Reading the Megillah

From Halachipedia

One of the essential mitzvot of Purim is to hear the Megillah being read at night and during the day. [1]

The Bracha

  1. The chazan who reads the megilla at night recites three berachot before reading the Megillah and one beracha after completing the reading of the megilla. [2] During the day some poskim say to skip shehecheyanu while some say to repeat it during the day also and therefore say three berachot again. [3] One should have in mind to cover the other mitzvot of Purim with this shehecheyanu. [4]
  2. The minhag is that women do make a bracha if they are reading the Megillah or the one reading it for women does make a bracha. [5]

Halachot of the Reading

  1. The minhag is to roll up the Megillah back into a scroll before reciting the bracha of "Harav Et Riveinu...." [6] Some are lenient for a private reading [7]

Sitting or Standing

  1. The reader of the megilla for the congregation should stand during the reading of the Megilla [8] and the congregants may sit during the reading. [9] One should stand for the berachot before and after. [10]

Time of the readings

  1. There’s a mitzvah to read the Megillah once at night and once during the day. [11]
  2. The time for reading the Megillah at night is from Tzet HaKochavim until Olat HaShachar. [12]
  3. The time for reading the megillah during the day is from Netz HaChama until Shekiah. However if one read it from Olot HaShachar one has fulfilled the mitzvah. If one didn’t read it until Shekiah, one should read it until Tzet HaKochavim without a Bracha. [13]
  4. If one missed reading it at night there’s no make-up the next day. [14]

Hearing it in a congregation

  1. One should try to find a minyan of ten men to read the megillah. [15] If this is not possible, one should read the Megillah by himself [16]
  2. Some have the pious practice to read from a kosher megillah along with the baal koreh. [17]

Traveling Between a walled city and a non-walled city

  1. Someone who lives in Yerushalayim who was in a city outside Yerushalayim during daybreak of the 14th of Adar should read on the 14th. If he returns to Yerushalayim before the 15th at daybreak, one should celebrate purim again with all it’s details. [18]
  2. Someone who lives in Yerushalayim who travels outside Yerushalayim with intent to return after daybreak of the 14th he should read it on the 14th only if he did return after daybreak on the 14th. [19]
  3. Someone who lives in Yerushalayim who travels outside Yerushalayim with intent to return before daybreak of the 14th should read it on the 15th even if he didn’t return to Yerushalayim on the 15th. [20]
  4. Someone who lives outside Yerushalayim who was in Yerushalayim during daybreak of the 15th should read on the 15th. However, if he already read the Megillah and celebrated Purim on the 14th in his city (outside Yerushalim) one doesn’t need to celebrate Purim again. [21]
  5. Someone who lives outside Yerushalayim who travels to Yerushalayim with intent to stay there for daybreak on the 15th should read the Megillah on the 15th even if one leaves on the 15th during the day. [22]
  6. Someone who lives outside Yerushalayim who travels to Yerushalayim with intent to return before daybreak of the 15th should read it on the 14th even if one is forced into staying there. [23]

If Purim Falls out on Sunday

  1. If Purim falls out on Saturday night then one should read the megillah and then say VeYehe Noam, and then make Havdalah. [24] According to Sephardim one should make the Bracha of Moerei HaEsh before the megillah. [25]
  2. One should not bring the Megillah on Shabbat to the shul even if there's an eruv since it’s considered preparing for after Shabbat. [26] If one needs to bring the Megillah to the shul after Shabbat one should say Baruch HaMavdil Ben Kodesh LeChol. [27]
  3. A Megillah isn’t Muktzeh even on the Shabbat when Purim falls out on Sunday. [28]
  4. Even if one’s meal extends into the night one doesn’t add Al HaNissim. [29]
  5. If the congregation didn’t yet say Kiddush Levana then they should say it before hearing the Megilla, however, if only individuals didn’t say it they should wait until after hearing Megilla together with the congregation. [30]

Doing other Things before Hearing the Reading

  1. From nightfall until one reads the megilla he should not do any work or take a nap. [31]

Microphone

  1. One should not hear the reading of the megilla over a microphone [32]

References

  1. ↑ Rambam (Megillah 1:1) writes that the mitzvah to read the Megillah is an establishment of the prophets, Midivrei Kabbalah. Tosfot (Megillah 4a s.v. Chayav) writes that the primary reading is during the day when the rest of the mitzvot of Purim should be fulfilled. Nodeh BeYehuda (O.C. 41) writes that the nighttime reading is only derabbanan but not Midivrei Kabbalah.
  2. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 692:1
  3. ↑ S"A 692:1 says that shehecheyanu is not repeated. However, the Rama there disagrees and says that it is recited during the days as well.
  4. ↑ Mishna Berura 692:1, Baer Heitev 692:1, Magen Avraham 692:1
  5. ↑ Sh"t Yabea Omer O"C 1:40, Sh"t Minchat Yitzchak 3:54
  6. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 690:17. Mishna Berura 690:57 explains that this is because it is disrespectful to leave the megilla open.
  7. ↑ Yalkut Yoseph volume 7 page 296
  8. ↑ S:A 690:1, Beit Yosef 690 in the name of the Ran
  9. ↑ SA 690:1, Ben Ish Chai Year 1 Parashat Titzaveh:4
  10. ↑ Mishna Berura 690:1, Machatzit Hashekel 690:1, Ben Ish Chai Parashat Titzaveh: 4, Kaf Hachaim690: 2. See Shevet Hakehati 1:212
  11. ↑ Megillah 4a, Rambam (Megillah 1:3), S”A 687:1
  12. ↑ S”A 687:1 says that the night reading applies all night, Mishna Brurah 687:1,3 explains that this means that one should read it between Tzet HaKochavim and Olat HaShachar. So rules Chazon Ovadyah (pg 47), Chayei Adam 195:5
  13. ↑ S”A 687:1 writes that the reading of the day applies all day from Netz but after the fact one fulfilled the mitzvah if one read it after Olot HaShachar. Mishna Brurah 687:4,5 explains that the ending time is Shekiah and after the fact one should read it without a Bracha until Tzet HaKochavim.
  14. ↑ Mishna Brurah 687:3, Chazon Ovadyah (pg 48)
  15. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 690:18, Bach 691
  16. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 690:18, Mishna Berura 689:15, Shaar Hatzion 690:64
  17. ↑ Rav Schachter (Nefesh HaRav pg 227) writes that Rav Soloveitchik's minhag was to read the megillah to himself from a kosher megillah along with the baal koreh in order to fulfill the mitzvah himself instead of through a messenger. Rav Schachter explains this concept in BeIkvei HaTzoan pg 25.
  18. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 688:7)
  19. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  20. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  21. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 688:9)
  22. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  23. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  24. ↑ Rama 693:1, Natai Gavriel (purim 28:8)
  25. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 693:3)
  26. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:4, Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 693:1), Chayei Adam 195:10
  27. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:7
  28. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:4, Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata
  29. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:3
  30. ↑ Natai Gavriel 49:1, 3
  31. ↑ Mishna Berura 692:10,15
  32. ↑ Daat Torah 689, Sh"t Minchat Yitzchak 1:37 and 3:54
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