the fifteenth, he does not read on the fourteenth, but waits and reads with them. This Mishnah is explained thus in the gemara.] And from where must one read (the Megillah) to fulfill his obligation? R. Meir says: (He must read) the whole thing. R. Yehudah says: From (Esther 2:5): "Ish Yehudi." R. Yossi says: From (Ibid. 3:1): "After these things." [The halachah is in accordance with R. Meir.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
בן עיר – whose time [for reading the Megillah] is on the fourteenth [of Adar].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Introduction
The first section of this mishnah deals with a person who travels from a walled city which reads on the 15th of Adar to a town which reads on the 14th or vice versa.
The second section discusses how much of the Megillah must be read on Purim.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
שהלך לכרך – whose time [for reading the Megillah] is on the fifteenth [of Adar].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
A resident of a town who has gone to a walled city or a resident of a walled city who has gone to a town, if he is to return to his own place he reads according to the rule of his own place, and if not reads with them. The mishnah states simply that if a person travels from one type of town to another he retains the custom of the town of his origin if his intention is not to move to his new town. If his intention is not to return to his previous town, then he reads with the new place. In the Talmud they explain that “if he is to return to his own place” means if he is to return there that very night, and get there before the morning. If he goes to another town but returns to his own town in the morning, then he celebrates Purim with his own town. But if he goes to another town and is there in the morning, he must celebrate Purim and hear the Megillah on that day. By the way, as someone who lives in Modiin, which reads on the 14th, and goes to Jerusalem which reads on the 15th, I encounter this issue pretty much every year.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
אם עתיד לחזור למקומו – if he is dweller of a walled-city [from the time of Joshua, son of Nwho went to a city and designated in the future (i.e., “intends”) to leave from the city on the night of the fourteenth [of Adar] before the crack of dawn. Even though was in the city at night, since he would not be in the city during the day time, this is not even a person who is residing in an open place for one day (see Talmud Megillah 19a). Therefore, he reads [the Megillah] like his place on the fifteenth [of Adar]. But if he does not designate in the future to leave from there that evening, for now, he is like a person who is residing in an open place for that one day (i.e., Purim). Even though he designates in the future (i.e., “intends”) to return on the morrow or on another day, he is called a person who is residing in an open place and reads with them. And the same law applies for a city dweller who went to a walled-city [from the time of Joshua, son of Nun], and he designated in the future (i.e., “intends”) to return on the evening of the fifteenth, he is not considered to be someone in a walled-city [from the time of Joshua, son of Nun] for that one day, and reads [the Megillah] on the fourteenth [of Adar]. And even though he is in a walled-city [from the time of Joshua, son of Nun], but if he has not designated in the future (i.e., “intends”) to return on the night of the fifteenth [of Adar], he does not read [the Megillah] on the fourteenth [of Adar] but rather, delays and reads with them (i.e., dwellers of walled-cities) [on the fifteenth of Adar], and this is how our Mishnah is explained in the Gemara.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
From where does a man read the Megillah and thereby fulfill his obligation? Rabbi Meir says: all of it. Rabbi Judah says: from “There was a Jew” (Esther 2:5). Rabbi Yose says: from “After these things” (3:1). Today we read the entire book of Esther, but whether this is necessary is debated by the sages. Rabbi Meir says that one has to read the whole thing. Rabbi Judah says that he only has to read from 2:5, where Mordecai is first mentioned. Rabbi Yose says he only has to read from 3:1, where the actual plot by Haman (make a lot of noise when you say this) begins.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ר' מאיר אומר: כולה – And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Meir.
