## Megillah Daf 20b

###### Megillah 20b:1
[Megillah 20b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:1)

סְפִירָה בִּימָמָא הִיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
and **counting** can only be done **during the day** and not at night, as it says: “And she shall count for herself seven days” (Leviticus 15:28), she cannot immerse herself until after sunrise, although here she has to count only one day.


###### Megillah 20b:2
[Megillah 20b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:2)

וְכוּלָּן שֶׁעָשׂוּ מִשֶּׁעָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר כָּשֵׁר. מְנָהָנֵי מִילֵּי? אָמַר רָבָא: דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם״, לַמֵּאִיר וּבָא קְרָאוֹ ״יוֹם״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna concludes: **And** with regard to **all these** things, **if one did them after daybreak they are valid.** The Gemara asks: **From where is this matter** derived, that from daybreak it is already considered daytime? **Rava said: As the verse states: “And God called the light** [or] **day”** (Genesis 1:5), meaning: **To that which was becoming lighter and lighter he called day.** The Hebrew word *or* is not to be understood in its usual sense of light, but as a verbal noun: that which is becoming lighter and lighter. It teaches that as soon as light begins to appear in the sky it is called daytime.


###### Megillah 20b:3
[Megillah 20b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:3)

אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה: ״וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה״ [לַמַּחְשִׁיךְ וּבָא קָרָא לַיְלָה]? הָא קַיְימָא לַן דְּעַד צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים לָאו לַיְלָה הוּא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises a difficulty with this interpretation: **However, if** it is **so** that Rava’s interpretation of this phrase is correct, the following phrase: **“And the darkness** [***ḥoshekh***] **He called night”** (Genesis 1:5), should be interpreted in a similar fashion: **That which was becoming darker and darker He called night,** so that immediately after sunset it would be considered nighttime. But don’t **we maintain** that **until the stars come out it is not nighttime?** We are forced to say that *ḥoshekh* literally means darkness, and similarly, *or* in the first part of the verse literally means light.


###### Megillah 20b:4
[Megillah 20b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:4)

אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא, מֵהָכָא: ״וַאֲנַחְנוּ עוֹשִׂים בַּמְּלָאכָה וְחֶצְיָם מַחֲזִיקִים בָּרְמָחִים מֵעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר עַד צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״(וְהָיָה) לָנוּ הַלַּיְלָה (לְמִשְׁמָר)״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, Rabbi Zeira said:** We derive this *halakha* **from here,** as it is stated: **“So we labored in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared”** (Nehemiah 4:15), where “rising of the morning” means daybreak, **and** the next verse **states: “So that in the night they may be a guard to us;** and labor in the day” (Nehemiah 4:16). This demonstrates that the day begins with the dawn.


###### Megillah 20b:5
[Megillah 20b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:5)

מַאי וְאוֹמֵר? וְכִי תֵּימָא: מִשֶּׁעָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר לָאו יְמָמָא, וּמִכִּי עָרְבָא שִׁמְשָׁא לֵילְיָא, וְאִינְהוּ מְקַדְּמִי וּמְחַשְּׁכִי — תָּא שְׁמַע: ״(וְהָיָה) לָנוּ הַלַּיְלָה מִשְׁמָר וְהַיּוֹם מְלָאכָה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara clarifies Rabbi Zeira’s statement: **What** need is there for the additional verse introduced by the words **“and it states”?** Why does the first proof-text not suffice? The Gemara explains: The second verse comes to deflect the following possible objection: **You might say that** even **after “the rising of the morning” it is not** yet considered **day, and that from** the time **when the sun sets it is** already considered **night, and** in this particular incident it happened that **they began** their work **early,** before the official beginning of daytime, **and remained** working **late,** after the official end of daytime. Therefore, Rabbi Zeira continued and said: **Come** and **hear that which** is stated in the next verse: **“So that in the night they may be a guard to us; and labor in the day.”** The entire time during which they worked is referred to as “day,” which proves that the day begins at daybreak.


###### Megillah 20b:6
[Megillah 20b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:6)

**מַתְנִי׳** כׇּל הַיּוֹם כָּשֵׁר לִקְרִיאַת הַמְּגִילָּה, וְלִקְרִיאַת הַהַלֵּל, וְלִתְקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר, וְלִנְטִילַת לוּלָב, וְלִתְפִלַּת הַמּוּסָפִין, וּלְמוּסָפִין,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** Although it is preferable to fulfill a particular day’s mitzva at the earliest possible hour, **the entire day is a valid** time **for reading the Megilla; for reciting *hallel*; for sounding the *shofar*** on Rosh HaShana; **for taking the *lulav*** and the other species on Sukkot; **for the additional prayer** recited on Shabbat and other occasions; **and for the additional offerings** sacrificed in the Temple on these occasions.


