Megillat Esther: The Scroll of Esther and Its Purim Reading
Megillat Esther (the Scroll, or Book, of Esther) is one of the Five Megillot of the Hebrew Bible and the central liturgical text of Purim. It tells how Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai foiled the plot of Haman, chief advisor to King Ahasuerus of Persia, to annihilate the Jews of the Persian empire. For public reading on Purim the scroll is written by hand on kosher parchment (klaf), and the core mitzvah of the holiday is to hear it read (mikra megillah). It is chanted with cantillation (te'amim, or trope) using a melody distinctive to Esther.
When it’s read
Megillat Esther is read on Purim twice: once at night, on the eve of the holiday, and again the following day. The daytime reading is considered the primary one, because the deliverance and victory of the Jews occurred during the day. In most communities Purim, and therefore the Megillah reading, falls on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. In cities that were walled at the time of Joshua, most prominently Jerusalem, Purim is observed a day later, on the 15th of Adar, known as Shushan Purim, reflecting that the Jews of the capital Shushan rested one day later. In a Jewish leap year, which has two months of Adar, Purim and the Megillah reading fall in Adar II. When the 15th of Adar falls on Shabbat, walled cities observe Purim Meshulash ("triple Purim") spread over three days, with the Megillah reading advanced to Friday, since the Sages prohibited reading the Megillah on Shabbat.
Customs
The Megillah is read from a handwritten kosher parchment scroll. The reader stands out of respect for the congregation; in many communities the congregation also stands, at least for the blessings. Before the reading, the custom is to unroll the scroll and fold its sheets over so that it resembles an iggeret (a letter or dispatch), recalling that the Purim story was publicized by letters. Both men and women are obligated to hear the reading. Blessings are recited before the reading, and one after (the closing blessing is customarily recited when the Megillah is read with a congregation). Listeners make noise to blot out the name of Haman whenever it is read, traditionally with noisemakers called graggers (ra'ashanim), and by stamping, booing, or hissing. The congregation customarily recites four "verses of redemption" aloud (commonly Esther 2:5, 8:15, 8:16, and 10:3), which the reader then repeats. The reader chants the names of Haman's ten sons (Esther 9:7-9) in a single breath, to signify that they died together.
How it’s chanted
Yes. Megillat Esther uses its own distinct cantillation melody that differs from the weekly Torah trope. It employs the same set of te'amim (accent marks) as the Torah but assigns them different melodies, a deliberate feature so that listeners can immediately recognize the type of text being read. The Esther melody is generally described as light and joyous, yet more dramatically expressive than Torah, Haftarah, or the other Megillot, with moments of drama and foreboding; in many traditions verse endings modulate from major to minor for a more serious effect, though this varies by community. By widespread custom, certain verses relating to the destruction of the Temple are chanted to the mournful Eichah (Lamentations) melody rather than the Esther tune, with the exact verses varying by community. Esther's text also notably contains two rare trope marks, yerach ben yomo and karne parah, which otherwise appear only once in the entire Torah (Numbers 35:5); karne parah is sung to the melodies of telisha ketana and telisha gedola combined. Some readers add folk flourishes (for example, a neighing sound on the word "sus," horse) that are not indicated by the cantillation marks. TropeTrainer offers multiple voicing systems for Megillat Esther so you can learn its melody in the tradition you follow.
Browse the voicing systems TropeTrainer offers, then hear and practice this reading at adjustable speed.
Frequently asked questions
When is Megillat Esther read?
It is read on Purim, twice: once at night on the eve of the holiday and again the following day. The daytime reading is considered primary because the deliverance occurred during the day. Most communities read on the 14th of Adar, while walled cities such as Jerusalem read on the 15th, called Shushan Purim. In a leap year the reading falls in Adar II.
How do you chant Megillat Esther?
Megillat Esther is chanted from a handwritten parchment scroll using its own cantillation melody (trope). It uses the same te'amim symbols as the Torah but sets them to a distinct, lighter and more dramatic tune. Certain verses are sung to the Eichah (Lamentations) melody by custom, and the melody varies by tradition. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the Esther trope in different voicing systems.
Why do people make noise during the Megillah reading?
Listeners make noise, traditionally with graggers (ra'ashanim) and by stamping, booing, or hissing, in order to blot out the name of Haman every time it is read aloud. Both men and women are obligated to hear the reading, and the noisemaking is a long-standing Purim custom surrounding it.
What is the difference between Esther's trope and Torah trope?
Esther uses the same set of cantillation marks (te'amim) as the Torah but assigns them a different melody, so listeners can tell at once which kind of text is being read. The Esther tune is lighter and more dramatic. It also contains two rare marks, yerach ben yomo and karne parah, that appear only once in the entire Torah. You can compare and practice both at adjustable speed in TropeTrainer.
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