By July 14, 2008 Read More →

Mishnah Megillah 2:1-2: The Reading of the Scroll of Esther, Texts and Traditions, ed. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Ktav Publishing House, Hoboken NJ, 1998.

The Hebrew Bible
The book of Esther must be read exactly, in order, with intention and from a scroll.

2-1 One who reads the Scroll [of Esther] out of order has not fulfilled his obligation. If he “read” it by heart, or if he read it in Aramaic or in any other language [which he does not understand], he has not fulfilled his obligation. But it may be read in a foreign language to those who speak the foreign language. One who speaks a foreign language who heard it in [Hebrew read from a scroll written in] Assyrian script1l4 has fulfilled his obligation.

2 One who read it at intervals or while dozing off has fulfilled his obligation. If he was copying it, expounding it, or correcting [a copy of] it, if he directed his heart to fulfill the obligation], he has fulfilled his obligation. If not, he has not fulfilled his obligation….

113. Trans. S. Berrin.

114. The square Aramaic script used after the Persian period for the writing of Jewish scrolls.

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