Q & A: Reading The Megillah (Part I)

Question: If someone heard Megillat Esther in shul, and he then has to read the Megillah at home for his wife and other members of his household, does he recite the blessings again?

Menachem
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Answer: The preponderance of opinions on this matter has led to the following rule: When one reads Megillat Esther for members of his household who were unable to go to shul to hear the Megillah, he recites, before the reading, the three blessings that are recited in shul. But he does not recite the blessing that follows the reading absent the presence of a minyan.

The first Mishna of the third chapter of Tractate Megillah (21a) states: “He who reads the Megillah [for the congregation] may do so either standing or sitting. Whether one reads it or two read it [aloud, simultaneously], they [the congregation] have fulfilled their obligation. In a place where it is the custom to say a blessing it should be said, and where it is not the custom it need not be said.” The wording of the Mishna seems to imply, at first glance, that there is a fundamental question whether the reading of Megillat Esther requires the recitation of a blessing.

As the Gemara explains below (21b), the custom referred to in the Mishna relates to the blessing after the reading of the Megillah. As for the blessings recited before the reading of the Megillah, they are mandatory, for R. Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel that in the case of mitzvot that have to be fulfilled (such as reading the Megillah), one recites a blessing “oveir le’assiyatan” (literally, as one goes on to fulfill them). The Gemara sets out to prove, quoting several pesukim, that Shmuel’s usage of the term “oveir” to mean “immediately prior” is justified.

What blessing is said before the reading of the Megillah? The Gemara answers by relating an incident. R. Sheshet of Kateriza was in the presence of R. Ashi (the Rif emends the text to read: “R. Sheshet of Kateriza was in the presence of R. Sheshet” – and we know therefore that “R. Sheshet of Kateriza” is not the well-known sage R. Sheshet) and [before he read the Megillah], he recited the blessings of MaNaCh. This is an acronym (mem, nun, chet) for Mikra Megillah, Nissim, and Chayyim – the three blessings preceding the reading of the Megillah: Al mikra megillah (Who commanded us to read the Megillah); She’asa nissim (Who performed miracles); and Shehecheyanu (Who has kept us alive…to this day).

What blessing is said after the Megillah? The Gemara quotes the full text of the bracha: “Baruch ata… harav et riveinu…” (Who fights our battles…). Based on this Gemara, the Mechaber rules (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayyim 692:1, Hilchot Megillah) that one who reads the Megillah [on Purim] recites these three blessings, but omits the Shehecheyanu blessing the following morning. The Rema (ad loc.) cites several authorities who maintain that Shehecheyanu is recited in the morning as well, and adds that the custom “in these lands” is to also recite the Shehecheyanu in the morning. The Ba’er Heitev and the Mishna Berura explain the Rema’s remark in that the essence of the mitzvah to read the Megillah applies in the daytime.

Regarding the blessing that follows the reading of the Megillah, the Mechaber states that it is customary to recite “Harav et riveinu,” and he adds that if the reader did not recite the appropriate blessings, whether before or after the reading of the Megillah, he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation (and by implication, that of others as well). The Mishna Berura explains this ruling by the principle that “berachot ein me’akvot,” that is, [the omission of recitation of] blessings do[es] not interfere [with the performance of the mitzvah]. He obviously understands the Mechaber’s statement as referring to a situation where he simply forgot to recite the blessings, and in that case if he happens to remember the omission while reading, he may recite the blessings in between chapters.

The Mechaber then states (692:3) that even if he has already fulfilled his own mitzvah (having read, or listened to, the Megillah in shul), he nevertheless recites the blessings in order to fulfill the obligation of another (for whom he is reading the Megillah).

The Mishna Berura remarks that some decisors are of the opinion that if the women (for whom one reads the Megillah) know the blessings, they should recite them (since he himself has already fulfilled the obligation of reading the Megillah). But the prevalent custom is to be lenient in this matter and allow the reader to recite the blessings and thus fulfill the women’s obligation.

The Mechaber lists (ibid. 629:2) those who are obligated to read (or hear) Megillat Esther: men, women, proselytes and emancipated slaves; children (minors) are also taught to read it. He also states: The person who reads [the Megillah] as well as the one who listens to it have fulfilled their obligation, provided the reader is himself required to fulfill that mitzvah. Hence, one who hears the Megillah read by a deaf person, a minor, or an imbecile has not discharged his obligation. According to some opinions, women cannot discharge men of their obligation (by reading the Megillah for them).

The Mishna Berura (ad loc.) explains that Megillah reading is similar to Torah reading. As in the case of Torah reading stated in Tractate Megillah (loc. cit.), we infer that women do not read the Megillah publicly because of kevod hatzibbur. And in accordance with the rule of “la plug” (lit. “we do not differentiate”), they do not read the Megillah even privately for individuals.

He cites the Rema, who notes that when a woman reads the Megillah for herself, she recites the blessing with the phrase “lishmoa megillah” (to hear the Megillah), instead of “mikra megillah.” He also adds that Chayyei Adam prefers the wording of “lishmo’a mikra megillah.”

In sum, we see that the obligation for women to hear the reading of the Megillah is equal to that of men, but they do not have the obligation to read the Megillah. However, if no man is available to discharge the obligation to hear the Megillah, they must read it themselves (from a scroll).

Regarding the phrasing of “lishmo’a megillah” we might point out that in the acrostic MaNaCh cited by the Gemara above, the letter mem can be understood to indicate the word “mikra” as well as the word “megillah.”

(To be continued)