## Megillah Daf 31b

###### Megillah 31b:1
[Megillah 31b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:1)

רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ אָב שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, מַפְטִירִין ״חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי הָיוּ עָלַי לָטוֹרַח״. מַאי ״הָיוּ עָלַי לָטוֹרַח״? אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֹא דַּיָּין לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁחוֹטְאִין לְפָנַי, אֶלָּא שֶׁמַּטְרִיחִין אוֹתִי לֵידַע אֵיזוֹ גְּזֵירָה קָשָׁה אָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
When the **New Moon of Av occurs on Shabbat, they read as the *haftara*** the portion that includes the verse **“Your New Moons and your Festivals, My soul hated; they were a burden to Me”** (Isaiah 1:14). The Gemara asks: **What is** the meaning of: **“They were a burden to Me”?** The Gemara explains: **The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: It is not enough for the Jewish people that they sin before Me, but** in addition, **they burden Me to reconsider what harsh decree I shall bring upon them,** for they are petitioning Me to annul those decrees.


###### Megillah 31b:2
[Megillah 31b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:2)

בְּתִשְׁעָה בְּאָב גּוּפֵיהּ מַאי מַפְטְרִינַן? אָמַר רַב: ״אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה״. מִקְרָא מַאי? תַּנְיָא, אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: ״וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי״, רַבִּי נָתָן בַּר יוֹסֵף אוֹמֵר: ״עַד אָנָה יְנַאֲצוּנִי הָעָם הַזֶּה״, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: ״עַד מָתַי לָעֵדָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת״. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: הָאִידָּנָא נְהוּג עָלְמָא לְמִיקְרֵי ״כִּי תוֹלִיד בָּנִים״, וּמַפְטִירִין ״אָסוֹף אֲסִיפֵם״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **On** the **Ninth of Av itself, what do we read as the *haftara*? Rav said:** The portion containing the verse **“How** did the faithful city **become a harlot?”** (Isaiah 1:21). The Gemara asks: **What Torah portion** do they read? **It is taught** in a *baraita* that **others say:** They read the portion containing the verse **“But if you will not hearken to me”** (Leviticus 26:14). **Rabbi Natan bar Yosef said:** They read the portion containing the verse: **“How long will this people provoke me?”** (Numbers 14:11). **And some say:** They read the portion containing the verse: **“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation?”** (Numbers 14:27). The Gemara comments that **Abaye said: Nowadays, everyone is accustomed to read** the portion of **“When you shall beget children”** (Deuteronomy 4:25–40), **and they read as the *haftara*** the portion of **“I will utterly consume them”** (Jeremiah 8:13–9:23).


###### Megillah 31b:3
[Megillah 31b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:3)

[בְּמַעֲמָדוֹת] בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית וְכוּ׳. מְנָהָנֵי מִילֵּי? אָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: אִלְמָלֵא מַעֲמָדוֹת לֹא נִתְקַיְּימוּ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה חוּקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שָׂמְתִּי״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna states: **In the** non-priestly **watches** they read **the act of Creation.** The Gemara asks: **From where are these matters** derived, i.e., why do they read the account of Creation? **Rabbi Ami said:** To allude to the fact that **were it not for** the non-priestly **watches, heaven and earth would not endure, as it is stated: “Were it not for My covenant day and night, I would not have set the statutes of heaven and earth”** (Jeremiah 33:25). God’s covenant is referring to the offerings sacrificed in the Temple, which sustain the world.


###### Megillah 31b:4
[Megillah 31b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:4)

וּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמַר ה׳ אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה״, אָמַר אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, שֶׁמָּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל חוֹטְאִים לְפָנֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה לָהֶם כְּדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל וּכְדוֹר הַפְּלַגָּה? אָמַר לוֹ: לָאו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** with regard to Abraham **it is written: “And he said, O Lord God, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?”** (Genesis 15:8). **Abraham said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, perhaps, Heaven forbid, the Jewish people will sin before You, and You will do to them as** You did to the **generation of the Flood and as** You did to the **generation of the Dispersion,** i.e., You will completely destroy them? God **said to him: No,** I will not do that.


