1)

(a)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi also said that Lud, Ono and Gei ha'Charashim were walled cities in the time of Yehoshua bin Nun. They were cities - that belonged to the tribe of Binyamin.

(b)Despite the fact that Lud and Ono are already mentioned in the Mishnah in Erchin, he needs to tell us this - because the walls, having been rebuilt a number of times, looked new, and people would have had difficulty in believing it.

(c)These cities were built by Yehoshua bin Nun, but were destroyed during the civil war with Binyamin (in the time of Pilegesh b'Giv'ah). Elpa'el rebuilt them, and when they later collapsed - Asa rebuilt them again. We prove from the Pasuk in Divrei ha'Yamim (regarding Asa) "va'Yomer li'Yehudah, Ninveh es he'Arim ha'Eileh" - that the cities must have been standing already, and Asa only rebuilt them.

(d)Even though the above cities belonged to Binyamin, Asa, King of Yehudah, rebuilt them - because the kings of Yehudah reigned over Binyamin, too.

2)

(a)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi furthermore rules that women are also obligated to read the Megilah (in spite of the fact that it is a time-related Mitzvah) - because they too, were included in the miracle (either because they, like the men, were destined to be killed by the Persians, or because of the major role that Esther played in the story).

(b)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi rules that when Purim falls on Shabbos - She'eilos concerning Purim take strict priority, and the Rav Darshens about Purim then.

(c)Moshe Rabeinu instituted exactly the same thing regarding Pesach, Shavu'os and Sukos.

(d)In spite of Moshe's ruling (which obviously extends to all minor Yamim-Tovim as well), Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi nevertheless found it necessary to issue his - because we would otherwise have thought that Chazal would incorporate a prohibition of even discussing Purim on Shabbos in the decree of not reading the Megilah on Shabbos, for fear that one may come to carry (as Rabah taught us).

3)

(a)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi learns from the Pasuk in Tehilim "Elokai Ekra Yomam v'Lo Sa'aneh, v'Laylah v'Lo Dumi'ah Li" - the obligation to read the Megilah by night and to repeat it by day.

(b)They initially interpreted 'ul'Shanosah ba'Yom' - to mean that one should learn the Megilah by night, and the oral interpretation (from the Lashon 'Mishnah') by day.

(c)Rebbi Yirmeyahu citing Rebbi Chiya bar Aba disagreed however - and explained it as we presented it.

(d)Rebbi Chelbo Amar Ula Bira'ah learns the same thing from the Pasuk "l'Ma'an Yezamercha Chavod v'Lo Yidom ... " - by explaining "Yezamercha" to mean by day and "v'Lo Yidom", by night.

4)

(a)According to Rebbi Chanina's initial statement, the Chachamim permitted the villagers to read the Megilah early, so that they should be free on Purim to provide the people in the cities with water and food (for the Purim Se'udah). If this Takanah is indeed for the benefit of the people of the city, the Mishnah says that when the fourteenth falls on ...

1. ... Monday, they read the Megilah then (and not earlier) - because the only alternative would be to read it on the previous Thursday, which is the tenth of Adar, and as we learned above, the earliest that the Megilah can ever be read is the eleventh.

2. ... Thursday, they read the Megilah then - because advancing it would entail reading it on the previous 'Yom ha'Kenisah' (the Monday before), and we never move the reading from one Yom ha'Kenisah to another.

(b)Rebbi Chanina's initial statement is disproved however, by Rebbi Yehudah, who says in a Mishnah later that, where it is not customary for the villagers to go into the towns, they must read the Megilah on the fourteenth (implying that the concession is for their own benefit). We therefore amend Rebbi Chanina's statement to read - that the Chachamim permitted the villagers to read the Megilah early because (not 'in order' that) they provide the people in the cities with water and food.

5)

(a)Our Mishnah began by listing the five possible dates on which the Megilah can be read. When going into detail, the Tana switches to the days of the week - because the way he explains them, the dates move progressively backwards (from the thirteenth, to the twelfth to the eleventh), which would make it extremely difficult to remember. Therefore, he prefers to switch to the days of the week, and move progressively forwards.

