{"id":9217,"date":"2000-12-02T00:10:41","date_gmt":"2000-12-01T22:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=9217"},"modified":"2019-05-14T13:28:08","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T10:28:08","slug":"12-02-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/12-02-10\/","title":{"rendered":"10. Reading the <em>Megillot<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Sages state in a <em>beraita<\/em> in <em>Masekhet Sofrim <\/em>(14:1) that over the course of the year we publicly read all five <em>megillot<\/em> (scrolls): Shir Ha-shirim on Pesa\u1e25, Rut on Shavu\u2019ot, Eikha on Tisha Be-Av, Kohelet on Sukkot, and Esther on Purim. Before beginning each reading, the <em>berakha<\/em> of \u201c<em>al mikra megilla<\/em>\u201d is recited. This follows the ruling of the great Ashkenazic Rishonim (<em>Ma\u1e25zor Vitri<\/em>; <em>Hagahot Maimoniyot<\/em> quoting Maharam of Rothenburg; <em>Or Zaru\u2019a<\/em>; <em>Shibolei Ha-leket<\/em>; Maharil). However, many have expressed reservations about this ruling since, apart from Esther, we find no reference in the Gemara to reading <em>megillot<\/em>, and we certainly find nothing about reciting <em>berakhot<\/em> over them. For this reason, the great Sephardic leaders ruled not to recite a <em>berakha<\/em> before reading the <em>megillot<\/em>, and this is the universal Sephardic custom (<em>Responsa Radbaz<\/em> 6:2096; <em>Beit Yosef<\/em> 559:2).<\/p>\n<p>As for Ashkenazic custom, many are of the opinion that on account of the uncertainty, it is proper not to recite a <em>berakha<\/em> over the four <em>megillot<\/em> whose reading is not mentioned in the Gemara (Rema 241:9; <em>Taz<\/em> <em>ad loc<\/em>. 6; <em>Pri Megadim<\/em>; <em>\u1e24ok Ya\u2019akov<\/em>). This is the current custom of all those who pray with <em>Nusa\u1e25 Sepharad<\/em> (including <em>\u1e24asidim<\/em>), as well as some of those who pray with <em>Nusa\u1e25 Ashkenaz<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Others maintain that a <em>berakha<\/em> must be recited before reading a <em>megilla <\/em>(<em>Levush<\/em>; <em>Ba\u1e25<\/em>; MA 490:9; Vilna Gaon). This is the custom of Jerusalemites whose ancestors were students of the Vilna Gaon who helped found the Old Yishuv. It is also the custom of many who are of Lithuanian descent. Those who recite a <em>berakha<\/em> make sure to read from a <em>megilla<\/em> written on parchment (based on <em>Responsa Rema<\/em> \u00a735; MB 490:19).<\/p>\n<p>Of those who recite \u201c<em>al mikra megilla<\/em>\u201d prior to reading the <em>megillot<\/em>, many also recite the <em>berakha<\/em> of <em>She-he\u1e25eyanu <\/em>(<em>Levush<\/em>; Vilna Gaon). Many others question this, since <em>She-he\u1e25eyanu<\/em> does not appear in this context in <em>Masekhet Sofrim<\/em>, and most of the A\u1e25aronim do not mention it. Therefore, for those with a custom to say <em>She-he\u1e25eyanu<\/em>, it is proper to wear a new item of clothing, in which case all agree that the <em>berakha<\/em> may be recited.<\/p>\n<p>Where members of various communities pray together, it is advisable for them to read from a <em>megilla<\/em> written on parchment, and for one whose custom is to recite the <em>berakha<\/em> to do so out loud. All those present can then respond \u201cAmen,\u201d thus fulfilling the views of all <em>poskim<\/em>. Ashkenazim read Shir Ha-shirim on Shabbat during Pesa\u1e25, Kohelet on Shabbat during Sukkot, and Rut on Shavu\u2019ot. All the <em>megillot<\/em> are read prior to the Torah reading.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, Sephardim and Yemenites read Rut before <em>Min\u1e25a<\/em>. If it was read during the Torah study of Shavu\u2019ot night, there is no need to read it again before <em>Min\u1e25a<\/em> (13:12 below). Most Sephardim do not have any public reading of Kohelet. Yemenites read part of it before <em>Min\u1e25a<\/em> on Shabbat during Sukkot, and part of it on the last day of Yom Tov. They do the same with Shir Ha-shirim \u2013 reading part of it on Shabbat during Pesa\u1e25 and part of it on the last day of Yom Tov. Sephardim and many others from various communities also have a custom to read Shir Ha-shirim on Pesa\u1e25 after the Seder is over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Sages state in a beraita in Masekhet Sofrim (14:1) that over the course of the year we publicly read all five megillot (scrolls): Shir Ha-shirim on Pesa\u1e25, Rut on Shavu\u2019ot, Eikha on Tisha Be-Av, Kohelet on Sukkot, and Esther on Purim. Before beginning each reading, the berakha of \u201cal mikra megilla\u201d is recited. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12-02"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10. Reading the Megillot - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/12-02-10\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10. 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