Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Megillah 31 - Reading Torah in the synagogue

Since this tractate, Megillah, is mainly about reading the Megillah in the synagogue on Purim, the Talmud now lists all other instances of reading from the Scriptures in the synagogue. Where do we find the commandment to do that? The phrase "And Moses proclaimed the festivals to the Children of Israel" tells us that there is an obligation to read about the festival at its appropriate time.

We already saw a conversation where God tells Abraham that the world exists in the merit of the sacrifices in the Temple. Here we have the continuation of this conversation. Abraham asked, "That answer is good when the Temple is standing. But without the Temple, if the Jews sin - you will destroy them!" God replied that while the Jews are reading the Torah portions, which contain sections about offering, it is as if they were bringing the offerings. That is why they will be forgiven.

Art: Jews Mourning in a Synagogue by Sir William Rothenstein

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Megillah 27 - Selling a Torah scroll

In general, one may only raise the sanctity of an object but not bring it down. Also, in general, the sanctity of the Torah scroll is the highest of all things. For example, if people sell a synagogue, they can use it only for items of greater sanctity, such as an arc in which the Torah scroll is stored.

However, can one convert a synagogue into a study hall? In other words, is Torah study more important than prayer, or is prayer more important than Torah study? The Talmud finds the opinions that go in both directions. Each of them considers proof from the scriptures. 

Can one sell a Torah scroll to buy another one? Firstly, we should guard against negligence. The people might sell a scroll, set the money aside to buy a new one, and never come to buy the new one. But even aside from that, there is not a definite decision. 

However, one can sell a Torah scroll in two cases. The first one is to learn more Torah - because learning leads to actions, which are good deeds. And second is the purpose of marrying a woman because "He did not create the world to be void; He formed it to be inhabited."

Art: Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam by Emanuel de Witte

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Megillah 26 – Selling a synagogue

The townspeople who sold the town square are allowed to buy a synagogue with the proceeds, but if they sold a synagogue, they are not allowed to buy a town square with that money.

What is unique about a town square? Going back to Taanit, we know that people used to pray there on the seven strict fast days, so this teacher holds that this gives the town square some holiness.

In any case, we see here the rule of "we bring up in holiness but don't bring down." What is the source for this rule? For the first part, we get it from Betzalel creating the Tabernacle object, and then Moses, who was on the higher level, putting it together. The "don't bring down" part is learned from the two hundred and fifty people who joined Korach in his revolt: the pans they used to offer the incense were not disposed of but beaten into the covering for the Altar.

What about keeping on the same level? For example, can one sell a synagogue to buy another one? The rule leaves it open, and there are two opinions ("yes" and "no"), but in practice, it is permitted. There are also other considerations with the synagogue: care must be taken to prevent negligence of not buying or building another synagogue later.

If the people in a village built a synagogue building strictly for themselves, their authorized representatives could sell it in the presence of the place's residents. However, a city synagogue is usually built with contributions from out-of-town people and for the use of everyone, so in general, it cannot be sold.

Art: A Cathedral On A Townsquare In Summer by Cornelis Springer

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Megillah 25 - The awareness of spirituality

Everything in the person's life is predestined: whether they will be rich or poor, strong or weak, bright or dull. Everything except for the awareness of the spirituality that controls the world. Alternatively, the "awareness of spirituality" can be translated as "fear of Heaven." Where is this in the Torah?

"And now, Israel, what does God want of you? Only that you remain in awe of God your Lord." Only remaining in awe is required, but everything else is controlled by God.

Incidentally, the language implies that having this awe is easy. But we know that it is not! How could Moses say so? That is because, for Moses, it indeed was easy. When they ask something of a person who has it, it seems like something small. But if they ask him for something minor and he does not have it, it looks like something big.

Art: Poverty and Wealth by William Powell Frith


Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Megillah 24 - When the priests come to bless the people

In the Temple, the priests would bless the people. Today, they (Kohanim) still bless the people in the synagogue. In Israel, they do it every day. Outside of Israel, only on Holidays (Yom Tov) when everybody is in high spirits.

In the Temple, the priests were barefoot; today, they also take their shoes off for the blessing. If the priests have something unusual about their hands or feet, they should not bless the people who might be distracted by looking at them. But today, it does not apply because the priests wear socks, and their hands are covered with a tallith.

There is a prohibition in the Torah that one should not take a mother bird with its young. Instead, he should send away the mother bird. However, if he uses this as an argument in his prayer, saying that he, too, deserves mercy - the Talmud says his prayer text should be changed. That is because he is saying that the reason for this mitzvah is mercy on birds - but the real reason is unknown to people. Today, the prayer text is in the prayer books, and again this warning does not apply.

Art:  Bird's nest by Franz Xaver Petter