## Megillah Daf 4a

###### Megillah 4a:1
[Megillah 4a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:1)

לוֹד וְאוֹנוֹ וְגֵיא הַחֲרָשִׁים — מוּקָּפוֹת חוֹמָה מִימוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן הֲווֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The cities **Lod, and Ono, and Gei HeḤarashim** are cities **that have been surrounded** by walls **since the days of Joshua, son of Nun.**


###### Megillah 4a:2
[Megillah 4a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:2)

וְהָנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּנַנְהִי? וְהָא אֶלְפַּעַל בְּנַנְהִי, דִּכְתִיב: ״[וּ]בְנֵי אֶלְפַּעַל עֵבֶר וּמִשְׁעָם וָשָׁמֶר הוּא בָּנָה אֶת אוֹנוֹ וְאֶת לוֹד וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ״! וּלְטַעְמָיךְ, אָסָא בְּנַנְהִי, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּבֶן (אָסָא אֶת עָרֵי הַבְּצוּרוֹת אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה)״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **Did Joshua**, son of Nun, really **build these** cities? **Didn’t Elpaal build them** at a later date, **as it is written: “And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its hamlets”** (I Chronicles 8:12)? The Gemara counters: **According to your reasoning,** that this verse proves that these cities were built later, you can also say that **Asa,** king of Judah, **built them, as it is written: “And he,** Asa, **built fortified cities in Judah”** (see II Chronicles 14:5). Therefore, it is apparent that these cities were built more than once.


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

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: הָנֵי מוּקָּפוֹת חוֹמָה מִימוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן הֲווֹ. חֲרוּב בִּימֵי פִּילֶגֶשׁ בְּגִבְעָה, וַאֲתָא אֶלְפַּעַל בְּנַנְהִי. הֲדוּר אִינְּפוּל, אֲתָא אָסָא שַׁפְּצִינְהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Elazar said: These** cities **were surrounded by a wall since the days of Joshua, son of Nun,** and they **were destroyed in the days of the concubine in Gibea,** as they stood in the tribal territory of Benjamin, and in that war all of the cities of Benjamin were destroyed (see Judges, chapters 19–21). **Elpaal** then **came and built them** again. **They then fell** in the wars between Judah and Israel, and **Asa came and restored them.**


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

דַּיְקָא נָמֵי, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה נִבְנֶה אֶת הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה״, מִכְּלָל דְּעָרִים הֲווֹ מֵעִיקָּרָא. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: The language of the verse **is also precise** according to this explanation, **as it is written**with regard to Asa: **“And he said to Judah: Let us build these cities”** (II Chronicles 14:6), which proves **by inference that they had** already **been cities at the outset,** and that he did not build new cities. The Gemara concludes: Indeed, **learn from this** that it is so.


###### Megillah 4a:5
[Megillah 4a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:5)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: נָשִׁים חַיָּיבוֹת בְּמִקְרָא מְגִילָּה, שֶׁאַף הֵן הָיוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַנֵּס. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: פּוּרִים שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, שׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi** also **said: Women are obligated in the reading of the Megilla, as they too were** significant partners **in that miracle. And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi** also **said:** When **Purim occurs on Shabbat, one asks** questions **and expounds upon the subject of the day.**


###### Megillah 4a:6
[Megillah 4a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:6)

מַאי אִרְיָא פּוּרִים? אֲפִילּוּ יוֹם טוֹב נָמֵי! דְּתַנְיָא: מֹשֶׁה תִּיקֵּן לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיְּהוּ שׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם: הִלְכוֹת פֶּסַח בַּפֶּסַח, הִלְכוֹת עֲצֶרֶת בָּעֲצֶרֶת, וְהִלְכוֹת חַג בֶּחָג!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises a question with regard to the last *halakha*: **Why** was it necessary to **specify Purim?** The same principle applies **also to the Festivals, as it is taught** in a *baraita*: **Moses enacted for the Jewish people that they should ask** questions about **and expound upon the subject of the day:** They should occupy themselves with **the *halakhot* of Passover on Passover,** with **the *halakhot* of *Shavuot* on *Shavuot*, and** with the ***halakhot* of the festival** of *Sukkot* **on the festival** of *Sukkot*.


