Study Megillah folio 27A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
כוותיה דרב פפי מסתברא, דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: בית הכנסת — מותר לעשותו בית המדרש. שמע מינה.
It stands to reason to rule in accordance with the opinion of Rav Pappi, as R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is permitted for a synagogue to be made into a study hall. The Talmud concludes: Indeed, learn from it that the opinion of Rav Pappi is correct.
דרש בר קפרא, מאי דכתיב: ״וישרף את בית ה׳ ואת בית המלך ואת כל בתי ירושלם ואת כל בית גדול שרף באש״. ״בית ה׳״ — זה בית המקדש. ״בית המלך״ — אלו פלטרין של מלך. ״ואת כל בתי ירושלם״ — כמשמען. ״ואת כל בית גדול שרף באש״ — רבי יוחנן ורבי יהושע בן לוי, חד אמר: מקום שמגדלין בו תורה, וחד אמר: מקום שמגדלין בו תפלה.
§ Bar Kappara interpreted a verse homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And he burnt the house of YHWH, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great house he burnt with fire” (II Kings 25:9)? He explained: “The house of YHWH”; this is the Holy Temple. “The king’s house”; these are the king’s palaces [palterin]. “And all the houses of Jerusalem”; as understood in its literal sense. With regard to the final phrase: “And every great house he burnt with fire,” R' Yoḥanan and R' Yehoshua ben Levi disagree about the meaning of “great house”: One of them said: It is referring to a place where the Torah is made great, i.e., the study hall; and the other one said: It is referring to a place where prayer is made great, i.e., the synagogue.
מאן דאמר תורה, דכתיב: ״ה׳ חפץ למען צדקו יגדיל תורה ויאדיר״. ומאן דאמר תפלה, דכתיב: ״ספרה נא הגדולות אשר עשה אלישע״, ואלישע דעבד — ברחמי הוא דעבד.
The Talmud explains their respective opinions: The one who said that the reference is to where the Torah is made great bases his opinion on a verse that describes Torah study as great, as it is written: “YHWH was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to make Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21). And the one who said that the reference is to where prayer is made great bases his opinion on a verse that describes prayer as great, as it is written: “Tell me, I pray you, all the great things that Elisha has done” (II Kings 8:4), and that which Elisha did, i.e., restored a boy to life, he did through prayer.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.