Laws of Reading the Megillah
Three blessings are recited before reading the Megillah: 1) Who has commanded us to read the Megillah; 2) Who performed miracles for our fathers in those days at this time; 3) She-hecheyanu. Sephardic Jews only recite She-hecheyanu before reading the Megillah at night time but not during the day.
When reciting the blessings and reading the Megillah, the reader must intend to exempt all the listeners, and those who are listening must intend to fulfill the mitzvah of reading the Megillah. After reading the Megillah at night, asher heini and shoshanas Yaakov are recited. Sephardic Jews recite other hymns as well. ( Sefer Shaarei Halachah)
A One Minute a Day Torah Thought !
"We know that if a person recites the Tehillim without interruption, his prayers will surely be answered. What people fail to understand, is that without interruption means between the mouth and the heart!".
(Rav Moshe of Savran ZT"L - Sefer Torah Tavlin)
50 Suggestions for Concentrating during Prayer!
(40) Rav Chayim of Volozhin in Sefer Nefesh Hachayim says, to be very careful not to think any thoughts during the time of prayer, even thoughts of Torah and mitzvahs, except for a mental image of the word of the prayer itself.
(Pathway to Prayer, Rabbi Mayer Birnbaum) |