###### Megillah 4a:7
[Megillah 4a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:7)

פּוּרִים אִיצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ, מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא: נִגְזוֹר מִשּׁוּם דְּרַבָּה, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **It was necessary for** Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to mention **Purim, lest you say** that when Purim falls on Shabbat **we should decree** that it is prohibited to expound upon the *halakhot* of the day **due to** the concern of **Rabba,** who said that the reason the Megilla is not read on a Purim that falls on Shabbat is due to a concern that one carry the Megilla in the public domain. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi **therefore teaches us** that expounding the *halakhot* of the day is not prohibited as a preventive measure lest one read the Megilla on Shabbat.


###### Megillah 4a:8
[Megillah 4a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:8)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: חַיָּיב אָדָם לִקְרוֹת אֶת הַמְּגִילָּה בַּלַּיְלָה וְלִשְׁנוֹתָהּ בַּיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֱלֹהַי אֶקְרָא יוֹמָם וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה וְלַיְלָה וְלֹא דוּמִיָּה לִי״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi** further **said** with regard to Purim: **A person is obligated to read the Megilla at night and** then **to repeat it** [***lishnota***] **during the day, as it is stated: “O my God, I call by day but You do not answer; and at night, and there is no surcease for me”** (Psalms 22:3), which alludes to reading the Megilla both by day and by night.


###### Megillah 4a:9
[Megillah 4a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:9)

סְבוּר מִינָּה לְמִקְרְיַיהּ בְּלֵילְיָא וּלְמִיתְנֵא מַתְנִיתִין דִּידַהּ בִּימָמָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: לְדִידִי מִיפָּרְשָׁא לִי מִינֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא, כְּגוֹן דְּאָמְרִי אִינָשֵׁי: אֶעֱבוֹר פָּרַשְׁתָּא דָּא וְאֶתְנְיַיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Some of the students who heard this statement **understood from it** that one is obligated **to read** the Megilla **at night and to study its** relevant tractate of **Mishna by day,** as the term *lishnota* can be understood to mean studying Mishna. **Rabbi Yirmeya said to them: It was explained to me** personally **by Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba himself** that the term *lishnota* here has a different connotation, **for example, as people say: I will conclude this section and repeat it,** i.e., I will review my studies. Similarly, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s statement means that one must repeat the reading of the Megilla by day after reading it at night.


###### Megillah 4a:10
[Megillah 4a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:10)

אִיתְּמַר נָמֵי, אָמַר רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ אָמַר עוּלָּא בִּירָאָה: חַיָּיב אָדָם לִקְרוֹת אֶת הַמְּגִילָּה בַּלַּיְלָה וְלִשְׁנוֹתָהּ בַּיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד וְלֹא יִדּוֹם ה׳ אֱלֹהַי לְעוֹלָם אוֹדֶךָּ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes that this ruling **was also stated** by another *amora*, as **Rabbi Ḥelbo said** that **Ulla Bira’a said: A person is obligated to read the Megilla at night and** then **repeat it during the day, as it is stated: “So that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent; O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to You forever”** (Psalms 30:13). The dual formulation of singing praise and not being silent alludes to reading the Megilla both by night and by day.


###### Megillah 4a:11
[Megillah 4a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Megillah/r/4a:11)

אֶלָּא שֶׁהַכְּפָרִים מַקְדִּימִין לְיוֹם הַכְּנִיסָה. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: חֲכָמִים הֵקֵילּוּ עַל הַכְּפָרִים לִהְיוֹת מַקְדִּימִין לְיוֹם הַכְּנִיסָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּסַפְּקוּ מַיִם וּמָזוֹן לַאֲחֵיהֶם שֶׁבַּכְּרַכִּין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ We learned in the mishna that residents of unwalled towns read the Megilla on the fourteenth of Adar; **however,** residents of **villages may advance** their reading **to the day of assembly,** the Monday or Thursday preceding Purim. **Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Sages were lenient with the villages** and allowed them **to advance** their reading of the Megilla **to the day of assembly, so that they** could be free to **provide water and food to their brethren in the cities** on the day of Purim. If everyone would be busy reading the Megilla on the fourteenth, the residents of the cities would not have enough to eat.