###### Megillah 20b:7
[Megillah 20b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:7)

וּלְוִידּוּי הַפָּרִים, וּלְוִידּוּי מַעֲשֵׂר, וּלְוִידּוּי יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the entire day is also a valid time **for the confession over the bulls** brought by the Sanhedrin or by the High Priest to atone for mistakes they had made in their instruction to the people; **for the declaration** made on the last day of Passover in the fourth and seventh year of the Sabbatical cycle, stating that one’s obligations **with regard to tithes** have been properly fulfilled (see Deuteronomy 26:12–15); **and for the confession** of sins made by the High Priest **on Yom Kippur** over the special offerings brought on that day.


###### Megillah 20b:8
[Megillah 20b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:8)

לִסְמִיכָה, לִשְׁחִיטָה, לִתְנוּפָה, לְהַגָּשָׁה, לִקְמִיצָה, וּלְהַקְטָרָה, לִמְלִיקָה, וּלְקַבָּלָה, וּלְהַזָּיָה,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The entire day is also a valid time **for placing hands** on the head of an offering; **for slaughtering** an offering; **for waving** those offerings that require waving in the Temple; **for bringing** meal-offerings **near** to the altar; **for scooping out a fistful** of flour from a meal-offering in order to burn it on the altar; **and for burning** the fistful of flour on the altar; **for pinching** the necks of the turtledoves and young pigeons sacrificed as offerings in the Temple; **and for receiving** the blood of an offering in a vessel; **and for sprinkling** blood on the altar and on the curtain separating between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.


###### Megillah 20b:9
[Megillah 20b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:9)

וּלְהַשְׁקָיַית סוֹטָה, וְלַעֲרִיפַת הָעֶגְלָה, וּלְטׇהֳרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the entire day is also a valid time **for giving a woman suspected by her husband of having been unfaithful [*sota*] to drink** from the bitter waters (see Numbers 5:11–31); **for breaking the neck** of the heifer as part of the procedure followed when a corpse is found outside a town and it is not known who caused his death (see Deuteronomy 21:1–9); **and for** all the steps in the **purification process of the leper** (see Leviticus 14:1–20).


###### Megillah 20b:10
[Megillah 20b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:10)

כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה כָּשֵׁר לִקְצִירַת הָעוֹמֶר, וּלְהֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים, וְאֵבָרִים. זֶה הַכְּלָל: דָּבָר שֶׁמִּצְוָתוֹ בַּיּוֹם — כָּשֵׁר כׇּל הַיּוֹם. דָּבָר שֶׁמִּצְוָתוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה — כָּשֵׁר כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Correspondingly, all the mitzvot that must be performed at night may be performed anytime during the night: **The entire night is** a valid time for **reaping the *omer*** of barley on the night following the first day of Passover, **for burning the fats** of offerings that had been brought during the preceding day, **and** for burning **the limbs** of burnt-offerings. **This is the principle: Something that it is a mitzva** to perform **during the day is valid** if performed anytime during **the entire day; something that it is a mitzva** to perform **at night is valid** if performed anytime during **the entire night.**


###### Megillah 20b:11
[Megillah 20b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:11)

**גְּמָ׳** מְנָלַן? דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״וְהַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה נִזְכָּרִים וְנַעֲשִׂים״. לִקְרִיאַת הַהַלֵּל, דִּכְתִיב: ״מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד מְבוֹאוֹ״. (רַבִּי יוֹסֵי) אוֹמֵר: ״זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה׳״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The Gemara asks: **From where do we** derive that these mitzvot were commanded to be performed specifically during the day? With regard to reading the Megilla, **the verse states: “That these days should be remembered and kept”** (Esther 9:28). **For reciting the *hallel*,** the proof is from **that which is written** in *hallel*: **“From the rising of the sun to its setting,** the Lord’s name is to be praised” (Psalms 113:3). **Rabbi Yosei said:** The proof is from another verse in *hallel*: **“This is the day that the Lord has made”** (Psalms 118:24), implying that it is to be recited during the day and not at night.


###### Megillah 20b:12
[Megillah 20b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:12)

וְלִנְטִילַת לוּלָב, דִּכְתִיב: ״וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן״. וְלִתְקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר, דִּכְתִיב: ״יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם״. וּלְמוּסָפִין, דִּכְתִיב: ״דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ״. וְלִתְפִלַּת הַמּוּסָפִין — כְּמוּסָפִין שַׁוְּיוּהָ רַבָּנַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** daytime is the time **for taking the *lulav*, as it is written: “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day** the fruit of a beautiful tree, branches of a date palm, and boughs of a dense-leaved tree, and willows of the brook” (Leviticus 23:40). Daytime is also the time **for sounding the *shofar*, as it is written: “It is a day of sounding the *shofar* to you”** (Numbers 29:1). Likewise, the time **for** the **additional offerings** is day, **as it is written** with regard to these offerings: “To sacrifice an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt-offering, and a meal-offering, a sacrifice, and libations, **each on its own day”** (Leviticus 23:37). **And** this is also so **for the additional prayer,** because **the Sages made it equivalent to** those **additional offerings.**


