Megillah 3 - December 15, 11 Tevet

Study Guide Megilla 3 Today's daf is sponsored by Joel Silberstein in loving memory of Mazal Tov bat Shalom. Several statements made in the name of either Rabbi Yirmia or Rabbi Chia bar Abba are brought. One related to the letters in the Hebrew alphabet that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word. Was that established by the Prophets? Or earlier? Another explained who first translated the Torah and the Prophets into Aramaic. Unkelos the covert translated the Torah and Yonatan ben Uziel did the Prophets. The earth shook when the Prophets were translated. Why? And why not when the Torah was translated?  Why weren't the Writings translated? How could it be Unkelos was the first to translate the Torah when it appears already in a drasha on a verse from Nechemia that it was already translated then? Another statement from Rabbi Yirmia or Rabbi Chia bar Abba relates to a verse in Daniel where he saw something that other people with him did not and yet they were frightened and he was not. What exactly transpired there? What can we learn from it? From the words "mishpacha u'mishpacha" in the Megillah, we derive that families of kohanim, Levites and maamadot leave their jobs to hear Megillah. A hierarchy of mitzvot are discussed - what precedes what in terms of importance? A met mitzva, one who has died and there is no one to bury him/her. overrides everything, even a negative commandment, as human dignity overrides everything. Rabbi Yehushua ben Levi brings several statements defining what is considered a "big city" or "walled city."