## Megillah Daf 3b

###### Megillah 3b:1
[Megillah 3b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:1)

מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלָּן בְּעוּמְקָהּ שֶׁל הֲלָכָה. וְאָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אוּנְיָא: גָּדוֹל תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מֵהַקְרָבַת תְּמִידִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַתָּה בָאתִי״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
This **teaches that he spent the night in the depths** [***be’umeka***] **of *halakha*,** i.e., that he spent the night studying Torah with the Jewish people. **And Rav Shmuel bar Unya said: Torah study is greater than sacrificing the daily offerings, as it is stated: “I have come now”** (Joshua 5:14), indicating that the angel came to rebuke Joshua for neglecting Torah study and not for neglecting the daily offering. Consequently, how did the Sages of the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi determine that the Temple service is more important than Torah study?


###### Megillah 3b:2
[Megillah 3b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:2)

לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא דְּרַבִּים, וְהָא דְּיָחִיד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains that it is **not difficult. This** statement, with regard to the story of Joshua, is referring to Torah study **by the masses,** which is greater than the Temple service. **That** statement of the Sages of the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi is referring to Torah study **by an individual,** which is less significant than the Temple service.


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

וּדְיָחִיד קַל? וְהָתְנַן: נָשִׁים בַּמּוֹעֵד מְעַנּוֹת אֲבָל לֹא מְטַפְּחוֹת, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: אִם הָיוּ סְמוּכוֹת לַמִּטָּה — מְטַפְּחוֹת. בְּרָאשֵׁי חֳדָשִׁים בַּחֲנוּכָּה וּבְפוּרִים, מְעַנּוֹת וּמְטַפְּחוֹת בָּזֶה וּבָזֶה, אֲבָל לֹא מְקוֹנְנוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: Is the Torah study **of an individual a light** matter? **Didn’t we learn** in a mishna: **On** the intermediate days of **a Festival, women may lament** the demise of the deceased in unison, **but they may not clap** their hands in mourning? **Rabbi Yishmael says: Those that are close to the bier may clap. On the New Moon, on Hanukkah, and on Purim,** which are not mandated by Torah law, **they may** both **lament and clap** their hands in mourning. However, **on both** groups of days, **they may not wail** responsively, a form of wailing where one woman wails and the others repeat after her.


###### Megillah 3b:4
[Megillah 3b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:4)

וְאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא: אֵין מוֹעֵד בִּפְנֵי תַּלְמִיד חָכָם — כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן חֲנוּכָּה וּפוּרִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabba bar Huna said:** All these regulations were said with regard to an ordinary person, but **there are no** restrictions on expressions of mourning on the intermediate days of **a Festival in the presence of a** deceased **Torah scholar.** If a Torah scholar dies on the intermediate days of a Festival, the women may lament, clap, and wail responsively as on any other day, **and all the more so on Hanukkah and Purim.** This indicates that even the Torah study of an individual is of great importance.


###### Megillah 3b:5
[Megillah 3b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:5)

כְּבוֹד תּוֹרָה קָאָמְרַתְּ. כְּבוֹד תּוֹרָה דְּיָחִיד — חָמוּר, תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה דְּיָחִיד — קַל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this argument: **You speak of the honor** that must be shown **to the Torah,** and indeed, **the honor** that must be shown to **the Torah** in the case of **an individual** Torah scholar **is important;** but **the Torah study of an individual** in itself **is light** and is less significant than the Temple service.


###### Megillah 3b:6
[Megillah 3b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:6)

אָמַר רָבָא, פְּשִׁיטָא לִי: עֲבוֹדָה וּמִקְרָא מְגִילָּה — מִקְרָא מְגִילָּה עֲדִיף, מִדְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא. תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה וּמִקְרָא מְגִילָּה — מִקְרָא מְגִילָּה עֲדִיף, מִדְּסָמְכוּ שֶׁל בֵּית רַבִּי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rava said:** It **is obvious to me** that if one must choose between Temple **service and reading the Megilla, reading the Megilla** takes **precedence, based upon** the exposition of **Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina** with regard to the phrase “every family” (Esther 9:28). Similarly, if one must choose between **Torah study and reading the Megilla, reading the Megilla** takes **precedence, based upon** the fact that the Sages of **the house of Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **relied** on Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina’s exposition to rule that one interrupts Torah study to hear the reading of the Megilla.


