Siman 689, Se'if 6 · Review of the previous shiur: women's obligation in mikra megillah

Review of the previous shiur: women's obligation in mikra megillah

• The basic obligation: Women are obligated in mikra megillah (hearing the Megillah read), and there is a difference of opinion as to the exact nature of their obligation.
• The Ashkenazi ruling: A woman cannot fulfill the obligation on behalf of men, but she may read for herself and for a group of women. Her level of obligation is therefore lower than that of men, and for that reason the wording of her berachah is also different.
• The wording of the berachah: A woman who reads says "lishmoa megillah" or "lishmoa mikra megillah." It is preferable to say "lishmoa mikra megillah," since some hold that she is obligated in the reading as well, and with this wording she satisfies both opinions.

"It is a good custom to bring young boys and girls to hear the reading of the Megillah."
(Shulchan Aruch, siman 689, se'if 6)

The reason for the custom: chinuch in the mitzvah of publicizing the miracle

"In order to train them in the mitzvah of pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle), so that they will see and hear the story of the Megillah and perceive the miracle that the Holy One, Blessed be He, performed for Israel. For this same reason the congregation is accustomed to read these verses aloud, since they are the essence of the miracle and its conclusion."
(Mishnah Berurah)

• The nature of the chinuch here: This is not chinuch in a general sense, but training in the mitzvah of publicizing the miracle, so that the children will see and hear the story of the Megillah and the miracle that was done for the Jewish people.
• The verses said aloud: The very purpose of reading the Megillah is to publicize the miracle, and therefore certain verses connected to the miracle were singled out to be said aloud: "There was a Jewish man in Shushan the capital" (the beginning of the miracle), "And Mordechai went out from before the king in royal garments," "The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor," and the final verse of the Megillah, "For Mordechai the Jew... was great among the Jews and favored by the multitude of his brethren."

An additional reason for saying these verses aloud

"In order to rouse the children so that they will not fall asleep and will pay attention to the reading, and these verses are read together with them in order to train them."
(Mishnah Berurah)

• The explanation: It is not only publicizing the miracle that is at stake here, but also arousing the congregation and the children. These verses were chosen because of their special significance, and saying them aloud, together with the children or in their hearing, wakes the listeners up to pay attention to the reading.
• Community customs: Some communities add further verses, and the widespread custom is the four verses mentioned. This is not a formal law but a custom that developed over time, and so there is no complete uniformity.

The Biur Halachah on "it is a good custom to bring"

"Certainly the intent of the Mechaber is specifically regarding children who have reached the age of chinuch, since very young children only cause confusion, as the Magen Avraham writes."
(Biur Halachah)

• Which children are meant: Since the purpose of bringing them is that they hear and understand the publicizing of the miracle, this refers specifically to children who have reached the age of chinuch and grasp what is going on. Bringing children who understand nothing at all accomplishes nothing in terms of chinuch.
• Very young children: Children who do not understand only create noise and commotion in shul, and nothing is gained by it.

The Biur Halachah's question and his answer

"If so, in what sense is this merely a 'good custom'? By strict law one is obligated to train them in reading the Megillah, or at the very least in hearing it, as mentioned above."
(Biur Halachah)

• The thrust of the question: If we are speaking about children who have reached the age of chinuch, it has already been explained above that there is a genuine obligation of chinuch with them by law. Why then does the Shulchan Aruch use only the language of "a good custom"?
• The answer: As far as the mitzvah of chinuch is concerned, it would be enough to read for them at home. "A good custom" refers to bringing them to the beis midrash, in order to publicize the miracle all the more before a large gathering, and to train them so that as adults too they will hear the Megillah with the congregation.
• In practice: Even a child of eight, nine or ten, for whom one could read at home, should be trained to come to shul and to know that for mikra megillah one goes out to the congregation and does not stay home.

The Mishnah Berurah's reservation: when bringing them ruins things

"Provided that one does not bring very young children who disturb the concentration of those listening."
(Mishnah Berurah)

"Nowadays, because of our many sins, the opposite is the case: not only do they not listen, but the adults are unable to listen either, and their entire coming is only to bang out Haman. In such a case the father fulfills no mitzvah of chinuch at all."
(Mishnah Berurah)

• The main thing becomes secondary: The children supposedly come to hear the Megillah, but in practice their whole reason for coming is to bang out Haman, and instead of chinuch there is confusion in shul.
• The status of banging out Haman: The Shulchan Aruch does not write at all that one bangs out Haman. This is not a law but merely a custom.

