Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Megillah 32 – After reading the Torah

After they have read the Torah in the synagogue – which was done by calling multiple people – they call another person to raise the Torah scroll, for all to see, and then to “dress it up” – that it, to put the cover on it. This person takes away the reward of all the previous ones. How could it be? – The Talmud likes to emphasize things. Rather, his reward is equal to all of the previous ones combined.

With all that we said about the Torah on the previous pages, how could God say, “I, too, will give you laws that are not good?” Rabbi Yochanan says that it is talking about someone who is learning, but does not express his joy of learning in singing. However Abaye asked about this, “Just because someone does not know how to sing nicely, he deserves the bad words?” Rather, it is talking about two Sages who live in the same city but do not discuss Torah between them.

Moses established a custom to learn the laws of each Festival on or before its time. Where is this in the Torah? In the phrase “And Moses told the laws of the Holidays to all Israel.” It is customary to connect the end of a Tractate with its beginning – and here we can remember that the beginning of this Tractate discussed when the people should read the Megillah – which obviously requires study in advance.

Art: Two gentlemen discussing business by Fritz Wagner

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