No community start suggestion yet.
Why can the takana of kriyat haTorah on yamim tovim change over time despite being attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu? The shiur develops a fundamental distinction between two types of authority held by Beis Din HaGadol: judicial/Torah (תורה) authority requiring Lishkas HaGazis, and legislative/executive authority representing Klal Yisrael. Moshe's takana of reading parshas hamoadot derives from his role as representative of the people—explaining why later generations can modify it (einan nohagin) without violating the principle that a beis din cannot uproot a predecessor's ruling.
The shiur analyzes Megillah 30b and the Gemara (גמרא)'s presentation of kriyat haTorah on yamim tovim. The Mishna states that on Pesach (פסח) we read parshas hamoadot from Toras Kohanim, on Shavuos from either Devarim or parshas korban bikurim, and on Sukkos (סוכות) from parshas hamoadot in Mishneh Torah (תורה). The Ran asks why the cycle switches—if Pesach uses Toras Kohanim and Shavuos uses Devarim, why does Sukkos revert to Toras Kohanim? Several textual difficulties emerge, including why the Mishna details each day's reading for Sukkos but not for Pesach, and why the pasuk "vayidaber Moshe es mo'adei Hashem (ה׳) el bnei Yisrael" appears to justify both holiday readings and the unrelated laws of Shabbos (שבת) mincha and Monday/Thursday readings. The Gemara derives from this pasuk that Moshe established two takanos: she'yihyu korin kol echad v'echad bizmanon (reading the appropriate parsha on each yom tov) and she'yihyu sho'alin v'dorshin inyanon shel chag (teaching the laws of each festival on that festival). Rashi (רש"י) explains that the pasuk teaches both the obligation to read parshas hamoadot on each festival and the requirement to teach hilchos Pesach on Pesach, hilchos Atzeres on Shavuos, etc. Yet the Gemara states "einan nohagin ka'avah"—the current custom differs. The Tur asks how different readings could be established for different festivals if all derive from the same pasuk. More fundamentally, how can later generations simply change a takanas Moshe without requiring a beis din gadol b'chochma ub'minyan to uproot it?
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Megillah 30b
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Gemara
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
When an animal damages crops, the Torah prescribes a unique payment formula based on multiplying the damaged area by sixty. Does this formula redefine the actual loss, or does it merely create a payment mechanism that still acknowledges the full damage sustained? The Gemara explores whether someone who ate in doubt should pay the higher-quality amount, examining how the principle of motzi me-chaveiro alav haraya applies when payments fall within the range of actual loss.
What makes testimony valid when different witnesses testify to different parts of the same event? The Gemara debates whether the principle of "davar v'lo chatzi davar" (complete testimony, not partial) disqualifies witnesses who testify separately to theft and slaughter. Rashi's approach reveals that the issue is not merely combining elements, but whether each witness's statement is independently meaningful.
Why is a ganav who sells a stolen animal on Shabbos exempt from the fourfold/fivefold payment? The shiur analyzes whether this exemption stems from kam lei b'derabbah or from the absence of a valid mechira. The Rashba's principle that matana resembles mechira when it is "nishtarish b'chet" is explored, along with the Rambam's position on hekdesh and the distinction between giving to bedek habayis versus mizbe'ach.
When a ganav shechts a stolen animal l'avodah zarah, why isn't he patur from payment since it's already isur hana'ah? The shiur explores the fundamental machloket Rashi-Tosafot on whether the isur derives from the act of shechita or from the din shechita itself. The Gemara's application of davar garem be'mamon ke'mamon domi extends the analysis to when borrowed animals become niskal.
