Study Megillah folio 31B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ראש חדש אב שחל להיות בשבת, מפטירין ״חדשיכם ומועדיכם שנאה נפשי היו עלי לטורח״. מאי ״היו עלי לטורח״? אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא: לא דיין להם לישראל שחוטאין לפני, אלא שמטריחין אותי לידע איזו גזירה קשה אביא עליהם.
When Rosh Chodesh of Av occurs on Shabbat, they read as the haftara the portion that includes the verse “Your New Moons and your Festivals, My soul hated; they were a burden to Me” (Isaiah 1:14). The Talmud asks: What is the meaning of: “They were a burden to Me”? The Talmud explains: God said: It is not enough for the Jewish people that they sin before Me, but in addition, they burden Me to reconsider what harsh decree I should bring upon them, for they are petitioning Me to annul those decrees.
בתשעה באב גופיה מאי מפטרינן? אמר רב: ״איכה היתה לזונה״. מקרא מאי? תניא, אחרים אומרים: ״ואם לא תשמעו לי״, רבי נתן בר יוסף אומר: ״עד אנה ינאצוני העם הזה״, ויש אומרים: ״עד מתי לעדה הרעה הזאת״. אמר אביי: האידנא נהוג עלמא למיקרי ״כי תוליד בנים״, ומפטירין ״אסוף אסיפם״.
The Talmud asks: On the 9th of Av itself, what do we read as the haftara? Rav said: The portion containing the verse “How did the faithful city become a prostitute?” (Isaiah 1:21). The Talmud asks: What Torah portion do they read? It is taught in a baraita that others say: They read the portion containing the verse “But if you will not hearken to me” (Leviticus 26:14). R' Natan bar Yosef said: They read the portion containing the verse: “How long will this people provoke me?” (Numbers 14:11). And some say: They read the portion containing the verse: “How long should I bear with this evil congregation?” (Numbers 14:27). The Talmud comments that Abaye said: Nowadays, everyone is accustomed to read the portion of “When you should beget children” (Deuteronomy 4:25–40), and they read as the haftara the portion of “I will utterly consume them” (Jeremiah 8:13–9:23).
[במעמדות] במעשה בראשית וכו׳. מנהני מילי? אמר רבי אמי: אלמלא מעמדות לא נתקיימו שמים וארץ, שנאמר: ״אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי״.
§ The Mishnah states: In the non-priestly watches they read the act of Creation. The Talmud asks: From where are these matters derived, i.e., why do they read the account of Creation? R' Ami said: To allude to the fact that were it not for the non-priestly watches, heaven and earth would not endure, as it is stated: “Were it not for My covenant day and night, I would not have set the statutes of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25). God’s covenant is referring to the offerings sacrificed in the Temple, which sustain the world.