Which day to read the Megillah
Any of the 11th to the 15th of Adar
Walled since Yehoshua: the 15th
Villages: the Monday or Thursday before
A large city: ten batlanim
General ruleAny that has ten batlanim.
Ten always free for a minyan
Rambam: ten who serve the community
General ruleit is a kfar.
→ fewer: a village
The Megillah: read earlier — never later
Permissiveadvance
Restrictivedefer.
Later, never earlier: the wood offering, Tisha B'Av, the Chagigah, Hakhel
Restrictivedefer
Permissiveadvance.
None of them can come before its day
Tisha B'Av here: perhaps the wood offering's own day
On the early days: eulogies, fasts, gifts to the poor — still allowed
Permissivethey are permitted
The poor look to the reading day
Rabbi Yehuda: only where people gather on Mondays and Thursdays
Permissivewhen [does this apply]?
Restrictivethey read it only at its [actual] time.
Otherwise: only on its day
Usha's generation: times had changed
Megillah 1:3
What Counts as a Large City
אֵיזוֹ הִיא עִיר גְּדוֹלָה
אֵיזוֹ הִיא עִיר גְּדוֹלָה, כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ עֲשָׂרָה בַטְלָנִים.
פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן, הֲרֵי זֶה כְפָר.
בָּאֵלּוּ אָמְרוּ מַקְדִּימִין וְלֹא מְאַחֲרִין.
אֲבָל זְמַן עֲצֵי כֹהֲנִים,
וְתִשְׁעָה בְאָב,
חֲגִיגָה,
וְהַקְהֵל,
מְאַחֲרִין וְלֹא מַקְדִּימִין.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ מַקְדִּימִין וְלֹא מְאַחֲרִין, מֻתָּרִין בְּהֶסְפֵּד וּבְתַעֲנִיּוֹת וּמַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים.
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֵימָתַי, מְקוֹם שֶׁנִּכְנָסִין בְּשֵׁנִי וּבַחֲמִישִׁי.
אֲבָל מְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין נִכְנָסִין לֹא בְּשֵׁנִי וְלֹא בַחֲמִישִׁי, אֵין קוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא בִזְמַנָּהּ.