Sefer and Iggeret: The Dual Nature of Megillat Esther

he Gemara in Talmud Bavli, Megillah 19a, states the Tfollowing: Rabbi Dr. David Horwitz וא”ר חלבו אמר רב חמא בר גוריא אמר רב Rosh Yeshiva, RIETS מגילה נקראת ספר ונקראת אגרת נקראת ספר שאם תפרה בחוטי פשתן פסולה ונקראת אגרת שאם הטיל בה שלשה חוטי גידין כשרה. ;and Melakhim on the one hand עַלּכֵן קָרְ אּו לַּיָמִיםהָאֵ ּלֶהפּורִ ים עַל ׁשֵם הַ ּפּור And R. Helbo said in the name of Rav ,e.g., 2 Samuel 11:14, I Kings 21:8 עַלּכֵן עַל ּכָל ּדִבְרֵ יהָאִ ּגֶרֶ תהַ ּזֹאת ּומָה רָ אּו עַ ל Hama bar Gurya who said in the and 2 Kings 10:1 (where the earlier ּכָכָהּומָה הִ ּגִ יעַ אֲ לֵיהֶ ם. ,name of Rav, (the) Megillah [that is Megillat Esther] is called sefer [book] …In view, then, of all instructions in the form of sefer is used), and the late (which implies that it must meet the said iggeret (letter)and of what they Biblical book of Divrei Ha-Yamim: 2 requirements for a Torah scroll), and it is had experienced in that matter and what Chronicles 30:1 on the other (where called iggeret [a letter], (which implies had befallen them. the later form of iggeret is used). For example: that it need not meet the requirements Moreover, Esther 9:29 states: וַיְהִי בַ ּבֹקֶ ר, וַּיִכְ ּתֹב ּדָ וִד סֵפֶראֶל-יֹואָ ב; וַּיִׁשְ לַ ח, for a Torah scroll). It is called a book וַּתִכְ ּתֹב אֶסְּתֵרהַּמַ לְּכָה בַת אֲבִיחַ יִלּומָרְּדֳ כַ י ּבְ יַדאּורִ ּיָה. to teach) that if it is sewn with linen) הַ ּיְהּודִי תאֶ ּכָ ל ּתֹקֶ ף לְקַ ּיֵם אֵת אִ תּגֶרֶ הַּפֻרִ ים שמואל ב יא:יד threads it is invalid; yet it is called a הַ ּזֹאת הַּׁשֵ נִית. letter (to teach) that if he stitched it with only three strands of sinew, it is valid Then Queen Esther daughter of Abihail And it came to pass in the morning, that (whereas a Torah scroll must be stitched and Mordecai the Jew wrote a second David wrote a letter (sefer) to Joab, and along the entire connection of adjoining iggeret (letter) of Purim for the sent it by the hand of Uriah. connections, except for a small area at purpose of confirming with full authority 2 Shmuel 11:14 וַּיִׁשְ לַחיְחִ זְקִ ּיָהּו עַל-ּכָ לל-יִׂשְרָאֵ וִיהּודָ ה, .the top and bottom). the aforementioned one וְגַם-אִ ּגְרֹות ּכָתַ ב עַל-אֶפְרַ יִם ּומְ נַּׁשֶ ה, לָ בֹוא This passage can be more deeply Now the word iggeret does not exist לְבֵית-ה’, ּבִירּוׁשָ לִָם--לַעֲׂשֹות ּפֶסַ ח, לַָה’ אֱ-ֹלקֵ י understood if we examine it from both in Classical Biblical Hebrew, and is ִ י ׂשְ רָ אֵ ל . 1 a philological/lexical perspective, termed a Late Biblical Hebrew word. דברי הימים ב ל:א and a halakhic/conceptual one, each In the Hebrew of the Torah and of which reinforces and sharpen the subsequently of the earlier sefarim And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and insights that the other one gives. of Nakh, the term sefer is used in Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim those cases where, in the Hebrew of and Manasseh, that they should come to the later sefarim and in the Rabbinic the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to I. Hebrew of Hazal, iggeret would be keep the passover unto the LORD, the God of Israel. Esther 9:32 states: used. In Classical Biblical Hebrew, sefer denoted both a book, that is, 2 Chronicles 30:1 a formal literary composition on ּומַאֲמַראֶסְּתֵר קִ ּיַם יּדִבְרֵ הַּפֻרִ ים הָאֵ ּלֶה וְנִכְּתָ ב Moreover, various Targumim translate ּבַ ּסֵ פֶ ר. the one hand, and a letter or legal examples of the Biblical use of the And Esther’s ordinance validating these document on the other. Examples of word sefer with the meaning of observances of Purim was recorded in a this can be easily seen by comparing letter with an Aramaic form of the sefer (book or scroll). pesukim regarding royal/official letters word iggeret. An example of this is On the other hand, Esther 9:26 states: in the earlier Biblical books of Shmuel Targum Neophiti to Deuteronomy

