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CHARTS FOR LEARNING THE DAILY DAF

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Megilah Chart #6

Megilah Daf 24a

MAY THE READER SKIP FROM ONE PLACE
TO ANOTHER DURING A PUBLIC READING?
  (A)
WITHIN ONE SUBJECT
(B)
TO ANOTHER SUBJECT
(C)
TO ANOTHER BOOK
1) TORAH He may skip to where he can roll the scroll while the Turgeman translates(1) No(2) No
2) NEVI'IM Yes(3) He may skip to where he can roll while the Turgeman translates(1) No(4)
3) TREI ASAR Yes(3) He may skip to where he can roll the scroll while the Turgeman translates(1) He may skip to where he can roll the scroll while the Turgeman translates (5)(6)

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FOOTNOTES:
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(1) According to the RAMBAM (Hilchos Tefilah 12:13), this means that the reader has the entire time that the Turgeman translates to find the next portion that he will read. According to the RA'AVAD (cited by the Kesef Mishnah), this means that he has a bit *less* than the time that it takes the Turgeman to finish so that *before* the Turgeman has finished translating, the reader has already found the new place to read.
(2) This is because skipping from one subject to another may confuse the listeners ("Tiruf ha'Da'as"), who then will not make an effort to understand the reading (RASHI).
(3) The Gemara does not state whether, in this case, the reader may skip only to where he can roll the Sefer while the Turgeman translates, or whether he may skip to wherever he wants. It seems that he should be permitted to skip to wherever he wants. However, the RAMBAM (Hilchos Tefilah 12:13) rules that *whenever* one is permitted to skip, he is permitted to skip only to where he can roll the Sefer while the Turgeman translates.
(4) This is because skipping from one Sefer to another causes excessive confusion among the listeners (RASHI). However, the RITVA permits skipping to another Sefer (while the Turgeman translates). He explains that the Gemara prohibits it only because in a normal case of skipping to a different Sefer, it takes longer to roll to the other Sefer than it does for the Turgeman to finish translating (but if he could reach the other Sefer while the Turgeman is still translating, it seems that it would be permitted according to the Ritva; see SEFAS EMES). According to the Ritva, therefore, skipping to another Sefer is exactly like skipping to another subject. Accordingly, Nevi'im and Trei Asar have the same law with regard to skipping. The only difference is that skipping from one book in Trei Asar to another book in Trei Asar normally does not take longer than it takes the Turgeman to finish translating.
(5) This is clear from TOSFOS in Yoma (70a). The reason must be that since the books are not long and they are always learned together, skipping from one book in Trei Asar to another in Trei Asar will not cause confusion among the listeners. According to the RITVA, Trei Asar and Nevi'im have the same law (as mentioned above in footnote 4).
(6) However, one may not skip *backwards* from one book to another. It seems that the same law should apply when one reads from a single Sefer of Navi; one should not be permitted to skip backwards even in the same subject. However, the KESEF MISHNEH (Hilchos Tefilah 12:13) infers from the Gemara that in a single Sefer of Trei Asar, one is permitted to skip from the end to the beginning, and he is prohibited only from skipping from one Sefer in Trei Asar to an earlier Sefer. His reasoning to differentiate is unclear (see Sefas Emes).


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