###### Megillah 3b:7
[Megillah 3b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:7)

תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה וּמֵת מִצְוָה — מֵת מִצְוָה עֲדִיף, מִדְּתַנְיָא: מְבַטְּלִין תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה לְהוֹצָאַת מֵת, וּלְהַכְנָסַת כַּלָּה. עֲבוֹדָה וּמֵת מִצְוָה — מֵת מִצְוָה עֲדִיף, מִ״וּלְאַחוֹתוֹ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Furthermore, it is obvious that if one must choose between **Torah study and** tending to **a corpse with no one to bury it [*met mitzva*],** the task of burying **the *met mitzva*** takes **precedence.** This is derived **from that which is taught** in a *baraita*: **One cancels his Torah study to bring out a corpse** for burial, **and to** join a wedding procession and **bring in the bride.** Similarly, if one must choose between the Temple **service and** tending to **a *met mitzva*,** tending to the ***met mitzva*** takes **precedence, based upon** the *halakha* derived from the term **“or for his sister”** (Numbers 6:7).


###### Megillah 3b:8
[Megillah 3b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:8)

דְּתַנְיָא: ״וּלְאַחוֹתוֹ״ מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר? הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לִשְׁחוֹט אֶת פִּסְחוֹ וְלָמוּל אֶת בְּנוֹ, וְשָׁמַע שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ מֵת, יָכוֹל יִטַּמָּא —

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**As it is taught** in a *baraita* with regard to verses addressing the laws of a nazirite: “All the days that he consecrates himself to the Lord, he shall not come near to a dead body. For his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, he shall not make himself ritually impure for them when they die” (Numbers 6:6–7). **What** is the meaning when **the verse states “or for his sister”?** The previous verse, which states that the nazirite may not come near a dead body, already prohibits him from becoming impure through contact with his sister. Therefore, the second verse is understood to be teaching a different *halakha*: One **who was going to slaughter his Paschal** lamb **or to circumcise his son, and he heard that** a relative **of his died,** one **might** have thought that **he** should return and **become ritually impure** with the impurity imparted by a corpse.


###### Megillah 3b:9
[Megillah 3b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:9)

אָמַרְתָּ: ״לֹא יִטַּמָּא״. יָכוֹל כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִיטַּמֵּא לַאֲחוֹתוֹ, כָּךְ אֵינוֹ מִיטַּמֵּא לְמֵת מִצְוָה — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וּלְאַחוֹתוֹ״. לַאֲחוֹתוֹ הוּא דְּאֵינוֹ מִיטַּמֵּא, אֲבָל מִיטַּמֵּא לְמֵת מִצְוָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**You said: He shall not become impure;** the death of his relative will not override so significant a mitzva from the Torah. One **might** have thought: **Just as he does not become impure for his sister, so he does not become impure for a corpse with no one to bury it [*met mitzva*]. The verse states: “Or for his sister”; he may not become impure for his sister,** as someone else can attend to her burial, **but he does become impure for a *met mitzva*.**


###### Megillah 3b:10
[Megillah 3b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:10)

בָּעֵי רָבָא: מִקְרָא מְגִילָּה וּמֵת מִצְוָה הֵי מִינַּיְיהוּ עֲדִיף? מִקְרָא מְגִילָּה עֲדִיף מִשּׁוּם פַּרְסוֹמֵי נִיסָּא, אוֹ דִּלְמָא מֵת מִצְוָה עֲדִיף מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת? בָּתַר דְּבַעְיָא הֲדַר פַּשְׁטַהּ: מֵת מִצְוָה עֲדִיף, דְּאָמַר מָר: גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁדּוֹחֶה אֶת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
On the basis of these premises, **Rava raised a dilemma:** If one must choose between **reading the Megilla and** tending to **a *met mitzva*, which of them** takes **precedence?** Does **reading the Megilla** take **precedence due to** the value of **publicizing the miracle, or perhaps** burying **the *met mitzva*** takes **precedence due to** the value of preserving **human dignity? After he raised the dilemma,** Rava **then resolved it** on his own and ruled that attending to a ***met mitzva*** takes **precedence, as the Master said: Great is human dignity, as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah.** Consequently, it certainly overrides the duty to read the Megilla, despite the fact that reading the Megilla publicizes the miracle.


###### Megillah 3b:11
[Megillah 3b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:11)

גּוּפָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּרַךְ, וְכׇל הַסָּמוּךְ לוֹ, וְכׇל הַנִּרְאֶה עִמּוֹ — נִדּוֹן כִּכְרַךְ. תָּנָא: סָמוּךְ — אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה, נִרְאֶה — אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ סָמוּךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara examines **the** matter **itself** cited in the course of the previous discussion. **Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A** walled **city, and all** settlements **adjacent to it, and all** settlements that can be **seen with it,** i.e., that can be seen from the walled city, are **considered like the** walled **city,** and the Megilla is read on the fifteenth. It was **taught** in the *Tosefta*: This is the *halakha* with regard to a settlement **adjacent** to a walled city, **although it cannot be seen** from it, and also a place that **can be seen** from the walled city, **although it is not adjacent** to it.


