Reading the Megillah

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One of the essential mitzvot of Purim is to read the Megillah or hear the Megillah being read at night and during the day. [1] The details of the Megillah reading are outlined below:

Who's obligated?

  1. Both men and women are obligated to read the Megillah during the night and during the day of Purim. [2]
  2. There is a mitzvah of Chinuch to teach children (under Bar Mitzvah) to read the Megillah. [3]

Procedure of the Megillah reading

  1. One can fulfill one's obligation either by reading the Megillah or by listening to the Megillah being read by someone who's obligated to read the Megillah. [4]

The Brachot

  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. [5] 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. [6] One should have in mind to cover the other mitzvot of Purim with this shehecheyanu. [7]
  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. [8]
  3. The minhag is to roll up the Megillah back into a scroll before reciting the bracha of "Harav Et Riveinu...." [9] Some are lenient for a private reading [10]

Sitting or Standing

  1. The reader of the megilla for the congregation should stand during the reading of the Megilla [11] and the congregants may sit during the reading. [12] However, the congregation should stand for the berachot before and after the Megillah. [13]

Hearing it in a congregation

  1. One should try to find a minyan of ten men to read the megillah. [14] If this is not possible, one should read the Megillah by himself [15]
  2. Some have the pious practice to read from a kosher megillah along with the baal koreh. [16]
  3. One should not hear the reading of the megilla over a microphone [17]

Time of the readings

  1. There’s a mitzvah to read the Megillah once at night and once during the day. [18]
  2. The time for reading the Megillah at night is from Tzet HaKochavim until Olat HaShachar. [19]
  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. [20]
  4. If one missed reading it at night there’s no make-up the next day. [21]
  5. From nightfall until one reads the megilla he should not do any work or take a nap. [22]

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. [23] According to Sephardim one should make the Bracha of Moerei HaEsh before the megillah. [24]
  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. [25] If one needs to bring the Megillah to the shul after Shabbat one should say Baruch HaMavdil Ben Kodesh LeChol. [26]
  3. A Megillah isn’t Muktzeh even on the Shabbat when Purim falls out on Sunday. [27]
  4. Even if one’s meal extends into the night one doesn’t add Al HaNissim. [28]
  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. [29]

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. [30]
  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. [31]
  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. [32]
  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. [33]
  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. [34]
  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. [35]

Sources

  1. ↑ The 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. ↑ In Gemara Megillah 4a, Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi says that women are obligated in reading the Megillah because they were included in the miracle of Purim. Rashi (ibid. s.v. Af) explains that the decree of Haman applied to men and women equally. Tosfot (s.v. Af) quotes the Rashbam who explains that the gemara means that women are obligated because Ester was instrumental in the miracle of Purim. The Rambam (Megillah 1:1) writes that both men and women are obligated in reading the megillah. Tur and S"A 689:1 codify this as halacha.
  3. ↑ Rambam (Megillah 1:1)
  4. ↑ The Rambam (Megillah 1:2) writes that both the one reading the Megillah and the one listening to the Megillah being read by someone who's obligated to read the Megillah fulfill their obligation. S"A 689:2 codifies this as halacha.
  5. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 692:1
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ Mishna Berura 692:1, Baer Heitev 692:1, Magen Avraham 692:1
  8. ↑ Sh"t Yabea Omer O"C 1:40, Sh"t Minchat Yitzchak 3:54
  9. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 690:17. Mishna Berura 690:57 explains that this is because it is disrespectful to leave the megilla open.
  10. ↑ Yalkut Yoseph volume 7 page 296
  11. ↑ S"A 690:1, Beit Yosef 690 in the name of the Ran
  12. ↑ S"A 690:1, Ben Ish Chai (Year 1 Parashat Titzaveh 4)
  13. ↑ Mishna Berura 690:1, Machatzit Hashekel 690:1, Ben Ish Chai (Parashat Titzaveh 4), Kaf Hachaim 690:2. See Shevet Hakehati 1:212.
  14. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 690:18, Bach 691
  15. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 690:18, Mishna Berura 689:15, Shaar Hatzion 690:64
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ Daat Torah 689, Sh"t Minchat Yitzchak 1:37 and 3:54
  18. ↑ Megillah 4a, Rambam (Megillah 1:3), S”A 687:1
  19. ↑ 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
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ Mishna Brurah 687:3, Chazon Ovadyah (pg 48)
  22. ↑ Mishna Berura 692:10,15
  23. ↑ Rama 693:1, Natai Gavriel (purim 28:8)
  24. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 693:3)
  25. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:4, Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 693:1), Chayei Adam 195:10
  26. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:7
  27. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:4, Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata
  28. ↑ Natai Gavriel 28:3
  29. ↑ Natai Gavriel 49:1, 3
  30. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 688:7)
  31. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  32. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  33. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 688:9)
  34. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
  35. ↑ Mishna Brurah 688:12
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