Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Megillah 20: Day vs Night

jyungar January 1, 2022

For the source text click/tap here: Megillah 20

To download, click/tap here: PDF

A new Mishna teaches that certain acts must occur after daybreak - before sunrise but after the first light of sun:

The Mishnah lists five Mitzvos that may be done only after sunrise. These include Mikra Megilah, Milah, Tevilah, Haza'ah, and Tevilah of a Shomeres Yom k'Neged Yom.

The Mishnah (20b) then says that any Mitzvah which must be done during the day may be done at any time during the day. The Mishnah mentions the Mitzvah of Mikra Megilah (as it mentions in the previous Mishnah), and it proceeds to list twenty other Mitzvos, none of which are mentioned in the first Mishnah.

The Rishonim are bothered why the Mishna doesn’t list other mitzvos that are applicable by night, such as Krias shema and the reading of the Megillah. The Rashba says: It can be inferred from this Mishna that the primary obligation to read the Megillah is only by day and not by night. This is because the main publicizing of the miracle happens by day.

We explore the day/night conundrum and present its halachic ramifications then some mystical insights ending with Jung's auto biography and Midsummer Night's Dream!

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​