Megilla Reading

And these days are remembered and done in every generation, every family, every state, and every city, and these days of Purim will not pass from among the Jews and their memory will not be ended from their progeny. And Queen Esther, daughter of Avichayil, and Mordechai Ha-Yehudi wrote with all force to uphold this second Purim epistle.

Rava said: It is derived from “Remembering”-“Remembering.” Here it is written “and these days are remembered,” and there it is written “write this as a remembrance in the book” (Shemot 17:14). Just as there it is in a book, so, too, here it is in a book. And whence [do we know] that this remembering is reading aloud? Perhaps it is simply looking it over? It wouldn’t arise in your thoughts, for it is taught “remember.” Could that be by heart? When it says “don’t forget” behold, forgetting of the heart is already spoken for. Thus what do I establish [from] “remember”? Verbally.

It is a mitzva of reading and of publicizing the miracle.

Both the reader and the one who hears from the reader discharge their obligation, and that is when he hears from someone who is obligated in reading it [the megilla].

In the matter if it is permissible from the outset to divide megilla reading among a number of readers, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu told me that the matter is permissible if all of the readers heard the first berachot and all of the reading from its beginning…He does not have to go back to the beginning, but just from the place where the previous reader stopped.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi sad: A person must read the megilla at night and repeat it during the day, for it says “My God, I call by day and You don’t respond, and night and there is no silence for me” (Tehillim 22:3)…Rabbi Chelbo said Ulla Bira’a said: A person must read the megilla at night and repeat it in the day, for it is said “In order to sing honor to You and not be silent, God my Lord forever I will thank you” (Tehillim 30:13).

Rav Nachman said: Reading it [megilla] is Hallel.

Before it [megilla reading] it is a mitzva to recite berachot…Before it what does one recite? Rav Sheshet from Katarziya happened to come before Rav Ashi and recited the berachot mem-nun-chet.

Mem-nun-chet: Al mikra megilla [on megilla reading], and she-asa n issim [Who performed miracles], and she-hechiyyanu.

[Mishna] In a place where it is customary: to recite the beracha—he should recite it, and [where it is customary] not to recite the beracha—he shouldn’t recite it. [Gemara] Abbaye said we only learned this after it [the reading]…And after it what blessing does one recite: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the world, Who fights our fight and judges our judgement and avenges our vengeance and punishes our attackers and repays all the enemies of our soul. Blessed are you who extracts punishment for Israel from all its oppressors. Rava said: The God who saves. Rav Papa said: Therefore, we should say both of them: Blessed are You who exacts punishment for Israel from all its attackers, the God who saves.

All are obligated in reading the megilla…women and bondsmen and minors are exempt…

“All are obligated in megilla reading,” “All are fit to read the megilla” (Mishna Megilla 2:4). To include what? To include women, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, for Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in megilla reading because they indeed were included in that miracle.

For they also were included in that miracle – For also upon women did Haman decree to destroy and kill and cause to perish, from youth to elderly, children and women.

For they indeed were included in that miracle – Rashbam explained that the essence of the miracle was [accomplished] through them: on Purim through Esther…

Bar Kappara said he must read it before women and before minors for they too were at risk. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi did thus, he would gather the female and male members of his household and read it [megilla] before them.

Reading the megilla in its time is a positive rabbinic mitzva, and the matters are known that it is a decree of the prophets, and all are obligated in reading it, men and women…

(Tosefta 2:7) “All are obligated in reading the megilla…women and bondsmen and minors are exempt from reading the megilla” but they are obligated in hearing, why? For all were at risk of being destroyed and killed and made to perish, and since all were at risk, all are obligated to hear [megilla]. (Yerushalmi 2) “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi would gather all members of his household and read Megillat Esther before them”…

To include women: For they are obligated in reading megilla and fit to read…the language of Rashi, but Behag did not rule thus…Therefore one must explain here that women [reading] only discharge the obligation of women, but not men…

(2) In this the view of Behag that women are only obligated in hearing the megilla is explained well, and this is: Since the essence of their [women’s] obligation is for publicizing the miracle, if so, it is enough for them [women] only to hear it, for this is publicizing. Which is not the case for the men, [who] aside from the mitzva of publicizing the miracle are also obligated in the mitzva of remembering [Amalek], and this is the obligation of reading…(9) Additionally, it is possible for me to say regarding the reason of Behag, that women don’t discharge the obligation of men, in accordance with the the view of Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak brought in the Talmud, that we don’t say Hallel on Purim because reading it [megilla] is Hallel. Behold that the mitzva of reading Hallel is also included in the mitzva of reading the megilla, and women are exempt from Hallel…

…For they [women] indeed were included in that miracle, and if not for this reason, they would not be obligated because they are exempt from positive time-bound commandments…Since they [women] are obligated [in megilla] based on the general rationale that they, too, were part of that miracle, and men are obligated based on the prohibition of straying from the sages’ directives, which is akin to a Torah law, if so, for this reason women do not discharge men’s obligation.

