One who reads the Megillah may [either] stand [or] sit. If one read it or two read it [together] they have fulfilled their obligation [and we do not say that two voices together are not heard as one. For since it (the Megillah) is beloved of them, they concentrate (on hearing it).] In a place where it is the custom to recite the [concluding] blessing, he does so; (where it is the custom) not to recite it, he does not do so. [But in all places, he must recite three introductory blessings: "al mikra megillah," "she'asah nissim," and "shehecheyanu," both at night and in the daytime, the reading of the day being the essential one, viz. (Esther 9:28): "And these days are commemorated and celebrated." Some hold that since he recites "shehecheyanu" at night, he need not do so in the daytime. And this would stand to reason.] On Monday, Thursday, and minchah on Shabbath three men read, no less and no more, [and there is no haftarah reading in Prophets, so that the congregation not be imposed upon, these (Monday and Thursday) being working days. And with minchah on Shabbath, too, (there is an imposition), it being close to dark and it being their custom to learn the entire day. And for this reason, too, there is no haftarah reading)]. The opener and the concluder in the Torah (reading) recite the opening and the concluding blessing, respectively. [The first one to read in the Torah recites the opening blessing, and the last, the concluding blessing. And all the others who read in the Torah (between them) recite neither an opening nor a concluding blessing. But nowadays, the custom is for all to bless before and after — a decree, by reason of those who enter (in the middle of the reading), who, not having heard the blessing of the first reader, might come to say that there is no opening blessing for the Torah; and by reason of those who leave (in the middle), who, not having heard the concluding blessing, the first readers not having recited it, might come to say that there is no concluding blessing for the Torah.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
הקורא את המגילה עומד ויושב – if he wants, he stands; if he wants, he sits.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Introduction
Most of the last chapter of Megillah is about the public reading of the Torah. The one main difference between how we read today and how they read in their time is that today the person who receives the aliyah and recites the blessing is usually not the same person who actually reads the Torah. This allows people who don’t know how to read from the Torah to receive aliyot. In mishnaic and talmudic times, the person who read the Torah was the same person who received the aliyah. There are other differences which we will discuss throughout the chapter.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
קראוה שנים – together
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
He who reads the Megillah may either stand or sit. One may read the Megillah while either standing or sitting. Today the custom is to stand but this is not mandatory. In contrast, when reading the Torah one has to stand.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
יצאו – and we don’t that two voices are not heard as one, for since it (i.e., the Megillah reading) is beloved to them, they pay attention.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
Whether one read it or two read it [together] they [those listening] have fulfilled their obligation. Two people may read the Megillah together when reading in front of the community. However, when it comes to reading Torah only one person at a time can read. The idea behind this is that it is harder for people to hear two people chanting together than one chanting alone. Since hearing the Megillah is halakhically less significant than hearing the Torah, they allow to people to read simultaneously.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
מקום שנהגו לברך אחריה יברך – but before [the Reading of the Megillah] it is required to recite in every place three blessings: “on the reading of the Megillah,” “who has performed miracles,” and “who has kept us alive,” whether at night or during the day, for the reading of the day is the essence, as it is written (Esther 9:28): “Consequently, these days are recalled and observed…” There is, according to the one who says that since he recited the blessing ”who has kept us alive” at night, he should not recite “who has kept us alive” in the daytime, and this makes sense.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
In places where it is the custom to say a blessing, they say the blessing, and where it is not the custom they do not say the blessing. According to the simple reading of the Mishnah, there were various customs with regard to reciting a blessing over reading the Megillah. Some did and some did not. The Talmud however explains that this only refers to the blessing after the Megillah. In all places they would recite the blessing before reading. Today our custom is to recite a blessing before and after.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
ואין מוסיפין עליהן – that they would not make it difficult for the congregation because they are working days and on Shabbat at Minhah is also close to darkness, since the entire day [of Shabbat] they were accustomed to preach/expound [on the Torah], and for that reason also, we don’t recite a Haftarah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
On Mondays and Thursdays and on Shabbat at minhah, three read from the torah, they do not add [to this number] nor decrease [from it], nor do they conclude with [a haftarah] from the Prophets. The mishnah now begins to discuss regular Torah reading. On Mondays, Thursdays and on Shabbat at minhah only three people receive aliyot (go up to the Torah). This number may not be increased nor may it be decreased. There is no haftarah (portion from the Prophets section of the Bible) on these occasions.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Megillah
The one who begins the Torah reading and the one who concludes the Torah reading blesses before it and after it. In the time of the Mishnah the first person to read would recite the first blessing and the last person to read would recite the concluding blessing. Those reading in between would not recite any blessing at all. Today, each person receiving an aliyah recites a blessing before and after.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Megillah
הפותח והחותם בתורה מברך לפניה ולאחריה – The person who begins to read in the Torah first recites the blessing before [the reading] and the last person who closes the blessing through which he completes [the reading] recites the blessing after it, and all the others who read the Torah do not recite a blessing either before or after. But nowadays, the entire [Jewish] world practiced that everyone recites a blessing before it (i.e., the reading of the Torah) and after it, as a decree lest those who enter [the synagogue late] and did not hear the first person who recited the blessing before it and would say that there is no blessing of the Torah before [the reading], and because of those who leave [the synagogue early] and who did not hear [the last person] who closes the blessing who recites a blessing after it, and the first ones [that he heard] did not say a blessing and they would say that there is not blessing of the Torah after [the reading].
