Who Is Obligated to Hear the Megillah? A Practical Guide for Purim

Purim belongs to everyone. But real life brings real situations: illness, disability, caregiving, children, and practical limitations. Halacha addresses each of these cases with sensitivity and clarity. The following guidelines outline who is obligated to hear the Megillah, how the obligation can be fulfilled in different circumstances, and where special care is required.

Blind and Mute

A blind person and a mute are obligated to hear the Megillah from someone else, and they fulfill their obligation in this way.
They are likewise obligated in all mitzvot that involve reading, such as Parashat Zakhor and the weekly practice of Shnayim Mikra ve’Echad Targum, and should listen to another person who discharges their obligation for them.

A Deaf Person Who Can Speak

A deaf person who can speak may read the Megillah for himself, but he may not discharge the obligation of others, since his own obligation is not entirely clear.
Because the Megillah is fundamentally about publicizing the miracle, someone who cannot hear does not fully experience that publicization.

However, if he hears with the help of a hearing aid and there is no other suitable reader, one may be lenient and allow him to read for the congregation.

Someone Who Is Ill

Someone who was ill and unable to come to synagogue and did not hear the Megillah may have the chazzan come to his home after services and read for him with the blessings.

Even though the chazzan has already fulfilled his own obligation, there is a general rule regarding blessings on mitzvot: one who has already fulfilled the mitzvah may still discharge the obligation of others. Since all Jews are responsible for one another, as long as another Jew has not yet fulfilled the mitzvah, one’s own fulfillment is considered incomplete.

The same applies to a shaliach tzibbur reading for women, since men are responsible for women in mitzvot in which women are obligated.

If someone who is ill, or a woman who has recently given birth, cannot come to synagogue and does not have a kosher Megillah or someone to read for them, they should at least read from a Chumash as a remembrance of the miracle. They should not recite blessings in this case.

Missed Purim in an Unwalled City

A resident of an unwalled city who did not read the Megillah on the 14th of Adar, neither at night nor during the day, due to illness or any other reason, and then recovers on the night of the 15th, should read the Megillah that night and again during the day.
This should be done without blessings, since in cases of doubt regarding blessings, we are lenient.

Children and the Reading of the Megillah

Children who have reached the age of chinuch, generally around five or six depending on understanding, should be brought to synagogue to hear the Megillah.

Children who have not yet reached chinuch should not be brought if they will disturb others who are obligated in the reading. One who brings disruptive children bears responsibility for causing others to miss the mitzvah.
However, if the children are quiet and well behaved, it is a mitzvah to bring them.

Women’s Obligation in the Megillah

Women are fully obligated in the reading of the Megillah, together with its blessings.

Although women are generally exempt from time-bound positive commandments, there is a well-known exception for mitzvot in which women were also participants in the miracle. This includes lighting Chanukah candles and reading the Megillah, since women were included in Haman’s decree and were saved through the actions of Queen Esther.

For this reason, women are obligated in all Purim observances.

The blessing text for women is “al mikra megillah.” Some Ashkenazic women have the custom to say “lishmoa mikra megillah.”

Women listening from the women’s section must be careful to hear every word clearly, since missing even a single word may invalidate fulfillment of the mitzvah according to many authorities.

If the head of the household knows how to read the Megillah accurately and with proper pronunciation, he may read at home for his wife and daughters and recite the blessings for them.
However, since not everyone is proficient in correct reading and pronunciation, it is often preferable for synagogues to arrange a designated Megillah reading for women, conducted by a God-fearing chazzan who reads carefully and recites all the blessings.

The Daytime Reading Cannot Be Skipped

Women who come to hear the Megillah at night but do not come during the day should be clearly informed that this is not correct according to halacha.
The daytime reading is more obligatory than the nighttime reading, as derived from the verse “And these days are remembered and observed.”

Being busy with mishloach manot or preparing the Purim meal does not exempt one from the daytime reading. The Megillah must come first, and only afterward should the other mitzvot of the day be attended to.

Closing Thoughts

Purim invites every Jew to be part of the miracle. Whatever our circumstances, Halacha guides us toward inclusion, responsibility, and care, ensuring that no one is left outside the story. By preparing thoughtfully and honoring the details of the Megillah reading, we allow the miracle of Purim to be heard, remembered, and relived by all.