Dear Rabbi
I am stuck in the herdest Tos' in Megllah. The MAHARSHA ans something but I didn't fgure out what. my q is in R"T: the flow doesn't seem understood, is he speaking about Shabbos or Megillah, b/c in the cheshbon it doesn't seem to be either
Thank you
Yeshaiah Abrahams, Beitar Israel
Rabeinu Tam is speaking about Megilah here, and gives the same explanation as the beginning of Tosfos.
After the first part explaining Tzofim, Tosfos explains the steps of the Gemara. "V'Tisbera" -- is a question for both sides whether Tzofim is closed letters or open. "V'Od" -- is a question only if Tzofim is closed. With the final answer of "Mehavei Havei" (that both the closed and open form of letters existed from the beginning), then Rebbi Yirmeyah can even be understood with Tzofim as closed. Then, Rabeinu Tam sums up, that in Megilah the Gemara asks from Rav Chisda assuming that he means closed, since if the question is possible then the Gemara asks it. The next question of Eleh ha'Mitzvos is a question on both sides. He concludes that in both Shabbos and Megilah, in the end Rebbi Yirmeyah can be talking about closed or open.
All the best,
Reuven Weiner