6)

(a)According to the Tana Kama of the Beraisa, when Purim (the fourteenth of Adar) falls on Friday, the townspeople read the Megilah together with the villagers on Thursday - According to Rebbi, they read it on Friday.

(b)Both Tana'im derive their respective opinions from the Pasuk "b'Chol Shanah v'Shanah".

1. The Tana Kama "b'Chol Shanah v'Shanah" - to mean that it is like every year, when the townspeople read the Megilah before the Mukafin (who read it on Friday); so too, this year.

2. Rebbi explains - like every year, when the townspeople read it on the fourteenth; so too, this year.

(c)The Tana Kama does not want to say that just like every year, the townspeople should read on the fourteenth, and Rebbi, that just like every year, the townspeople should precede the Mukafin - because each one maintains that that is only when it is possible, whereas here it is not (for the reasons that they have already given).

7)

(a)In another Beraisa, the Tana Kama says that the Mukafin read on Thursday together with the villagers. And he explains "b'Chol Shanah v'Shanah" - to mean that, like every year, when townspeople read on the fourteenth and the Mukafin on a different day, so too this year.

(b)Rebbi Yosi explains - that the Mukafin do not read with the villagers, but on Friday together with the townspeople (like Rebbi). And he explains that just like in other years, the Mukafin do not precede the townspeople, so too this year.

(c)According to the above, the author of our Mishnah, which rules that, when Purim falls on Friday, the townspeople read the Megilah together with the Mukafin, on Friday - will be either Rebbi Yosi or Rebbi.

8)

(a)We will reconcile Rebbi (who just said that the townspeople do not bring the reading of the Megilah forward from Friday to Thursday) with what he himself writes in another Beraisa, that, when Purim falls on Shabbos, the townspeople move forward to read on Thursday, together with the villagers (and not on Friday) - by pointing out that, in the latter ruling, the townspeople have to move the reading from Shabbos anyway. Consequently, they move it to Thursday, to read together with the villagers; whereas in our Sugya, when Purim falls on Friday (where it is not necessary to move it), Rebbi maintains that they read it on Friday.

9)

(a)When Rebbi Chelbo Amar Rav Huna says that, when Purim falls on Shabbos, 'all advance the reading to Thursday' - he cannot mean that literally - because the Mukafin read the Megilah on Sunday, and not on the previous Thursday.

(b)What he really means to say is - that whoever advances the reading, brings it forward to the previous Thursday, and not to Friday.

(c)He concurs with the opinion - of Rebbi.

(d)According to the Tana Kama of Rebbi's Beraisa - the townspeople advance the reading from Shabbos to Friday.

10)

(a)Everyone agrees however, that one does not read the Megilah on Shabbos - because, Rabah explains, one might otherwise come to carry one's Megilah to an expert to ask him how to Lein, and in the process, come to carry four Amos in the street.

(b)Rabah mentions carrying four Amos in the street, rather than carrying from the house into the street (which is more common) - because then it includes even someone who slept out in the open with his Megilah, in which case, he cannot transgress the Isur of carrying from his house into the street (see also Tosfos DH 've'Ya'avirenah').

(c)Rav Yosef adds another reason for the decree. According to him - we are also worried about the poor, who anticipate the distribution of Shelach Manos on the day that one reads the Megilah, and on Shabbos, there is a problem getting it to them.

(d)We are forced to admit that Rav Yosef does not disagree with Rabah's reason, but only comes to add an additional one - because otherwise, what reason will he give for the parallel decrees regarding blowing the Shofar and taking the Lulav on Shabbos?!

11)

(a)The Beraisa which we cite to substantiate Rav Yosef's reason, states 'Af-al-Pi she'Amru Kefarim Makdimin l'Yom ha'Kenisah, Govin Bo b'Yom u'Mechalkin Bo b'Yom' - amends it to read (not 'Af-al-Pi she'Amru ... , but ') Ho'il v'Amru ... '.

(b)The Tana is saying that - since the villagers advance the reading of the Megilah, they also advance the distribution of Matanos la'Evyonim (in order not to disappoint the poor).

(c)The Mitzvah of Mishlo'ach Manos and Se'udas Purim however - the villagers are obligated to fulfill on the fourteenth, together with the townspeople.