The father's responsibility and banging out Haman

"In truth, from the standpoint of the mitzvah of chinuch every person must keep his young sons next to him and supervise them so that they hear the reading. And when the reader reaches the mention of Haman the Agagite, the child may bang as is the custom, but this should not be the main purpose of bringing the child to the beis midrash."
(Mishnah Berurah)

• The precision of the phrase "Haman the Agagite": It was not the custom to bang at every mention of Haman. Where his name alone appears they did not bang; they banged when it appeared with a description attached: "Haman the Agagite," "Haman son of Hamdasa," "the enemy of the Jews." That is sufficient, and there is no need to bang at every mention.
• The count of mentions: It is brought in the sefarim that Haman is mentioned in the Megillah fifty four times, corresponding to the numerical value of "emcheh" in the verse "I will surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens," and others gave a different mnemonic. One can verify this by counting.

Holding a Megillah while listening

"It is fitting that every person have a kosher Megillah and read along quietly word by word, since it is impossible to hear from the chazzan because of the noise and confusion."
(Mishnah Berurah)

• The reason: Because of the noise and the sound of the graggers the congregation does not hear the reader properly, and it will be explained further on that if even one word, indeed even one letter, is missed, one does not fulfill the obligation of reading the Megillah.
• The reader's responsibility: The ba'al korei too must wait until the noise dies down, so that the congregation can hear him.
• One who does not have a kosher Megillah: There is no absolute requirement of a kosher Megillah specifically, and it is fitting that he at least have a Chumash or Tanach in hand, since by strict law one may make up less than half the Megillah from a text that is not written in Megillah script and is not on parchment.
• Explanation of this: The meaning is not that he reads half a Megillah, but that the entire Megillah is before him in the book, and if he missed hearing the reader for an amount up to half the Megillah and said that portion himself from the book, he has fulfilled his obligation.
• One who is able: He should obtain a kosher Megillah, as will be further explained in siman 690, se'if 4, regarding which Megillah one fulfills the obligation with.

Siman 690: the laws of reading the Megillah

"A person may read the Megillah either standing or sitting, but he should not read it before a congregation while seated, at least not initially, out of respect for the congregation."
(Shulchan Aruch, siman 690, se'if 1)

• Whom these laws address: These halachos are directed primarily at the reader, but they also contain laws that pertain to the listening congregation.
• Reading alone: One who reads by himself, or who reads for his wife alone, may read either standing or sitting.
• Reading before a congregation: In shul, with a minyan or more, he should stand initially, out of respect for the congregation.
• The meaning of "respect for the congregation": The reader becomes the congregation's representative, and when he sits like any other member of the crowd it is not evident that he was chosen for this role. Standing shows that he was selected and has accepted responsibility, and it is an honor to the congregation that chose him and on whose behalf he is fulfilling the obligation.
• An additional reason suggested: Standing makes the reader easier to hear, and along the same lines the bimah is built high so that people will hear him.

Reciting the berachah of a mitzvah while standing

"He should recite the berachah standing."
(Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 1)

• The distinction between the reading and the berachah: Even though the reading itself is valid while seated, there is an opinion that the berachah should be said standing.
• The types of berachos: The first berachah, "asher kideshanu bemitzvosav vetzivanu," is defined as a birkas hamitzvah. "She'asah nissim" and "shehecheyanu" are berachos of praise and thanksgiving to the Holy One, Blessed be He.
• The reason for standing: A birkas hamitzvah is an honor to the mitzvah and a preparation for it, and therefore some say it should be recited standing.
• A striking point: The mitzvah itself is sometimes performed sitting, while the preparation for the mitzvah is done standing. There are cases in which the preparation for a mitzvah is no less important than the mitzvah itself, and perhaps even more so, since it reveals a person's attitude toward the mitzvah, just as a person bathes, changes his clothes, cleans the house and buys what is needed in honor of Shabbos.