…For in reading megilla there are two [mitzva] fulfillments: 1) Talmud Torah of reading sacred texts: 2) Publicizing the miracle. Men are obligated in both fulfillments. Women are obligated only for the reason of fulfilling the mitzva of publicizing the miracle…

It seems to me that women recite the beracha “al mishma megilla” on hearing the megilla, and even if they read it to themselves.

Gloss: And there are those who say that if a woman reads for herself she recites the beracha “li-shmo’a megilla” (to hear the megilla), for she is not obligated in reading…

If a man recites a beracha for women [when reading megilla for them] he should recite the beracha to hear the megilla.

And she recites the beracha “Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to hear the megilla reading.”

For she recites the beracha li-shmo’a megilla [to hear the megilla] because she is not obligated in reading, and she is obligated in hearing; therefore, she must recite a beracha over the obligation, which is the hearing. This is also the law when another reads it before her to discharge her obligation, he also recites the beracha “lishmo’a.”

That which Rema wrote, “there are those who say [if a woman reads for herself she recites the beracha “lishmo’a megilla“] etc.” These are not essential matters to rely on them, but rather they [women] recite the beracha “al mikra megilla” like the men, and this is simple.

…The fundamental practical halacha is for him to recite the beracha “al mikra megilla” even though he reads only for women. Firstly, because according to the majority of halachic authorities women are like men and are obligated in reading…And according to their approach, when she recites a beracha on hearing, a beracha on the reading in which she is obligated is lacking. Which is not the case when they recite “al mikra megilla,” according to all opinions she discharges her obligation, for in synagogue she discharges her obligation even though she hears the beracha “al mikra megilla.” Furthermore, even if women are exempt from reading, the reason is because it is a positive time-bound mitzva, and for the reason of being included in the miracle, we obligate only hearing, but when she fulfills the mitzva through reading it is not worse than any positive time-bound mitzva from which [women] are exempt and are still also able to recite the beracha when they fulfill the mitzva. And this is also a reading, for one who hears is akin to one who recites [shomei’a ke-oneh] and is able to recite a beracha on reading, which she fulfills….And that which Rema rules, that a woman recites the beracha lishmo’a mikra megilla, does this not deal explicitly with her reading for herself? But when a man reads for her, he recites the beracha al mikra megilla and she discharges her obligation.

One who already discharged the obligation of megilla reading and reads to discharge the obligation of another, if the one who needs to discharge the obligation knows how to recite the berachot himself, he should recite the berachot for himself. And if it is a woman, it is better that the reader recite the beracha and say “Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to hear the megilla [li-shmo’a megilla].”

It is written in Terumat Ha-deshen that one who already discharged the obligation of [hearing] shofar blowing, and will blow in order to discharge his fellow’s obligation, that according to the fundamental law the blower should not recite the beracha but rather the hearer should recite the beracha. But custom is not that way.

If they [women] did not hear [megilla] in synagogue, and a man who has already heard megilla reads for them – one of them should recite the three berachot…

Rav said: Megilla at its time, we read it even as an individual.

Halacha was decided like Rav [Megilla 5a] that megilla reading in its time we read it even as an individual…From Rif and Rambam and Rosh and Ramban, it becomes clear that certainly for glorifying the mitzva and publicizing the miracle, Rav also concedes that ten is preferable…And thus is the custom and the bigger the congregation, the more glorification, for “in the multitude of people is the glory of the king” (Mishlei 14:28), but if in the synagogue it is impossible to hear well because of the tumult of banging for Haman and the like, it is better to read it in a group of ten at home.

A man must read it in his home before the maidens and the [female] servants, and in a few places they have the practice to go to the synagogue to the women’s section to hear the reading. Indeed, this requires study how the women there discharge their obligations, for it is impossible to hear there in accordance with the law.

It is not fitting to complete the [quorum of] ten [for megilla reading] with them [women], for in every place in which they [the sages] required ten, we need men.

…Women are obligated in megilla reading for they indeed were included in the same miracle. And it makes sense, that just as women recite zimmun [for themselves] and don’t combine [with men to make a quorum] for birkat ha-mazon, here too they don’t combine le-chatchila [from the outset].

