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Is the parochet a room divider or a covering for the Aron? The shiur develops a fundamental distinction: year-round it functions as a mechitza between Kodesh and Kodesh HaKodashim, but on Yom Kippur it becomes solely the covering of the Aron. This resolves why Rashi (רש"י) and Tosafos (תוספות) disagree on the prisa's status and explains the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s unusual formulation in Hilchos Sefer Torah (תורה).
This shiur analyzes Megillah 26b, which discusses the status of the prisa (inner curtain) of the Aron Kodesh. Rava initially thought it was tashmishei tashmishei kedusha (service of service of holiness) but concluded it is tashmishei kedusha (direct service of holiness) because occasionally they wrap Sifrei Torah (תורה) in it. Rabbi Zweig addresses multiple difficulties: Why does Rashi (רש"י) say "pa'amim" (sometimes) without specifying a frequency? What was Rava's initial error? The Mishnah (משנה) Berurah notes the halacha (הלכה) is unclear. A fundamental question emerges: Why does Rashi interpret "ayfeilei" (occasionally) to mean the prisa was sometimes placed under the Sefer Torah, while Tosafos (תוספות) learns it was taken outside? The Rambam (רמב"ם) in Hilchos Sefer Torah (Perek 4) never mentions this halacha at all, yet the Kesef Mishna identifies the mitpachas (wrapper) with the prisa.
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Megillah 26b
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