Shaarei Tzedek – Orthodox Judaism in Downtown Toronto

Come hear the Megillah on Monday night immediately following Minchah/Arvit.

Copyright Rabbi David Lapin, iawaken.org

Should Women Read the Megilah?

Gaps between the roles and competencies of modern men and women have narrowed. There are not that many areas in which, as a generalization, one gender consistently outperforms the other. Still, there is a yin/yang kind of polarity between masculinity and femininity that we lose at our peril. Masculine and feminine polarity creates energy like the electricity created by the polarity of positive and negative. There can be comfort without polarity, but not energy. Masculine-feminine polarity generates the balance of universal energy, it underpins kedushah (sanctity), and it nourishes successful relationships.

This masculine-feminine polarity helps to explain aspects of women’s roles in public Avodah such as Tefilah Betzibbur, Keriat Hatorah and Mikrah Megilah (Public prayer, Torah reading and Megilah reading). These roles are often socially contentious and Halachikly complex.

The case of Mikrah Megilah is particularly interesting. Women are chayavot (obligated) to hear the Megilah but, according to the Shulchan Aruch (O.Ch: 689:2), are not able to read the Megilah on behalf of men. Why, at least in communities where this would not be considered inappropriate (Kavod Hatzibbur) or within the confines of a private home, should a man not fulfill his mitzvah if he heard the Megillah read by a woman?

Reading To or Reading For?

There is something quite unique about the mitzvah of Megillah-reading that is different from Torah-reading. In the case of Torah reading one is required to hear the Torah being read from a kosher scroll. In the case of Megillah, the mitzvah is to read the Megilah, not merely to hear it read. The Ba’al Korei (reader) in the case of Megilah, is not reading it to the community, he is reading it as their shaliach, on behalf of the community. He represents and stands in place of each person in the community. When he reads, it is as if each individual is reading from the scroll.
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