Megillas Esther

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The reading of the Megillah on Purim is an obligation for each and every man and woman over the age of Bar or Bas Mitzva, both on the evening of Purim and again in the morning. Even children, as soon as they have even the most limited understanding of the miracle of Purim should preferably hear Kerias Hamegillah.

Chazal are very stringent about this Mitzva. If someone fails to hear even one word of the Megillah, he has not fulfilled this obligation. A simple explanation can be given about the great emphasis on this Mitzva. The miracle of Purim symbolizes a very important point which is vital to each and every person in their personal lives. The sudden unbelievable turn of events when the situation seemed so hopeless, should encourage every person never to despair even in the bleakest moment. Help can always come from the most unlikely of places. The main thing is to be Mispalel and to do Teshuva before Hashem. We should leave the rest up to Him with a strong Emuna and Bitachon.

Since everyone must make sure to hear each and every word from the Megillah, it is recommended that a person acquire his own kosher Megillah. In this case, whatever he fails to hear, he can read the Megillah himself, thereby fulfilling this important Mitzva properly. A Megillah is also a great and meaningful gift. It is the custom of many people to present a Megillah for their future son-in-law as a gift.

Megillos come in various sizes. On average, the height of a Megillah is approximately 15 inches. Megilos can be had for smaller or larger sizes. Before purchasing a Megillah case, make sure it’s the right size for the actual Megillah itself.

The number of lines on each Amud (page) vary too. On average, they have 28 lines each. However, some insist on acquiring a Megillah which consists of 11 lines for each Amud. The reasoning behind this is that the Gra writes that the letters of the Aseres Bnei Haman (the names of the ten children of Haman) should not be written in a larger size than the rest of the Megillah. Due to the custom of writing the Aseres Bnei Haman on a separate Amud, and due to the fact that the Aseres Bnei Haman consists of a total of 11 lines, the only way to accommodate the opinion of the Gra would be to write the entire Megillah on 11 lines per Amud, thus having the Aseres Bnei Haman uniform in size like the rest of the Megillah.

Some are of the opinion that it’s not necessary to write the Aseres Bnei Haman on a separate Amud. Minhag Chabad is to write the Megillah on 42 lines, and the Aseres Bnei Haman is not written on a separate Amud.

Just as with Tefillin & Mezuzahs, various Kesavim (customs of writing) exist, so too with Megillos, i.e. Bais Yosef, Arizal, Sfardi, etc. Read What you should know about the different Minhagim. The Sfardim have the custom of adding on a wooden handle to the Megillah scroll. Below are samples of the most common sizes. To inquire about a specific size, custom order, etc. please contact us.