7 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776 24:2, the Biblical verse dealing with a bill of divorce. The Torah writessefer keritut and Targum Neophiti (ad loc.) translates it as iggra di-shivukin. But the Aramaic translations of literary compositions such as a book are denoted in the Targumim with the term sifra. Similarly, in the Rabbinic Hebrew of Hazal, words denoting letter are invariably referred to with the term iggeret. Besides the Mishnah in Masekhet Gittin (9:3), which also refers to a get as iggeret shivukin, another interesting example is the Mekhilta in Parashat Yitro, which records the opinion of R. Joshua that Yitro informed Moshe by letter that he was preparing to visit him, and writes, katav lo be-iggeret. On the other hand, the term in the Rabbinic Hebrew of Hazal for book is sefer. In light of all this, the language in the Book of Esther, a book that has many other features of Late Biblical Hebrew, is quite striking. Both terms — sefer and iggeret — are used. Thus, one may, from a lexical point of view, explain the Gemara’s question as follows: Which paradigm is Megillat Esther following? Apparently, it cannot be that of Classical Biblical Hebrew, which does not distinguish The future is between sefer as denoting a book and sefer as denoting a letter, missive, epistle, royal letter, edict, etc., for the in your hands. Megillah also uses the word iggeret, which is the Late Biblical Hebrew term for these items. On the other hand, if it is exclusively following the Late Biblical Hebrew paradigms, why does it use the word sefer at all? Sefer is Meet Rachel Mirsky from White Plains, New York. A biology major on a pre-med track, and captain of the YU no longer used for such items. It is only used for a book softball and basketball teams, Rachel chose YU to allow her or literary composition. So, granting the premise that to explore and develop her unique talents and interests. the terms sefer and iggeret in Megillat Esther are self- referential, that is, they teach us the type of document that Rachel loves YU because it enables her to engage in her extracurricular passions and prepare for her career the Megillah must be, what type of document is it? while remaining true to her religious commitments. An The Gemara’s answer then, is quite sophisticated. It tells exceptional athlete, Rachel was recently named to the us that following the pattern of Late Biblical Hebrew, Capital One Academic All-District team. Whether in an Israeli laboratory conducting research on the properties in which sefer and iggeret denote two distinct entities, of red blood cells, or authoring a medical ethics paper on the legal status of the Megillah lies in between the legal eating disorders and the Biblical matriarchs, Rachel can status of the two aforementioned terms. On the one find the perfect balance at YU. This is the essence of Torah hand, granting that a formal sefer must be stitched with Umadda and what sets YU apart. animal sinews (gidin) and linen stitching (pishtan) is Picture yourself at YU. #NowhereButHere unacceptable, linen stitching is also unacceptable for the Megillah. On the other hand, since the term iggeret for the Megillah is also used, Hazal derive that one need not adopt all the rules that are necessarily entailed with the term sefer, and one need not stitch the entire connection of adjoining sections. Rather, three strands of animal www.yu.edu | 212.960.5277 | [email protected] sinews are sufficient. www.yu.edu/enroll

