Purim Halachot for Jerusalem Residents Staying in Bnei Brak

Hi, I am planning to be in Bnei Brak for Purim, and every year I hear about different halachot regarding the reading of the Megillah. This year, I want to be knowledgeable about the halachot for someone from Jerusalem who is staying in Bnei Brak for Purim.

Thank you for your question.

The halachot for people who are planning to be somewhere else for Purim are very complex and include many details. Let's first see the source of this halacha:

The Mishnah says in tractate Megillah page 19a

תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף יט עמוד א

משנה: בן עיר שהלך לכרך ובן כרך שהלך לעיר, אם עתיד לחזור למקומו - קורא כמקומו, ואם לאו - קורא עמהן

It is written in the Mishnah as follows: If a person from a non-walled city (who would celebrate Purim on the 14th of Adar) went to a walled city (who celebrates Purim on the 15th of Adar) or vice versa, a person from a walled city went to stay in a non-walled city, if they plan to return to their place, then they have to read the Megillah like the city that they left since they plan to return there. However, if they do not plan to return, then they have to read the Megillah like the place they are currently staying.

Rava in the Gemara adds that one has to plan to return before sunrise to the place they left.

Le'halacha, Harav Fried Shlit'a writes four conditions that one must abide by in order to read the Megillah and perform the mitzvot of the day like the place they are currently in. These are the four conditions that certainly require one to perform the mitzvot like the place he is at for example to read the Megillah with a bracha. If one of these conditions is not fulfilled, one would have to read the Megillah without first reciting the bracha and perform the mitzvot hayom Mi’sofek and does not say ‘Al Ha’nisim).

1. When he left Jerusalem, he had the intention to stay in Bnei Brak until sunrise (Purim morning).

2. One must have reached Bnei Brak before sunset (shekiah) erev Purim.

3. At sunset, one still had the intention to stay in Bnei Brak overnight, at least until sunrise.

4. Actually stayed in Bnei Brak overnight until sunrise (of the 14th of Adar).

The following are four instances in which one would have to recite the Megillah without a bracha and fulfill the mitzvot hayom le'chumra.

1. One who arrived in Bnei Brak after shekiah (sunset) with the intention to stay overnight until sunrise should read the Megillah without a bracha upon arriving in Bnei Brak.

2. When he left Jerusalem, he intended to return to Jerusalem before sunrise the next day. Even if he changed his mind and stayed in Bnei Brak until sunrise the next day, he must read the Megillah without a bracha. This halacha applies even if he arrived in Bnei Brak before shekiah on Erev Purim and even if by shekiah he had already changed his mind and intended to stay in Bnei Brak overnight until sunrise. (Harav Fried Shlit'a writes that le'halacha, it seems that even if the change of mind was not a voluntary decision but was forced to stay in Bnei Brak for some reason, one should still be stringent and read the Megillah without a bracha.)

3. In the case where one left Jerusalem and arrived in Bnei Brak before shekiah with the intention to stay overnight until sunrise, even if he leaves Bnei Brak any time during the night before sunrise, he is still obliged to read the Megillah at night and day without a bracha and to fulfill all the mitzvot hayom mi'sofek. (He may read the Megillah even in Jerusalem; however, he would have to give the Mishloach Manot and Matanot La'evyonim to people who are from a non-walled city)

These are cases when a person from Jerusalem would not have any obligation to perform any mitzvot hayom when coming to Bnei Brak for Purim:

1. One who arrives in Bnei Brak on the 14th of Adar during the day of Purim.
2. He arrived in Bnei Brak after shekiah and when he left Jerusalem and at shekiah, his intention was to return to Jerusalem before sunrise, and that is what he did.

Wishing you a Purim Sa’meach.

Tractate Megillah page 19a

Azamroh Lishmecho Moadim page 111