The mishna says that the maamados would lain beresihis and yehi rakia on the first day. The gemara explains that the parsha of bereishis would be split up into two. This causes an issue since it only has 5 pesukim. The gemara asks a question from a braisa which says that a parsha of 5 pesukim is generally not split up. Why over here by maamados do we split bereishis up? The gemara answers that in general, we have room, here we don't. Rashi explains that generally we can read from the next parsha but with maamados we can only read from bereishis and yehi rakia.
Why can't we just lain bereishis as one aliya yehi rakia as the second aliya and yikavu hamayim - the next parsha - as the third aliya?
Why do we need to lain specifically from bereishis and yehi rakia? Why can't we continue on into the next parshiyos? We actually do this on Monday and Thursday of Parshas Breishis.
Yisroel Alter Pacanowski, Australia
Reb Yisroel Alter, it is great to hear from you again after a gap!
1) One of the Rishonim; the "Sefer Michtam"; writes that in the Maamados they did not have time to read the 3rd parsha of Yikavu Hamayim. They only had time to read from the first 2 parshios of Bereshis and Yehi Rakia. In Kerias Hatorah on Monday and Thursday we have more time.
2) The Turei Even Megilah 22a DH veY'L answers that Yikavu Hamayim is not "MeInyana deYoma"; it is not relevant to the first day; rather to the 3rd day. Even though we read Yehi Rakia which is also not MeInyana deYoma of Day 1 nevertheless we only do this because we have no choice, because we need the 3 verses from it to complete the Keriah. The need for a total of 10 verses is not sufficient to justify reading other than Inyana deYoma twice because we have other options; Doleg according to Rav and Posek according to Shmuel.
KOL TUV
Dovid Bloom
The answer of the Pnei Yehoshua Megilah 22a DH Rav Amar:_
1) The Pnei Yehoshua writes that the reason that one does not read Bereshis; Yehi Rakia; Yikavu Hamayim; is because Chazal said that the reading from the Torah on each day, for everyone, should be equal. If one would read 3 different parshayos; about 3 different days of creation; for the 3 people on Day 1 that would mean that in future days it would not be possible to read the daily portion, followed by the portion of the day after, followed by the portion of the day after that. This is because from Yikavu Hmayim onwards the Parshayos become longer and it would take too long to read the whole of the daily portion without splitting it up. Therefore the reading for Day 1 also had to remain limited to only 2 days of creation so that in future Days the reading would also only cover 2 days of creation and everything would remain equal; with no discrimination between different days.
2) Pnei Yehoshua writes that this is in order to prevent "jealousy in the act of creation". A source for this is Gemara Megilah 25a which tells us that one of the reasons we silence the Shaliach Tzibur who says "Your mercy is extended to a birds nest" is because someone who says this engenders jealousy amongst Hash-m's creations. Rashi DH Matil writes that he is suggesting that Hash-m only cares for birds but not for animals and wild creatures. The same thing applies to Kerias Hatorah in the Ma'amados. If on Day 1 we would read about 3 days of creation and on other days we would read about only 2 days, this would represent inequality. It is important that all of Hshem's creations should exist in perfect harmony.
Behatzlochoh Rabah
Dovid Bloom
Answer of Aruch Hashulchan and further explanation of pshat of the Michtam:-
1) The Future Aruch Hashulchan Hilchos Klei Hamikdash 26:14 answers that if Yikavu Hamayim would be read for the Yisroel on Day 1 that would mean that on Day 2 Yehi Rakia would be read for the Cohen, Yikavu Hamayim (which contains 5 verses and therefore cannot be split into two) would be read for the Levi, and Yehi Me'oros would be read for the Yisroel. Then on Day 3 Yikavu Hamayim would be read for the Cohen, the first 3 verses of Yehi Me'oros would be read for the Levi, and the last 3 verses of Yehi Me'oros would be read for the Yisroel (this is because Yehi Me'oros contains 6 verses and therefore can be split into two). The result of this is that the reading for Day 3 contains not a single verse which was not read the day before. This is unacceptable. Every day must have something additional which was not read the day before.
2) I should make an additional comment about what I wrote at the very beginning in the name of Michtam (this is to be found in the Treasures of the Rishonim published by Rav Moshe Hirschler page 268 and in the new edition of HaMichtam published 5 years ago, by Ahavat Shalom page 39). The explanation of the Michtam is based on the first 3 words of the Gemara at the top of 28a "that there is space". However he does not translate the word "Ravcha" as space, but rather as "spare time". This means that for Kerias Hatorah all year round there is "spare time"; there is enough time to read a full 6 verses. In contrast, in the Ma'amados in the Beis Hamikdash, there was no spare time in which to read the extra parsha of Yikavu Hamayim (presumably because the Cohen had to offer up the korbanos of the whole of Klal Yisroel so there was a lot ot be done).
Dovid Bloom
Shkoiach Rabbi Bloom.
Wanted to share a diyuk with you:
In Taanis 29a the Gemora brings: Mishenichnas Adar marbim besimcha. Rashi there says: These were days of miracles for Klal Yisroel - Purim and Pesach. How did Pesach fall in here, to Adar- Note the Gemora doesnt say in Adar we are besimcha, but Mishenichnas. From the beginning of Adar. Until when? Rashi says not just Adar, but keep being besimcha in Nissan too.
