Laws of Reading the Megillah During an Air-Raid Siren
Below are several halachot regarding a situation in which an air-raid siren is heard in the middle of the Megillah reading, and the congregation [or an individual] goes to a protected space:
An interruption by speaking, by waiting, and by walking to the protected space:
[a] One may not speak while walking to the protected space. However, after the fact, if people did speak, this does not invalidate the reading, and they may continue reading the Megillah from the place where they stopped.
[b] In the protected space, they should continue reading the Megillah from the place where they stopped. The walk is not considered an interruption, and even if enough time elapsed to complete the entire Megillah, this is not considered an interruption.
[c] If they did not continue reading the Megillah in the protected space, but waited there [in silence], they should continue reading it from the place where they stopped when they return to the synagogue. As stated, even if the pause lasted a long time, it does not constitute an interruption in the Megillah reading.
An interruption by speaking between the blessings and the beginning of the reading:
[d] If the siren was heard between the blessings and the beginning of the reading, and it is impossible to continue by reading a few words — in this case, an interruption by speaking [as well as a complete distraction of attention] is more serious. Therefore, if one interrupted by speaking [or completely diverted his attention], he must go back and recite again, before beginning to read, the blessing of “al mikra Megillah.” However, he should not repeat the blessing of “she’asah nissim” or the blessing of “shehecheyanu.”
It should be emphasized that an interruption by speaking between the blessing and the beginning of the reading requires repeating the blessing, whether the one who spoke is the ba’al koreh or one of the listeners.
Hearing the Megillah during the siren:
[e] One who hears the Megillah during the siren: if he heard all the words from the ba’al koreh, he has fulfilled his obligation. Likewise, even if he spoke while hearing the Megillah, if he heard all the words, he has fulfilled his obligation.
However, if he missed [even one word], he must make it up from the Megillah or from the Chumash in front of him, and continue reading until he reaches the place where the ba’al koreh is currently reading [and see below that one must read/hear at least the majority of the Megillah from a kosher Megillah].
When making it up himself, he must be careful to make the words audible to his own ears, but without others hearing him, so as not to confuse them.
Continuing the reading through another ba’al koreh:
[f] When only part of the congregation went to the protected space, they may continue reading the Megillah there through another ba’al koreh [who was in the synagogue from the beginning of the reading and heard the blessings from the first ba’al koreh].
Continuing the reading individually:
[g] People who went home and are unable to return to hear the Megillah with the congregation [from the ba’al koreh and from a kosher Megillah] may continue reading the Megillah at home from a Chumash, provided that they heard the majority of the Megillah from the ba’al koreh [who read from a kosher Megillah]. The midpoint of the Megillah is chapter 5, verse 8.
In this case, one should not recite the blessing of “Harav et riveinu” after the reading, because this blessing is recited only with a congregation and not by an individual [however, one who is lenient to recite it when alone should not be protested].
Additional laws, and the law of reading individually:
[h] One who hears the Megillah reading by telephone [or by other means], even if it is a live broadcast, does not fulfill his obligation.
[i] Care should be taken to read the Megillah with a congregation. If it is not possible to read the Megillah with a congregation, there are several changes in the laws of the reading, as follows:
• The poskim disagree as to whether one who reads individually recites after the reading the blessing of “Harav et riveinu,” and the practical halachic ruling is that he does not recite it. However, one who is lenient to recite it should not be protested.
• One who reads with a congregation must stand both for the blessings and for the reading. One who reads individually does not need to stand during the reading, but only during the blessings.
• One who reads individually does not need to spread out the entire Megillah and fold it page over page before reading it.
• One may obtain from the Beit Hora’ah a “list of common mistakes” in the Megillah reading [it should be noted that the cantillation notes do not invalidate the fulfillment of the obligation].