Two reasons behind birchos hamitzvos

• Praise and thanksgiving: In berachos of thanksgiving a person thanks the Holy One, Blessed be He, for the miracles He performed. In a birkas hamitzvah he blesses the Holy One, Blessed be He, for having granted us the mitzvos, for the mitzvos are not a burden but a privilege, as the Mishnah says, "The Holy One, Blessed be He, wished to grant merit to Israel, therefore He gave them Torah and mitzvos in abundance."
• The Radvaz's reason: The berachah before a mitzvah is meant to make a person aware of what he is about to do and to bring him into the atmosphere of the mitzvah. Similar to this is the recitation of "leshem yichud" practiced among chassidim, and likewise the verses said before Kiddush, which are not part of the body of Kiddush that begins with "borei pri hagafen," but were introduced so that a person pay attention to the importance of the day.

Sha'ar HaTziyun: the listeners standing

• The law: Sha'ar HaTziyun brings that not only the one making the berachah must stand, but the listeners as well, on the basis of shomea ke'oneh (hearing is like reciting). So this halachah touches the congregation too, not only the ba'al korei.

The parameters of shomea ke'oneh: a story about Rav Shlomo HaKohen of Vilna

• The story: Rav Shlomo HaKohen of Vilna, one of the great Torah leaders of about a hundred and fifty years ago, traveled to Italy, and since he was a kohen he was honored to go up to duchan. Before he went up they informed him that in Italy the custom is different: several kohanim go up, and only one, the most distinguished among them, recites the berachah and says birkas kohanim, while the rest stand silently. In Italy there were two practices: in some places each one recites, and in others only the one chosen as representative recites.
• The reasoning behind the custom: The kohanim standing there hear the one reciting, and through shomea ke'oneh it is as though they said it themselves, just as the congregation fulfills the obligation of mikra megillah by hearing it from the ba'al korei.
• His responsum: He returned to Vilna and wrote a lengthy responsum on the matter, and he found no source for this custom.
• The essential point: In birkas kohanim there is an additional requirement beyond the recitation, namely the raising of the hands. The kohanim who merely listen do not perform that act, and the principle of shomea ke'oneh works for speech, not for an accompanying action.
• An illustration: Suppose it were established that one who reads from the Torah must read specifically while wearing a white shirt, and he read in a different shirt: he would not have fulfilled the obligation. And the same for one who hears from him: true, shomea ke'oneh means he is considered to have said what the reader said, but he is not considered to have said it under the additional condition required. That is the point of debate, and the continuation will be clarified in the next shiur.

In passing · Bringing small children to shul throughout the year

• A general question: The observation that very young children only cause confusion is not unique to Purim; it applies all year round. It is just that on Purim the noise is many times greater, and so the point is emphasized here.
• The various positions: Some argue that the very act of bringing a child to shul, even though he does not understand and cannot read, has value in terms of chinuch and instilling a love for the shul.
• The source from Hakhel: The Torah says regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel, once every seven years at the conclusion of Sukkos, "Gather the people, the men, the women and the little ones." The Gemara asks: men come to learn, women come to listen, but why do the little ones come? And it answers, "To give reward to those who bring them."
• The meaning of that reward: The young children do not understand, and nevertheless there is reward for the father who brought them, because this is the beginning of chinuch.
• "Fortunate is she who bore him": It was said of Rabbi Yehoshua, "Fortunate is she who bore him." According to the plain meaning, his mother is fortunate to have given birth to him; according to the derash, his mother brought his cradle into the beis midrash so that the learning would enter him. Even though he understands nothing, the melody and the atmosphere have an effect on him, and in that sense he is fortunate that she bore him, since she saw to it from age zero to bring him to the beis midrash. Along the same lines, there is an approach of playing music for a pregnant woman, since the fetus hears and is affected; and all the more so a child already born, who, though he does not understand, senses what is happening.
• The dispute in Tosafos: In Tosafos in Maseches Chagigah, where the Gemara discusses the little ones at Hakhel, some derived from here that one should bring small children to shul, while others rejected this, since they cause disturbance. If they are quiet there is no problem; when they disturb, there is a problem.
• A question from the audience and its answer: Someone asked how the Sages of the Talmud could discuss what took place at Hakhel in Yerushalayim when they were not there. The answer: the discussion is not about what actually happened, but about the interpretation of the verse "Gather the people, the men, the women and the little ones," to clarify what the purpose is in bringing the young children to the Torah reading of Hakhel.