Since we follow the halachic position of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi that they [women] are obligated [in megilla]…It follows that they [women] combine [for a quorum]. [And the fact that they don’t combine] for zimmun, that case is different because there is a major combining, for there is a change in birkat ha-mazon on their account, to add birkat ha-zimmun on their account, and one should be concerned for immodesty. But here there is no difference in megilla reading or in its berachot, whether [recited] individually or with ten, and it is not considered to be such a combination that we should be concerned for immodesty…

Megilla on 14 and 15 [Adar] one must strive for ten, and if it is impossible [to find] ten, we read them as individuals. Rema: And it is doubtful whether women combine [with men] for the ten.

Here, in my opinion it is simple that we can read before them [women] when they are ten, and we don’t need that there be ten men, for they [women] are also obligated in reading megilla, and therefore they are well able to combine to create ten on their own and to read before them…For the intention of Rema and also of Magen Avraham is just regarding whether they can combine to create ten together with men…or whether they do not combine similar to zimmun, but everyone agrees that they can read and combine on their own. Therefore, halachically the matter is clear and simple that women can even le-chatchila [from the outset] gather for themselves ten women in their home to hear megilla reading and recite the berachot…

After it [megilla reading] the custom is to recite the beracha of ha-rav et riveinu etc…Rema: And one should only recite a beracha after it be-tzibbur.

It seems that it is not worthwhile to recite a beracha after it [megilla reading for an individual] for without this factor [lack of a tzibbur], this beracha even in a tzibbur is not obligatory, and depends on custom, as appears in the Talmud. And who will say that the custom has spread today to recite a beracha [after reading] for an individual. And so wrote Peri Megadim, that in doubtful situations with berachot we are lenient [and omit them].

Our Rav, Rema, wrote that the beracha after it is only in a tzibbur. And one can say that the reason is that—since it doesn’t apply to the megilla but rather is a beracha of gratitude in order to publicize the miracle—it was only enacted in the tzibbur where there is publicizing, and not for an individual. And know that they brought this in the name of the Yerushalmi, but I didn’t find this in this Yerushalmi, and not a single one of the early authorities mentioned this. And in Shibbolei ha-Leket he brings a custom of [the] two yeshivot to recite the beracha afterwards, even for an individual [reading], and it seems that this is the general practice.

All this is to combine women to create a group of ten with men. But when there are ten women, without any combining [with men], since the rationale that the final beracha requires a tzibbur is on account of publicizing the miracle…Therefore whenever there are ten women there is fine publicizing of the miracle and they recite a beracha after it…And in these days for some years I have instituted with God’s help in many neighborhoods of Jerusalem that after megilla reading in synagogue for men, about an hour later women come en masse to the synagogue and the shali’ach tzibbur reads the megilla for them precisely and with its cantillations and recites the berachot for them before the megilla and afterwards.

…They [women] are obligated in reading megilla to hear it from the mouth of the reader.

For you should not say that even women discharge their obligation only with an important reading by men.

Gloss: And there are those who say that if a woman reads for herself she recites the beracha “to hear the megilla” …

If a woman reads [for herself] – But in Midrash Rut Ha-ne’elam it is written that she should not read for herself, rather that she should hear from men.

So women even though they are obligated, in any case they do not have the obligation of reading, but the obligation of hearing, that she is obligated to hear from a man, and she should not read even for herself but rather a man should read before her. (This language that Magen Avraham wrote is not found in the Zohar on Rut…and it is not dispositive whether [instead] it intended to say that she does not read for others, but reads for herself and it requires study). In any case, it seems to me that if she doesn’t have someone to read before her, she should read for herself from a kosher megilla…

To bring in women – For they [women] are obligated in megilla reading and are fit to read it and to discharge mens’ obligation.

Reading the megilla in its time is a positive mitzva…and all are obligated in reading it, men and women…both the reader and the one who hears from the reader discharge their obligation, if he hears it from someone who is obligated in reading it…

All are obligated in reading it [megilla], men and women…both the reader and the one who hears from the reader discharge their obligation, and that is if he hears from one obligated in reading it…and there are those who say that women do not discharge men’s obligation.

Truly we maintain as halacha that even for reading the megilla women discharge men’s obligation, in accordance with the Rambam and Rashi in Arachin…and so ruled our master Shulchan Aruch without qualification, though he ended afterwards: And there are those who say that women don’t discharge men’s obligation. And the rule is known that an unqualified statement followed by “and there are those who say,” the halacha is in accordance with the unqualified statement.

…There is a difference regarding this between the obligation of the day and the obligation of the night, for in the day its mitzva is also because of remembering the obliteration of Amalek, but at night the mitzva of reading it is only because of publicizing the miracle…therefore at night the obligation of men’s and women’s reading is equivalent, for with both of them the mitzva is only to publicize the miracle, Thus at night also according to Behag, women discharge men, for in this their obligation is equal.

