On this Daf (and Daf 2) one of the reasons the Kfarim are allowed to read on Yom HaKnisa before 14 Adar (Monday or Thursday) is that they need to provide food for the big cities on Purim (14 Adar). But if they are going to the big cities anyway to provide food on that day, why not read while they are bringing the food?
My chavruta suggested that perhaps they are less busy on ordinary Monday and Thursdays than when providing food on Purim, but I would think that they are more busy (because Beit Din sits on Monday and Thursday).
He also suggested it was a Reshut- that the Kfarim could read on either Yom HaKnisa or Purim itself, which might solve this problem?
Daniel Kagan, Jerusalem, Israel
According to the final explanation, "because they bring food to the cities," Rashi says this is their reward. The Ritva explains more: since they bring food to the city on Purim, reading the Megilah would take time away from their Purim rejoicing and therefore they were allowed to read on Monday-Thursday. There is a second way to explain (Me'iri, DH Kevar): that the reward was for bringing food throughout the year, so now they do not have to come in at all on Purim. (The Sfas Emes, DH l'Meimra, learns this way in Rashi!)
The Rashba has another way: not as reward but due to the fact that they are busy on Purim they might have trouble finding 10 men for the Megilah reading, so they were given permission to read on Monday-Thursday since there is anyway a Minyan for Keri'as ha'Torah.
All the best,
Reuven Weiner