Tomid Besimcha :)
YA
For some reason, my first reply on tans-028.4c1 that I sent already (where I cited the Yaavetz and Rav Neventzal) has been erased from my file, but at any rate this is now a
Follow-up reply:
1) We should note that the Gemara Megilah end 6b states that the reason that according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel; in a leap year like this year; one reads the Megilah in Adar Sheni is because "Mismach Geulah leGeulah" is preferrable to the rule of "Ein Ma'avirin Al HaMitzvos". Rashi DH Geulah writes "Purim LePesach". Again we see the connection between Purim and Pesach. It is important that Purim should be near Pesach.
2) I think that a lot has been written on this inyan in Seforim on Machshovah, and I am not going to attempt to write at length on this in the present forum, but I am now merely trying to show places in what we are learning at the moment in dafyomi in Maseches Megilah, to suggest that the miracle of Purim may have been in the merit of the earlier miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim in Nisan.
3) The Gemara Megilah 15a cites Ester 4:17 "And Mordecai passed over". Rav said that this means that he transgressed by fasting on the first day of Pesach. Again the suggestion is that the miracle of being saved from Haman was attained with the merit of fasting on Pesach. And indeed Haman was hung on the evening of 16th Nisan (Rashi 15a DH Yo"t). The victory in the war happened in the following Adar but this had been prepared for by the miracles of the previous Nisan.
4) Adar and Nisan are intertwined in the miracle of Purim because once Adar commences this is now the beginning of Nisim for Klal Yisroel.
KOL TUV
Dovid Bloom
Further hints about the connection between Adar and Nisan:
1) There is a beautiful idea of the Chidushei HaRim to explain the different kinds of miracles in Adar and Nisan. This can be found in "Imrei HaRim" on Chodesh Adar page 182 and page 189. He cites Mishna Bava Basra 83a that if somebody sold a ship this automatically means he sells the "Neis"; the mast; together with the ship. The Gemara tells us that a "neis" is "idra". which in Hebrew is exactly the same word as Adar, except that there is an extra Alef at the end of the word. So the word for neis in Aramaic is Adar.
2) Imrei HaRim page 189 DH HaChodesh writes that in Adar we read the 4 Parshios which are a preparation for Pesach, since in Adar the new miracles start. The word Nisan, of course, is derived from the word Neis. In Adar we already start feeling the miracles, but they are still hidden, and this is why Adar means miracle in Aramaic, since this is a less revealed language. In Nisan it comes out into the open and we see clearly from its name that Nisan is the month of miracles.
3) We also notice that the word Nisan is the same as Nisim in Gematria [see Shaarei Binah, by the Rokeach, on Megilas Ester 3:7 where Haman cast the lots in Nisan].
4) The above may all seem to be a derasha, but there is a source for it in the Gemara Chulin 139b which tells us that the place in the Torah that we see Ester is Dvarim 31:18 "I will surely hide my face in those days". Ester is Hester Ponim. The name of the Hash-m is not mentioned explicitly in the Megilah; it is hidden. This is why Rashi says that we get happier in Adar because of the miracles of Adar and Nisan; they start on Purim but are still hidden but by Nisan everyone can see them so we are even happier.
Shavua Tov
Dovid Bloom
Explanation of Chasam Sofer why Adar and Nisan both have extra Simchah:
1) The Chasam Sofer, in Hagahos Chasam Sofer on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim # 551 (near the beginning) writes that the reason that the whole of Adar is b'Simchah is because 15th Adar is the first of the 30 days when we ask questions about the Halachos of Pesach and teach these Halachos (Gemara Pesachim end 6a). Chasam Sofer writes that "Yemei Purim vePesach Chavukim Zeh beZeh"; "the days of Purim and Pesach hug each other".
2) What a beautiful expression this is that Purim and Pesach hug each other!! They are almost 2 full months of continuous joy! The miracles of Purim and Pesach combine together and help each other to give us the happiest months of the year. When we start preparing for Pesach and learning the Halachos we are using the joy we attained on Purim to take us to an even higher Madregah in Nisan.
3) There is another wonderful idea in Teshuvas Chasam Sofer Orach Chaim #160 DH E"N. He cites the Gemara Taanis top 29b that Adar has a good Mazal, but he asks on this from Shabbos 156a that there is no Mazal fo Yisroel?! Chasam Sofer answers with Chulin 95b that even though we do not have Mazal but there is a siman; there is a sign that things are going to go well; but one must have a Chazakah on this. CS writes that the Halacha states that 2 times is considered a Chazaka. This is why Rashi mentions both Purim and Pesach because this means we have a Chazaka of miracles happening to us twice, to save us from 2 different nations. Since we had miracles twice this means that we will now always experience miracles!
[ It seems to me that Chasam Sofer is referring to Yevamos 64b where we pasken that for matters of Pikuach Nefesh 2 times is sufficinet to make a Chazokoh. Therefore since the miracles of Purim and Pesach were for Pikuach Nefesh this means that twice is sufficient -DB].
Chodesh Tov
Dovid Bloom