Megillah 21 - January 2, 29 Tevet

Today’s daf is sponsored by Marcia Baum in loving memory of her mother Helen Baum, Chaya Chana Alter bat Chana v'Yekutiel Aryeh on her sixth yartzeit. “Mom was a lifelong learner and teacher and is sorely missed by those who knew and loved her. I hope we are doing her proud!” Today’s daf is sponsored by Sari Esserman in loving memory of her father Moshe Ben Yosef HaCohen. Today's daf is sponsored anonymously in refuah shleima for Hannah bat Shmuel v'Esther and Breina Bracha bat Rina. The Mishna stated the general rule behind the cases listed (that mitzvot that are meant to be done in the day can be performed all day long and one that can be done at night can be performed all night), even though the rule was obvious. Why? One can either sit or stand when reading the Megillah. One follows one's custom regarding the blessings of the Megillah - some recite the blessing after the Megillah while others do not. On Mondays, Thursdays and mincha on Shabbat, there are three aliyot to the Torah. On days when there is musaf, but it is not a Yom Tov, there are four aliyot. On a Yom Tov, there are 5, on Yom Kippur there are 6 and on Shabbat, 7. The first one to get an aliya makes the blessing before and the last one makes a blessing after the reading. Haftara is recited on holidays, Yom Kippur and Shabbat. When reading the Torah, one must stand. Is this true also for learning Torah? On what does it depend? Two people can read the Megillah together but that is not the case for reading from the Torah. Why? What are the blessings that are recited before and after the Megillah? What do the three aliyot on Mondays, Thursday and Shabbat mincha correspond to? In every Torah reading, there must be at least ten verses read from the Torah. To what do the ten correspond? Is it better for the first aliya to include four verses and the other two to have three? Or the middle one? Or the last one? Reasons are given to support each possibility. Why was it changed that each person who gets an aliya makes a blessing before and after? What is the complication with the breakdown of the aliyot on Rosh Chodesh?