###### Megillah 20b:13
[Megillah 20b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:13)

וּלְוִידּוּי פָּרִים, דְּיָלֵיף ״כַּפָּרָה״ ״כַּפָּרָה״ מִיּוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים. דְּתַנְיָא גַּבֵּי יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים: ״וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ״ — בְּכַפָּרַת דְּבָרִים הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר. וְכַפָּרָה בִּימָמָא הוּא, דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** daytime is the time for **the confession over the bulls, as** this is **derived** by way of a verbal analogy between one instance of **atonement** in this context and another instance of **atonement** in the context of **Yom Kippur. As it is taught** in a *baraita* **with regard to Yom Kippur,** the verse states: “And Aaron shall present the bull of the sin-offering that is his, **and atone for himself and for his household”** (Leviticus 16:11). **The verse speaks of atonement** achieved through **words,** i.e., the atonement here is not referring to the sacrifice of offerings and the sprinkling of blood, but rather to atonement achieved through confession. **And the atonement** of Yom Kippur **is** only **during the day, as it is written:** “For **on that day will He atone for you”** (Leviticus 16:30). Just as the atonement on Yom Kippur must take place during the day, so must the other cases of atonement, over other bulls brought as sin-offerings, take place during the day.


###### Megillah 20b:14
[Megillah 20b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:14)

וּלְוִידּוּי מַעֲשֵׂר וְכוּ׳, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן הַבַּיִת״, וּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ: ״הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְצַוְּךָ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** daytime is the time **for the declaration with regard to tithes, as it is written** in the formula of this declaration: **“And you shall say before the Lord your God, I have removed the sacred things out of my house”** (Deuteronomy 26:13–15); **and juxtaposed to** that passage it is written: **“This day the Lord your God has commanded you** to do” (Deuteronomy 26:16), implying during the day and not at night.


###### Megillah 20b:15
[Megillah 20b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:15)

לִסְמִיכָה וְלִשְׁחִיטָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְסָמַךְ ... וְשָׁחַט״, וּכְתִיב בַּהּ בִּשְׁחִיטָה: ״בַּיּוֹם זִבְחֲכֶם״. וְלִתְנוּפָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״בְּיוֹם הֲנִיפְכֶם אֶת הָעוֹמֶר״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**For placing hands** on the head of an offering **and for slaughtering** an offering, it is derived **as it is written: “And he shall lay** his hand upon the head of his offering, **and slaughter it”** (Leviticus 3:8), comparing the laying of hands to slaughtering. **And it is written with regard to slaughtering: “On the day that you slaughter”** (Leviticus 19:6), meaning during the day and not at night. **And for waving** the offerings that require waving, it is derived **as it is written: “And on the day you wave the *omer*”** (Leviticus 23:12).


###### Megillah 20b:16
[Megillah 20b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:16)

וּלְהַגָּשָׁה — דְּאִיתַּקַּשׁ לִתְנוּפָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִיַּד הָאִשָּׁה אֵת מִנְחַת הַקְּנָאוֹת וְהֵנִיף... וְהִקְרִיב״. וְלִמְלִיקָה וְלִקְמִיצָה וּלְהַקְטָרָה וּלְהַזָּיָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּיּוֹם צַוּוֹתוֹ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** with regard **to bringing** the meal-offerings **near** the altar, **it is likened to waving, as it is written: “And the priest shall take the meal-offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, and shall wave** the offering before the Lord, **and sacrifice** it upon the altar” (Numbers 5:25). The words “sacrifice it” are referring to bringing the offering near the altar. **And for scooping out a fistful** of flour, **and for pinching** the necks of the bird-offerings, **and for burning** the fistful of flour on the altar, **and for sprinkling** the blood, these are derived **as it is written:** “This is the law of the burnt-offering, of the meal-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the consecration-offering, and of the sacrifice of the peace-offering; which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on **the day that he commanded the children of Israel** to present their offerings” (Leviticus 7:37–38).


###### Megillah 20b:17
[Megillah 20b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/20b:17)

וּלְהַשְׁקָיַית סוֹטָה — אָתְיָא ״תּוֹרָה״ ״תּוֹרָה״. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״וְעָשָׂה לָהּ הַכֹּהֵן אֵת כׇּל הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּךָ וְעַל הַמִּשְׁפָּט״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** with regard **to giving the *sota* to drink** from the bitter waters, this **is derived** from a verbal analogy between one instance of the word **“Torah”** and another instance of the word **“Torah.” It is written here** with respect to a *sota*: **“And the priest shall execute upon her all this Torah”** (Numbers 5:30), **and it is written there** with regard to judgment: **“According to the Torah, which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment,** which they shall tell you” (Deuteronomy 17:11).