…Behag wrote even though they [women] are obligated in megilla reading, they do not discharge men’s obligation…

A woman is obligated in megilla reading but should not discharge the obligation of the rabbim [public].

…There are those who say that since they [women] are obligated, they discharge males’ obligations, for whoever is obligated in a matter discharges the obligation of the public…but in the name of Behag they wrote that the [women] are obligated to hear the megilla but are not obligated in reading it and therefore they don’t discharge the obligation of the public…And this is unclear, but it is fitting to be concerned for his [Behag’s] words, to be stringent.

In the Tosefta it teaches regarding birkat ha-mazon that “a woman, a bondsman, and a minor do not discharge the obligation of the masses”…Women do not discharge … because it is rabbim [lit. many], the matter is undignified for them. For regarding megilla, in which women are obligated, Behag explained that women do not discharge the obligation of the rabbim in megilla.

…In any case it is correct to be concerned for the view of those who are stringent, that a woman should not discharge a man’s obligation le-chatchila [from the outset] unless it is a pressing situation…

…Therefore one must explain here that women [reading] only discharge the obligation of women, but not men…

That which he said in Arachinthat all are fit to read to include women – not that they should discharge men’s obligation with their reading, but specifically women…this comes to teach that a woman discharges the obligation of her fellow woman.

…It is undignified for men that women discharge their obligation…

What that Tosafot wrote in Sukka 38…perforce is that a woman does not discharge the obligation of many women because the matter is disgraceful…

That which Tosafot wrote in Sukka 38a, that a woman should not discharge the obligation of the rabbim [public] in megilla reading…this is to discharge men’s obligations, but it is fine for a woman to discharge other women’s obligations…

Be-rov am hadrat Melech. Megilla reading should be heard in the synagogue. One should not separate from the community only in order for women to read the megilla. Only in a second minyan of women caring for children can a woman also read.

…There are a number of possible reasons why women should attend the regular megillah readings by men in the synagogue, all things being equal. These include: the preference (hidur) of having as many participants as possible in one large public reading rather than fragmented into smaller ones; the initial obligation to read the megillah in the presence of ten men or ten women, which is often possible only at the synagogue reading; questions as to the proper blessing to be recited; and the general desirability of performing a mitzvah sooner rather than later. All things are often not equal, however: 1) It is often impossible to hear properly from the ezrat nashim. The inaudibility of even one word from the megillah reading means that the listener has not fulfilled her obligation. 2) Women, and particularly mothers, are often unable to come to the synagogue at the specified times. For these and other reasons there has emerged a widespread practice to have a second megillah reading for women, and in such circumstances it is entirely proper for a woman or women to read the megillah.

If a women’s megillah laining is done under the auspices of the shul, it forms part of the communal unity, along the lines of orchestral harmony which is achieved by different instruments contributing to an overall harmony rather than having a single instrument create a mono-vocal harmony. Thus, if we view it as part of a communal framework, all that is left is indeed be-rov am, and I don’t think that it should necessarily be the overriding factor in this case…. Allowing the group to express itself lifnei Ha-Shem [before God] in a manner that is halakhically appropriate is the right thing to do for their avodat Ha-Shem [service of God]. These women sincerely desire to be ovedot HaShem and they should be allowed the channels to do so. “Ken benot Tzlofchad doverot,” [“The daughters of Tzelofchad speak right,” (Be-midbar 27:7)] There are so many avenues of worship that are cordoned off to sincere halakhic women – it is therefore crucial to allow those that can be allowed. I assume that circumstances such as these surely qualify for what Chazal had in mind when they spoke about la’asot nachat ruach le-nashim [women’s gratification] as a halachic factor.

When my children were young, I used to go to a secondary Megillah reading (after the main one my husband attended), where a man read the Megillah for a large group of women while their husbands watched the kids. But then a woman in our neighborhood volunteered to read for women, and we formed a small group that enjoyed her reading for a few years. That woman moved away and we decided that we preferred hearing the Megillah from a woman (it is, after all, a woman’s story), so we split up the chapters and found women who had experience reading or wanted to learn….The feeling of empowerment from reading for other women and helping them fulfill a mitzvah is unparalleled. Participating in a women’s reading allows me to fully celebrate Purim as a holiday dedicated to the power of women to effect change, even under difficult circumstances….Our Megillah reading is very friendly and inviting. If we know a woman is on her way but running a little late, we wait a few minutes. If a reader makes a mistake, we correct her politely, and we compliment each other when the reading is done.

The story of Esther is not merely of historical significance. This story serves as a model of a process that every person must undergo in the course of maturation. Through the character of Esther, the megilla gives us a real-life lesson in developing inner strength, and in forming a mature personality out of the raw material of childishness.