002 - הִלְכוֹת מְגִלָּה פֵּרֶק ב

Laws of Megillah, Chapter 2

1. One who reads the Megillah out of order has not fulfilled his obligation. If he read and forgot one verse, then read the next verse, and then went back and read the verse he forgot, and then continued with the third verse, he has not fulfilled his obligation, because he read one verse out of order. Rather, what should he do? He should begin from the second verse that he forgot and read in order.

2. If someone finds a congregation that has already read half of it, he should not say, "I will read the last half with the congregation and then go back and read the first half," for this would be reading out of order. Rather, he should read from the beginning to the end, in order. If he read and paused for a short time, and then resumed reading—even if he paused long enough to finish the entire Megillah—since he read in order, he has fulfilled his obligation.

3. One who reads the Megillah by heart has not fulfilled his obligation. A foreigner who hears the Megillah written in Lashon HaKodesh and in the script of Lashon HaKodesh—even if he does not understand what they are saying—has fulfilled his obligation. Similarly, if it was written in Greek and he heard it, he has fulfilled his obligation, even if he does not understand it, and even if the listener is a Hebrew speaker.

4. If it was written in translation, or in another language of the nations, one does not fulfill his obligation by reading it, except for someone who understands that language alone; and this is only if it is written in the script of that language. But if it was written in Hebrew script and read in Aramaic to an Aramean, he has not fulfilled his obligation, for this is considered reading by heart, and since the reader has not fulfilled his obligation, the listener has not fulfilled his either.

5. One who reads the Megillah without intention has not fulfilled his obligation. How so? If he was writing it, or expounding it, or correcting it—if he intended in his heart to fulfill his obligation with this reading, he has fulfilled it; but if he did not intend in his heart, he has not fulfilled it. If he read while dozing, since he was not fully asleep, he has fulfilled his obligation.

6. In what case do we say that one who intends in his heart while writing it has fulfilled his obligation? When he intends to fulfill his obligation with the reading that he reads from the book he is copying from, at the time he is writing. But if he intends to fulfill his obligation with the reading that he is writing, he has not fulfilled it, for one only fulfills his obligation by reading from a book in which the entire Megillah is written at the time of reading.

7. One who reads the Megillah and makes a mistake in the reading, and reads it incorrectly, has fulfilled his obligation, since we are not particular about its reading. If he read it standing or sitting, he has fulfilled his obligation, even in a congregation; but one should not read it sitting in a congregation initially, out of respect for the congregation. If two, or even ten, read it together, they have fulfilled their obligation, as have those who hear it from them. An adult may read it together with a minor, even in a congregation.

8. The Megillah should not be read in a congregation from a scroll that is written together with the other Writings; and if it was read, one has not fulfilled his obligation—unless it was longer or shorter than the other scrolls, so that it is recognizable. But an individual may read from it, even if it is neither shorter nor longer, and fulfills his obligation with it.

9. The Megillah may only be written with ink, on parchment or on klaf, like a Sefer Torah. If it was written with gallnut water or with copper sulfate, it is valid; if it was written with other types of dyes, it is invalid. It requires ruled lines, like the Torah itself. Its parchment does not need to be prepared for its sake. If it was written on paper, or on unprocessed leather, or if it was written by a non-Jew or a heretic, it is invalid.

10. If it contains blurred or torn letters—if their outline is recognizable—even if most of it is like this, it is valid. If their outline is not recognizable—if most of it is intact, it is valid; but if not, it is invalid. If the scribe omitted letters or verses, and the reader recited them by heart, he has fulfilled his obligation.

11. The Megillah requires stitching, so that all its parchments are one scroll. It may only be stitched with sinews, like a Sefer Torah; if it was stitched with something other than sinews, it is invalid. It is not necessary to stitch the entire length of the sheet, as with a Sefer Torah; rather, even if he stitched three stitches with sinews at one end of the sheet, three in the middle, and three at the other end, it is valid, since it is called an "epistle."

12. The one who reads the Megillah must read the ten sons of Haman and the word "ten" in a single breath, in order to make known to the people that they were all hanged and killed as one. And the custom of all Israel is that the one who reads the Megillah spreads it out like a letter; and when he finishes, he rolls it up entirely and recites the blessing.

13. These two days, the fourteenth and the fifteenth, are forbidden for eulogizing and fasting for everyone, everywhere—whether for the inhabitants of walled cities, who observe only the fifteenth, or for the inhabitants of unwalled towns, who observe only the fourteenth. And these two days are forbidden for eulogizing and fasting in the first Adar, just as in the second Adar. Villagers who read early, on the Monday or Thursday before Purim, are permitted to eulogize and fast on the day of their reading, but are forbidden on these two days, even though they do not read the Megillah on them.

14. The mitzvah of the fourteenth day is for the villagers and townspeople, and the fifteenth day for the inhabitants of walled cities—to be days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions to friends and gifts to the poor. And it is permitted to do work on these days; nevertheless, it is not proper to do work on them. The Sages said: Whoever does work on Purim will not see a sign of blessing from it.

15. Villagers who read early, on the Monday or Thursday before Purim—if they distributed money to the poor on the day of their reading, they have fulfilled their obligation; but the feast and joy are only to be observed on the fourteenth, and if they did them earlier, they have not fulfilled their obligation. And if one made the Purim meal at night, he has not fulfilled his obligation.

16. What is the obligation of this meal? That one should eat meat and prepare a fine meal, according to what he can afford; and he should drink wine until he becomes intoxicated and falls asleep in his drunkenness. And likewise, one is obligated to send two portions of meat, or of cooked dishes, or two types of food, to his friend, as it says: "and sending portions, each man to his friend"—two portions to one person. And whoever increases in sending to friends is praiseworthy. And if he does not have, he exchanges with his friend—this one sends his meal to that one, and that one sends his meal to this one, in order to fulfill "and sending portions, each man to his friend."

17. And one is obligated to distribute to the poor on Purim, not less than to two poor people; he gives to each one a gift, either money or types of cooked dishes or types of food, as it says: "and gifts to the poor"—two gifts to two poor people. And we are not particular with Purim money; rather, anyone who stretches out his hand to take is given. And Purim money is not diverted to other charity.

18. It is better for a person to increase gifts to the poor than to increase his feast or sending portions to friends—for there is no greater and more splendid joy than to gladden the hearts of the poor, orphans, widows, and converts. For one who gladdens the hearts of these afflicted people is likened to the Shechinah, as it says: "to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."

19. All the books of the Prophets and all the Writings will be nullified in the days of Mashiach, except for the Megillah of Esther—it will remain, like the Five Books of the Torah and like the laws of the Oral Torah, which will never be nullified. And even though all remembrance of troubles will be nullified, as it says: "for the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My eyes," the days of Purim will not be nullified, as it says: "and these days of Purim will not pass from among the Jews, and their remembrance will not cease from their descendants."