1) The Megilah should be read with the proper "Ta'amim" (Trop, or tune used for reading Torah Sh'Biksav).
However, reading it without the Ta'amim does not disqualify the reading, thus if no Ba'al Koreh is available to read it with the proper tune, it should be read anyway by someone in the congregation. (Mogen Avraham Siman 691:10)
2) The Megilah must be read in the order in which it is written. If even one Posuk or letter was read out of order, the obligation to read the Megilah has not been satisfied, and it must be re-read starting from the Posuk that was read out of order until the end.
Likewise, if a Posuk was skipped, it must be re-read from that point until the end. (Mishna Berura Siman 690:21 and 22)
The Megilah must be read from a Kosher Megilah.
If part (up to half) of the Megilah was read from memory, without looking into the text, B'dieved you have satisfied your obligation. (Mishna Berura ibid. S"K 7 and 8)
Halachos for Shabbos Kodesh
1) If one who does not understand Lashon HaKodesh (Biblical Hebrew) hears the Megilah being read in Lashon HaKodesh, even though they do not understand what is being read, they have satisfied their obligation of hearing the Megilah, as long as they hear every single word. (Mishna Berura ibid. S" K 26)
2) The Ba'al Koreh should recite the Brachos on the Megilah while standing.
Many have the custom that the entire congregation stands while the Brachos are being recited. (See Mogen Avraham beginning of Siman 690. Though from the Biur Halacha in Hilchos Sefiras HaOmer Siman 489 it seems that the congregation need not stand)
While reading the Megilah, the Ba'al Koreh should stand, as doing so is "Kavod HaTzibur- respectful to the congregation" (Thus one who is reading for women, or for a group of less than 10 men, may sit L'Chatchilah).
The congregation may sit while listening to the Megilah.
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers. Taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Yahoo.com
Reader's Question:
I will be reading the Megillah G-d willing this year, I know that there is an opinion that one may put "troph" (musical notes) in parts of the Megillah (with pencil) that will help them. May my wife pencil in some of the Troph, or is this a problem of writing by a woman?
Answer:
According to some Poskim, including the Pri Megadim, Mishbetzos Zahav, Siman 691:2, unlike Sifrei Torah and Tefilin, a woman may write a Megilah as she is obligated in reading the Megilah.
Other Poskim, however, including the Sha'arei Teshuva Siman 691:3 and Rav Akiva Eiger Siman 691:2, maintain that women may not write a megilah. (See Tosafos Arachin 3a Dibur Hamaschil L'Asuyei nashim quoting the Behag that women are not obligated in reading the Megilah, rather they are obligated only in hearing the megilah.This opinion is brought in Rama Siman 689:2. This is one reason cited regarding their ineligibility to write megilos, as only those that must read it are eligible to write it.)
The prevalent custom is not to use, and certainly not recite a bracha over, a megilah written by women.
Now, regarding penciling in Trop and other markings into a megilah, this should only be done B'sha'as Hadchak, in extreme circumstances where there is no other way to read/hear the Megilah. (See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Siman 141:18 and Mishna Berura Siman 691:25)
In the event that this needs to be done, according to the Poskim that allow a woman to write a megilah, she surely may also make these pencil markings.
According to the Poskim that disallow a woman to write the Megilah, I would say that these markings, although not the actual writing of the megilah, should also preferably not be done by a woman.
Of course, for halacha L'Ma'aseh a Rav must be consulted.
CHIZUK CORNER
As a Zechus for the Refuah Shelaima of one of the Gedolei HaDor, the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Stein Shlita, R' Chaim Yaakov ben Chasya Miriam, B'soch Sha'ar Cholei Yisroel, we will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME. THANK YOU AND TIZKEH L'MITZVOS!
אל תתיאש מן הרחמים
Chizuk For Today:
Question:
Here's a big question, it needs three hours to answer this. How can one resist temptation in today's wicked world?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
And the answer is, in one sentence, cut loose from the world. Does it make sense, here's a man who happened to take hold of a thorn bush, and the big thorn sank into his flesh, and he's shouting, "Look it's bleeding, it hurts". So people say to him, "Dumbbell, first thing is let go!"
Here's a man sitting in front of a television and saying to his wife, how can we get rid of this wicked world? Take a hammer and give one smash and you're finished with the wicked world. If you continue to bring the New York Times into your house, what do you expect?! If a man brings in dead rats into his house, into his dining room, and lets them ripen on the floor, will he complain about the odor?
So you cut loose from the wicked world. You have nothing to do with the wicked world, and you'll be amazed what an immediate remedy it's going to be. Now if you're talking about wicked world, a world of crime, that's a different story. But if you're talking about a world of Rishus, of bad character, of immorality and so on, so you heard in one sentence what to do. Cut loose!! And you'll be surprised; you'll be gratified at the results. Now how to cut loose, however, that's a big subject.
You know, the Sefer Tehilim is a Sefer of coming close to Hashem, it's full of ways of speaking to Hashem, Emunah, Bitachon, Ahavas Hashem. Everything is in Tehilim, by the way. Tehilim is a wonderful text book of coming close to Hashem. But the very first Kapitel, the first chapter of Tehilim, is an exception, it's a queer chapter. It starts out, "Happy is the Man who did not walk in the ways of the wicked". All of a sudden he's talking Mishlei, that's not Tehilim, he's giving advice. He's not talking about love of Hashem there; he's talking about cutting loose from the wicked.
The answer is this: What's the use of talking about coming close to Hashem, what's the use of talking noble ideals, when you're still in the company of the wicked, if you're mingling with them all the time? It's Tovel V'sherets B'yodo, how can you go and purify yourself when you're still holding a dead Sherets (creeping creature) in your hand? So the first thing is, in Tehilim it tells you first of all get rid of the company of the wicked, Cut loose from the Reshaim in every way; we are tied to them in thousands of ways. Cut loose! And then you're a candidate to learn the great lessons that Tehilim has in store for you.
Important Numbers