###### Megillah 3b:12
[Megillah 3b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:12)

בִּשְׁלָמָא נִרְאֶה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ סָמוּךְ, מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ לַהּ כְּגוֹן דְּיָתְבָה בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר. אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה הֵיכִי מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ לַהּ? אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: שֶׁיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּנַּחַל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara examines the *Tosefta*: **Granted** that with regard to a place that **can be seen** from the walled city, **although it is not adjacent** to it, **you find it where** the place **is located on the top of a mountain,** and therefore it can be seen from the walled city, although it is at some distance from it. **However,** with regard to a settlement that is **adjacent** to a walled city **although it cannot be seen** from it, **how can you find these** circumstances? **Rabbi Yirmeya said:** You find it, for example, **where** the place **is located in a valley,** and therefore it is possible that it cannot be seen from the walled city, although it is very close to it.


###### Megillah 3b:13
[Megillah 3b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:13)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּרַךְ שֶׁיָּשַׁב וּלְבַסּוֹף הוּקַּף — נִדּוֹן כִּכְפָר. מַאי טַעְמָא? דִּכְתִיב: ״וְאִישׁ כִּי יִמְכּוֹר בֵּית מוֹשַׁב עִיר חוֹמָה״, שֶׁהוּקַּף וּלְבַסּוֹף יָשַׁב, וְלֹא שֶׁיָּשַׁב וּלְבַסּוֹף הוּקַּף.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A** walled **city that was** initially **settled and** only **later surrounded** by a wall **is considered a village** rather than a walled city. **What is the reason? As it is written: “And if a man sells a residential house in a walled city”** (Leviticus 25:29). The wording of the verse indicates that it is referring to a place **that was** first **surrounded** by a wall **and** only **later settled, and not** to a place **that was** first **settled and** only **later surrounded** by a wall.


###### Megillah 3b:14
[Megillah 3b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:14)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּרַךְ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ עֲשָׂרָה בַּטְלָנִין — נִדּוֹן כִּכְפָר. מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן? תְּנֵינָא: אֵיזוֹ הִיא עִיר גְּדוֹלָה — כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ עֲשָׂרָה בַּטְלָנִין. פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן, הֲרֵי זֶה כְּפָר? כְּרַךְ אִיצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּמִיקַּלְעִי לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A** walled **city that does not have ten idlers,** i.e., individuals who do not work and are available to attend to communal needs, **is treated as a village.** The Gemara asks: **What is he teaching us? We** already **learned** in a mishna (5a): **What is a large city? Any** city **in which there are ten idlers;** however, if there are **fewer than that, it is a village.** The Gemara answers: Nevertheless, **it was necessary** for Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to teach this *halakha* with regard to a large **city,** to indicate that **even if** idlers **happen to come there from elsewhere,** since they are not local residents, it is still considered a village.


###### Megillah 3b:15
[Megillah 3b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:15)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּרַךְ שֶׁחָרַב וּלְבַסּוֹף יָשַׁב נִדּוֹן כִּכְרַךְ. מַאי חָרַב? אִילֵּימָא חָרְבוּ חוֹמוֹתָיו: יָשַׁב — אִין, לֹא יָשַׁב — לָא? וְהָא תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בַּר יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: ״אֲשֶׁר לוֹא חוֹמָה״, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ עַכְשָׁיו וְהָיָה לוֹ קוֹדֶם לָכֵן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi** also **said: A** walled **city that was destroyed and** then **later settled is considered a city.** The Gemara asks: **What is** meant by the term **destroyed? If we say** that the city’s **walls were destroyed,** and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi comes to teach us that if it was **settled, yes** it is treated as a walled city, but if it was **not settled,** it is **not** treated that way, there is a difficulty. **Isn’t it taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Eliezer bar Yosei says:** The verse states: **“Which has [*lo*] a wall** (Leviticus 25:30),” and the word *lo* is written with an *alef*, which means no, but in context the word *lo* is used as though it was written with a *vav*, meaning that it has a wall. This indicates that **even though** the city **does not have** a wall **now,** as the wall was destroyed, if it **had** a wall **before,** it retains its status as a walled city.


###### Megillah 3b:16
[Megillah 3b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:16)

אֶלָּא מַאי ״חָרַב״ — שֶׁחָרַב מֵעֲשָׂרָה בַּטְלָנִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, what is** meant by the term **destroyed? That it was destroyed** in the sense that it no longer has **ten idlers,** and therefore it is treated like a village. However, once it has ten idlers again, it is treated like a city.


###### Megillah 3b:17
[Megillah 3b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/3b:17)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:**