HELLO. THIS IS THE BRIEF CUT FROM THE GEMARA:
(b) Question: Was the enactment really to help the cities?
1. (Mishnah) When the 14th falls on Monday, villagers and city-dwellers read on that day.
2. If the enactment is to help city-dwellers, let the villagers read the previous Thursday!
3. Answer: We did not institute to read on the 10th.
4. (Mishnah) When the 14th falls on Thursday, villagers read on that day.
5. Question: If the enactment is to help city-dwellers, let the villagers read the previous Monday (the 11th)!
6. Answer: We do not push aside a day of assembly to read on a different day of assembly.
7. (Mishnah) R. Yehudah: The enactment only applies in places where villagers enter on days of assembly.
8. If the enactment is to help city-dwellers,it should apply everywhere!
9. Retraction: The enactment is because villagers supply food and water to the cities.
I HAVE A DIFFICULTY WITH POINTS 7 AND 8. HOW DOES IT REFUTE OUR ORIGINAL THINKING THAT THEY CAN BRING IT EARLY AS A BENEFIT TO THE CITY-DWELLERS? I CAN SAY THAT R'YEHUDA SAIS IT ONLY APPLIES TO THE VILLAGES WHO NORMALLY COME IN ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY BECAUSE IF THEY DONT COME IN ON THOSE DAYS NORMALLY, THEN THE CITY DWELLERS WILL BE NO BETTER OFF BY PERMITTING THE VILLAGES TO READ IT EARLY? SO R'YEHUDAS STATEMENT DOESNT NECESSARILY PROVE WRONG OUR HAVA AMINA THAT ITS BECAUSE OF THE CITY DWELLERS AS OPPOSED TO THE VILLAGERS.
danny fad, London, UK
See Rashi at the top of the page, who explains that the benefit of the city dwellers is that the villagers should not be busy on Purim and will be able to do the work. Even if they do not usually come to hear Keri'as ha'Torah, they still could be made available to bring supplies on Purim.
D. Zupnik