###### Megillah 31b:5
[Megillah 31b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:5)

אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, ״בַּמֶּה אֵדַע״? אָמַר לוֹ: ״קְחָה לִי עֶגְלָה מְשׁוּלֶּשֶׁת וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, תִּינַח בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים. בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים מָה תְּהֵא עֲלֵיהֶם? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּבָר תִּקַּנְתִּי לָהֶם סֵדֶר קׇרְבָּנוֹת, כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁקּוֹרְאִין בָּהֶן מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיהֶן כְּאִילּוּ מַקְרִיבִין לְפָנַי קׇרְבָּן, וּמוֹחֵל אֲנִי עַל כׇּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Abraham then **said before Him: Master of the Universe: “By what shall I know this?”** God **said to him: “Take Me a heifer of three years old”** (Genesis 15:9). With this, God intimated to Abraham that even if his descendants will sin, they will be able to achieve atonement through sacrificing offerings. Abraham **said before Him: Master of the Universe,** this **works out well when the Temple is standing** and offerings can be brought to achieve atonement, but **when the Temple will no** longer **be standing, what will become of them?** God **said to him: I have already established for them the order of offerings,** i.e., the verses of the Torah pertaining to the *halakhot* of the offerings. **Whenever they read those** portions, **I will deem it as if they sacrificed an offering before Me, and I will pardon them for all of their iniquities.**


###### Megillah 31b:6
[Megillah 31b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:6)

בְּתַעֲנִיּוֹת בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת, וְאֵין מַפְסִיקִין בַּקְּלָלוֹת. מְנָא הָנֵי מִילֵּי? אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר גַּמָּדָא אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי: דְּאָמַר קְרָא ״מוּסַר ה׳ בְּנִי אַל תִּמְאָס״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna states: **On fast days** the congregation reads the portion of **blessings and curses** (Leviticus, chapter 16), **and one may not interrupt** the reading of the **curses** by having two different people read them. Rather, one person reads all of them. The Gemara asks: **From where are these matters** derived? Why does one not interrupt the reading of the curses? **Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda said** that **Rabbi Asi said: For the verse states: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,** nor be weary of His correction” (Proverbs 3:11). If one makes a break in the middle of the curses, it appears as if he loathes rebuke.


###### Megillah 31b:7
[Megillah 31b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:7)

רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר: לְפִי שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים בְּרָכָה עַל הַפּוּרְעָנוּת: אֶלָּא הֵיכִי עָבֵיד? תָּנָא: כְּשֶׁהוּא מַתְחִיל — מַתְחִיל בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁלִּפְנֵיהֶם, וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְסַיֵּים — מְסַיֵּים בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֵיהֶן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Reish Lakish said** a different answer: It is **because one does not say a blessing over a calamity.** If a second person were to begin to read in the middle of the portion of the curses, the blessing upon his reading would be considered a blessing over a calamity. **Rather,** what **does one do?** It is **taught** in a *baraita*: **When one begins** the reading, **one begins with the verse before** the curses, **and when one concludes** the reading, **one concludes with the verse after them.** In this way, neither the blessing before the reading nor after it relates directly to verses of calamity.


###### Megillah 31b:8
[Megillah 31b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:8)

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא בִּקְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, אֲבָל קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה — פּוֹסֵק. מַאי טַעְמָא — הַלָּלוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן רַבִּים אֲמוּרוֹת, וּמֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה אֲמָרָן, וְהַלָּלוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד אֲמוּרוֹת, וּמֹשֶׁה מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ אֲמָרָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said: They taught** this **only with regard to the curses that are** recorded **in Leviticus, but with regard to the curses that are** recorded **in Deuteronomy, one may interrupt** them by having two different people read them. **What is the reason** for this distinction? **These** curses in Leviticus **are stated in the plural, and Moses pronounced them from the mouth of the Almighty.** As such, they are more severe. However, **these** curses in Deuteronomy **are stated in the singular, and Moses said them on his own,** like the rest of the book of Deuteronomy. They are therefore less harsh and may be interrupted.


###### Megillah 31b:9
[Megillah 31b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:9)

לֵוִי בַּר בּוּטֵי הֲוָה קָרֵי וְקָא מְגַמְגֵּם קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא בַּאֲרוּרֵי. אָמַר לוֹ: אַכְּנַפְשָׁךְ. לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, אֲבָל שֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה — פּוֹסֵק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It was related that **Levi bar Buti was** once **reading the** portion of the **curses before Rav Huna, and he was stammering** in his reading, as it was difficult for him to utter such harsh pronouncements. Rav Huna **said to him: If you wish,** you may stop where you are and a different reader will continue, for **they taught** one may not have two people read the curses **only with regard to the curses that are** recorded **in Leviticus. But with regard to the curses that are** recorded **in Deuteronomy, one may interrupt** them by having two different people read them.


