Megillah 23 - January 4, 2 Shvat

Study Guide Megillah 23 Today’s daf is sponsored by Judy Auerbach in loving memory of her father, Shlomo ben Dov Beer on his 33rd yahrzeit. “His enjoyment when learning Gemara always impressed me and now, thanks to Hadran and Rabbanit Michelle, I am able to realize the same enjoyment in learning Gemara as he had. Thank you”.  Today’s daf is sponsored by Deborah Lewis dedicated to Janet Lachais. Today's daf is sponsored in memory of the two pilots killed tragically last night.  What are the different opinions regarding aliyot on Shabbat, Yom Tov and Yom Kippur? Regarding services on those days – on which days should the prayers start later and end earlier/start later and end later/start earlier and end earlier? Why? Does this have anything to do with how many aliyot there are on those days? The three aliyot on Mondays, Thursdays, etc., the five on Yom Tov and the seven on Shabbat – to what do they correspond? What about the six on Yom Kippur? Women and children can be among the seven who read from the Torah but the rabbis said that women should not due to “respect for the community.” How can this be understood? The person who reads from the prophets, the maftir, also reads a part of the Torah so as not to show disrespect for the Torah. Since the whole reason is just out of respect for the Torah, is this Aliya in addition to the seven or can it be considered part of the seven? The haftorah must be a minimum of twenty-one verses. What is the significance of that number? Are there exceptions to this rule? What prayers must be done with a quorum (minyan) of ten? From where do we learn the number ten? From where do we derive that each of these prayers needs a minyan?