Hello. I don't understand why the gemara establishes a difference between Purim and Purim Katan regarding the megillah. What would be the problem with allowing the reading without a bracha? And regarding matanos le'evyonim, what is the problem, since there is always a mitzvah of giving tzedakah? The logic would relate to the exclusion of a seuda, since logically people could have meals any time of the year and are not forbidden just because it's only Purim Katan. Same for shaloch manos. It's no problem because people always give gifts of food, so they didn't want to exclude it from Purim Katan. Therefore, what would be the big deal about reading the megillah even with no bracha, and giving matanos le'evyonim as tzedakah anyway?
David Goldman, USA
The Rosh understands the end of the Mishnah stating the difference regarding Megilah as referring to the beginning of the Mishnah, when they actually read the Megilah in Adar Rishon and performed the Mitzvos pertaining to Purim and then an extra month was added. The question would then be whether the first Adar's Mitzvos were sufficient and there is no need to perform them again in the second Adar. The Mishnah's conclusion that the Mitzvos must be performed again led the Rosh (and Mahari Mintz after him, when discussing the Bar Mitzvah of a boy born in a regular Adar while the Bar Mitzvah year was in a leap year) to conclude that there is no special significance to the first Adar and therefore no reason to add Megilah readings, Mishlo'ach Manos, etc., or to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah in the first Adar. The Rosh goes so far as to say that the first Adar "is like Shevat."
Yoel Domb
Thank you. I am not sure I understand. You mean that there was a time in history when Purim was observed in both months?
OR that they observed Purim and then the Sanhedrin declared a second Adar, in which case the question arose whether Purim should be observed again?
I don't exactly understand your last point and how it relates to the statement in Megillah regarding the megillah and matanos le'evyonim.....
No, the Mishnah does not mean that they actually observed Purim twice. We should remember that they didn't always know whether another Adar would be added, and therefore they very well could have celebrated Purim in the first Adar, thinking it would be the only Adar, only to hear afterwards (after the 14th of Adar) that the Beis Din had decided to add another month, since, as explained in Sanhedrin 12b, there is no problem with making a leap year until the end of Adar.
The Mishnah in Megilah states that there is no difference between Adar Rishon and Sheni except with regard to the reading of the Megilah and Matanos, meaning that if one performed these in the first month he must do so in the second month as well, but the other Mitzvos (Seudah, Mishloach Manos) he doesn't need to perform again. The Rosh, however, deduces from this that it refers only to a case where, as described above, they didn't know that there would be another Adar, but if they knew beforehand that there would be a second Adar, there is no special meaning to the first Adar and all the Mitzvos must be performed in Adar Sheni.
(What is surprising is the fact that Yahrzeit seems to go after Adar Rishon, even though Bar Mitzvah is celebrated only in Adar Sheni, but this is another discussion.)
Yoel Domb
Thanks, I understand that now. Then why would only Matanos Le'evyonim and Megillah have to be repeated when the Sanhedrin declared a second month AFTER Purim? Why not shaloch manos and the seuda in clear recognition that in the case of two months, the second month has priority? Why only matanos le'evyonim and Megillah? In other words, their observance of Purim spanned over two months, and could have simply been repeated in total in the second month. What would be the big deal with doing that? Why did the mishna have to "care" about limiting it only to megillah and matanos?
Your question stems from the assumption that the second month is the "real" Purim and in such a case should have total preference. However, the case when the Sanhedrin declared a second month after Purim is problematic, since if people would rely on this declaration and not perform the Mitzvos of Purim, the Sanhedrin might end up not declaring a second month and then Purim would be totally cancelled. In this case, there is a need to establish and perform all the Mitzvos in the first Adar but once the extra month was added, certain facets should be in Adar Sheni so that everyone will know when to celebrate Pesach. This is borne out by Rashi to Megilah 2a who says that people count the days from the Megilah reading until Pesach and would then erroneously celebrate Pesach earlier. Thus the need for the second reading of the Megilah is to prevent wrong dates of Pesach but not because it is the main Purim, since in such a situation it is not the main Purim. The added Matanos la'Evyonim is due to the Gemara's contention (Megilah 4b) that the poor people wait for the Megilah to receive their due portion.
Yoel Domb