###### Megillah 31b:10
[Megillah 31b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:10)

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: עֶזְרָא תִּיקֵּן לָהֶן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיְּהוּ קוֹרִין קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים קוֹדֶם עֲצֶרֶת, וְשֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה קוֹדֶם רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. מַאי טַעְמָא? אָמַר אַבָּיֵי וְאִיתֵּימָא רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכְלֶה הַשָּׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It is taught** in a *baraita*: **Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Ezra enacted for the Jewish people that they should read** the portion of **the curses that are** recorded **in Leviticus before *Shavuot* and** the portion of the curses **that are** recorded **in Deuteronomy before Rosh HaShana.** The Gemara asks: **What is the reason** for this? **Abaye said, and some say** that it was **Reish Lakish** who said: **In order that the year may conclude** together with **its curses,** and the new year may begin without the ominous reading of the curses.


###### Megillah 31b:11
[Megillah 31b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:11)

בִּשְׁלָמָא שֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה, אִיכָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ. אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, אַטּוּ עֲצֶרֶת רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הִיא? אִין, עֲצֶרֶת נָמֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הִיא. דִּתְנַן: וּבַעֲצֶרֶת עַל פֵּירוֹת הָאִילָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **Granted,** with regard to the curses **that are** recorded **in Deuteronomy, there is** relevance to the reason: **In order that the year may conclude** together with **its curses,** for Rosh HaShana is clearly the beginning of a new year. **However,** with regard to the curses **that are** recorded **in Leviticus,** what relevance does that reason have? **Is that to say *Shavuot* is a new year?** The Gemara answers: **Yes,** indeed, ***Shavuot* is also a new year, as we learned** in a mishna (*Rosh HaShana* 16a): **And on *Shavuot*,** divine judgment is made **concerning the fruit of the trees,** which indicates that *Shavuot* also has the status of a new year.


###### Megillah 31b:12
[Megillah 31b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:12)

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: אִם יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ זְקֵנִים ״סְתוֹר״ וִילָדִים ״בְּנֵה״ — סְתוֹר וְאַל תִּבְנֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסְּתִירַת זְקֵנִים בִּנְיָן, וּבִנְיַן נְעָרִים סְתִירָה. וְסִימָן לַדָּבָר — רְחַבְעָם בֶּן שְׁלֹמֹה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It is taught** in a *baraita*: **Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: If old men say to you: Demolish, and children** say to you: **Build,** then **demolish and do not build, because the demolishing of old men is** ultimately as constructive as **building,** despite the fact that it appears destructive, **and the building of children is** as destructive as **demolishing. An indication of this matter** is **Rehoboam, son of Solomon.** He ignored the advice of the Elders and did not lower himself before his people, which ultimately led to the people rebelling against him.


###### Megillah 31b:13
[Megillah 31b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:13)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּפְסִיקִין בַּשַּׁבָּת שַׁחֲרִית — שָׁם קוֹרִין בְּמִנְחָה, בְּמִנְחָה — שָׁם קוֹרִין בְּשֵׁנִי, בְּשֵׁנִי — שָׁם קוֹרִין בַּחֲמִישִׁי, בַּחֲמִישִׁי — שָׁם קוֹרִין לַשַּׁבָּת הַבָּאָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּפְסִיקִין בַּשַּׁבָּת שַׁחֲרִית — שָׁם קוֹרִין בְּמִנְחָה, וּבַשֵּׁנִי וּבַחֲמִישִׁי, וְלַשַּׁבָּת הַבָּאָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Sages taught** in a *baraita*: With regard to **the place** in the Torah **where** the congregation **concludes** the reading **on Shabbat morning,** it is from **there** that **they** continue to **read in the afternoon** service on Shabbat. Where they conclude **in the afternoon** service on Shabbat, from **there they** continue to **read on Monday** morning. Where they conclude **on Monday,** from **there they** continue to **read on Thursday** morning. Where they conclude **on Thursday,** from **there they** continue to **read on the coming Shabbat.** This is **the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says:** With regard to **the place** in the Torah **where they conclude** the reading **on Shabbat morning,** it is from **there** that **they** continue to **read in the afternoon** service on Shabbat. **And** from that same place **they** continue to **read on Monday** morning, **and on Thursday** morning, **and on the coming Shabbat.**


###### Megillah 31b:14
[Megillah 31b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/31b:14)

אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: הֲלָכָה, מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּפְסִיקִין בַּשַּׁבָּת שַׁחֲרִית — שָׁם קוֹרִין בְּמִנְחָה, וּבְשֵׁנִי וּבַחֲמִישִׁי, וְלַשַּׁבָּת הַבָּאָה. וְלֵימָא: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes that **Rabbi Zeira said: The *halakha*** is that with regard to **the place where they conclude** the reading **on Shabbat morning,** it is from **there** that **they** continue to **read in the afternoon** service on Shabbat. **And** from that same place **they** continue to **read on Monday** morning, **and on Thursday** morning, **and on the coming Shabbat.** The Gemara asks: If so, **let him** simply **say: The *halakha* is in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Yehuda.** Why did he have to explicitly state the whole *halakha*?