8 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776 II. connection of adjoining sections. Megillah as an Iggeret The use of the termiggeret teaches The preceding analysis still leaves There are a number of laws and us, then, that vis-a-vis Megillah, one some gaps in our full understanding practices related to the Megillah’s le-khat’hila can adopt the be-di-eved of the halakhic parameters of what categorization as an iggeret: law that three stitches are sufficient. stitching is required by a sefer But now one can raise an analogous 1) The Gemara,Megillah 18b, states and what is sufficient to fulfill the question regarding iggeret. Is it that that if a Megillah scroll contains requirements of an iggeret. Granting iggeret le-khat’hila does not need a errors, it may still be used. Ramban, Rashi’s explanation (Megillah 19a, complete tefirah (of linen) at all, and Megillah 17a, notes that although ad loc.) that the point of mentioning three stiches of linen suffice, or does a sefer Torah containing even one iggeret is to teach that the Megillah iggeret actually need a complete error is invalid, a Megillah is valid used as a document with which connection of linen stitches? If the even if it contains errors because it one fulfills his obligation to read second alternative is correct, the has the status of iggeret. Megillat Esther need not have all Gemara should have concluded the stringencies of a sefer, can we 2) When a sefer Torah or other that one indeed has to stich the deduce what the le-khat’hila and books of Nach are read, the entire connection, but three of the be-di-eved requirements of a sefer parchment is read in a rolled position stitches must be of animal sinews, are, and analogously, what the le- like a scroll. The Megillah however, and the remainder can be of linen. khat’hila and be-di-eved requirements is unrolled completely before it is This way, one fulfills aspects of both of an iggeret are? read and it is folded because it is sefer and iggeret! Why wasn’t this considered an iggeret (Shulchan These issues were discussed by R. the conclusion of the Gemara? R. Aruch, Orach Chaim 690:16). Chaim Aharon Torchin, zt”l, a talmid Torchin responds to his own query 3) When reading a sefer Torah, of the Brisker Rav, Maran Ha-Rav by suggesting that based upon his 2 it is permissible to pause slightly Yitzhak Ze’ev Soloveitchik, zt”l. He previous point, the Gemara assumes between the verses. However, argued that one should not take the a qal va-homer. If three stiches of because the Megillah is considered Gemara to mean that the Megillah animal sinews are sufficientbe- an iggeret, the reader should not is a third entity, possessing neither di-eved to create a halakhic sefer, pause between the sentences the laws of a sefer nor the laws of an certainly three stiches would be (Mishna Berurah 690:52). iggeret. [And certainly, the Gemara sufficientbe-di-eved to create a does not mean that one be-di-eved halakhic iggeret. But one can still 4) In a sefer Torah, a new section can fulfill his requirements with the assume that le-khat’hila, an iggeret (parsha) sometimes starts on a be-di-eved definition ofsefer , without needs complete stitching (of linen) new line (petucha) and sometimes any reference to iggeret at all.] as well. The point of the Gemara starts on the same line with a space Rather, the point of the Gemara must by using both terms is to teach us between the sections (setumah). be that the Megillah halakhically that vis-a-vis Megillah, here one may Because a Megillah is an iggeret, all contains elements of both sefer and be-di-eved employ the be-di-eved new sections are setumot and start on iggeret. But if it is not a third distinct definition of both terms. the same line (Rama, Orach Chaim entity, how can that be? 691:2 and Mishna Berurah 691:12). But is there a le-khat’hila method Rav Torchin claimed that the of sewing the Megillah that would 5) The Gemara,Megillah 19a, Gemara posits that be-di-eved, it entail both aspects of sefer and states that if one reads from a scroll should be sufficient for sefera qua of iggeret? Rav Torchin proceeds containing all of Ketuvim (including sefer to possess only three stitching to analyze the Rambam, Hilkhot Megillat Esther), one does not fulfill of sinews, for at the end of the day, Megillah 2:11. Following the Biur the mitzvah. Rashi explains that such the Megillah must (also) possess the Ha-Gra (Orah Haim, #691), he a scroll would not be considered an characteristics of a sefer. The point understands the Rambam as saying iggeret. of the Gemara can be understood that halakhah lema‘aseh one must Torah To Go Editors that le-khat’hila every sefer needs le-khat’hila sew the entire connection animal stitching along the entire

9 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776 of adjoining sections. But since the that although the classical meforshim Gemara has taught us that even of a relevant passage in the le-khat’hila one does not need to Yerushalmi of Massekhet Megillah,3 sew the entire connecting sections the Qorban Ha-Edah, and the Penei with animal sinews (since use of Moshe, assume that iggeret even the term iggeret alongside that of le-khat’hila does not need complete sefer in the Megillah teaches us that stitching at all (neither of animal in Hilkhot Tefirat HaMegillah, one sinews or of linen), the words of le-khat’hila may adopt the be-di-eved Rashi to Megillah 19a with which definition ofsefer ), perforce, the we began our discussion, in which le-khat’hila method of sewing the he writes that the laws of iggeret remainder of the adjoining sections are not as strict as those of sefer, must be with linen! Moreover, he can indeed fit with his hiddush (i.e., cites Hagahot Maimuniyyot in the Rashi can agree that le-khat’hila, name of Rabbenu Simhah (Hilkhot iggeret qua iggerret would need Megillah Pereq Bet, Ot Samakh, complete stitching, just not that of a view that is cited in the Ramoh animal sinews, but of linen). to Orah Haim 691:6), that it is The Torah is “vaster than the preferable to sew the remainder sea.” Each perspective with of the adjoining sections (besides which we learn Torah adds to the three stiches of animal sinews) our appreciation its manifold with linen than to leave that area aspects. My we all grow in both our without being sewn at all. How are knowledge of and love of the Divine we to understand that? Rav Torchin gift that isToras Hashem Temimah. states that this is not just “good advice” but is a consequence of the Notes understanding of the din le-khat’hila 1 For the following paragraphs, I am and din be-di-eved that he has been indebted to Avi Hurvitz, A Concise Lexicon analyzing. Although the entire point of Late Biblical Hebrew (Leiden and Boston, of the Gemara vis-a-vis iggeret and 2014), s.v. Iggeret, pp. 25-27. sefer is to establish that one need 2 Rav Torchin, zt”l, was Rosh Yeshiva of not adopt the le-khat’hila definition the Yeshiva la-Metzuyyanim in Jerusalem. This analysis that I cite from can be found of sefer, there is still a le-khat’hila in his sefer titled Qunteres Be-Inyan Megillah notion that one should adopt the le- va-Hanukah (Jerusalem, 1970, repr. 1992), khat’hila definition ofiggeret (with Megillah, Siman 25, #33, pp. 113-14. the additional stipulation that three 3 Talmud Yerushalmi Megillah 2:2, p. 73a stiches must be “sefer stiches,” (p. 759 in the edition published by Yaakov made up of animal sinews, and not Sussmann). “iggeret stiches” made up of linen, for in the Megillah one must fulfill aspects of sefer as well as aspects of iggeret). Finally, R. Torchin admits

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10 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776