Siman 690 – Reading the Megilla

וChelek 6

33. The berachos of the Megilla should be said and heard while standing. The reading itself can be done while seated, although the reader must stand when reading for a tzibbur. (ShA 1 – MB 1 – ShaH 1)
34. If you hear the Megilla being read by many people, each from a kasher scroll and you are getting confused from all of the voices to the extent that you can not hear every word, you won’t be yotzay. (MB 4)
35. The Megilla must be read from its beginning to the end from a kasher scroll. Even if one word is skipped you won’t be yotzay. If you read even one word off by heart you will only be yotzay bedieved – as long as most of the Megilla was read from the scroll. (ShA 3 – MB 5)
36. If you are following along from a non-kasher Megilla, keep quiet. When the tzibbur say the four pesukim of geula out loud, be sure to have in mind to fulfil your obligation of the pesukim with the chazzan’s repetition from the kasher scroll. (ShA 4 – MB 15)
37. Rebuke one that talks in the middle of the Megilla reading. (Rama 5)
38. The Megilla must be read in order. If even one word was skipped, you must go back and say that word and continue from there – otherwise you won’t be yotzay. (ShA 6 – MB 22)
39. A yoray shomayim should have a kasher Megilla from which to read along each word in a whisper. (MB 26)
40. You can be yotzay lechatchila even if you don’t understand what is being read provided that the Megilla is read in Lashon Hakodesh. (ShA 8 – MB 26)
41. If you were dozing off while listening, you weren’t yotzay because you certainly didn’t hear every word. However, a dozing reader that forces himself to actively say each word could be yotzay. (ShA 12 – MB 41)
42. Before the reading the baal koray and the listeners should both have in mind to fulfil their obligation. After that they do not have to think anymore about it. (ShA 14 – MB 48)
43. If the baal koray mispronounced a word in a way that changes the meaning, he should go back, correct the mistake and continue from there in order. If the mistake was only noticed long after the Megilla reading was over, go back and read again without a beracha. (BeH “ain”)
44. If an entire word was omitted and changes the meaning, go back and read again with a beracha. (BeH “ain”)
45. The reader must say the ten sons of Homan and “Asseres” all in one breath. It is even better to begin the breath to include “chamaysh ma’os ish” as well. This is all for the reader, but the listener should just listen. (ShA 15 – MB 52)
46. The rest of the Megilla should be read straight, only pausing briefly for a breath between pesukim – like reading a letter. (MB 52)
47. When the reader reaches “Balaila hahu nod’da” he should raise his voice because the nais begins there. (MB 52)
48. You must say “aroor Homan boruch Mordechai – aroora Zeresh berucha Esther – aroorim kol ovday kochavim beruchim kol Yisroel – vegam Charvona zachoor latov.” (ShA 16)
49. Before the berachos the reader must unroll the Megilla and fold it like a letter. Allow no part to be hanging off the table. (ShA 17 – MB 56)
50. Upon completion of the reading, the Megilla must first be rolled up and placed before them on the bima, only then is the after beracha recited. (ShA 17 – MB 57)
51. The minhag is for the listeners to say out loud the four pesukim of geula. Afterwards the baal koray repeats them for all to hear from his kasher Megilla. (Rama 17 – MB 58)
52. The minhag has developed to “beat Homan” during the krias haMegilla. However it is not recommended since they cause the reader to delay more than the amount of time to take a breath. (Rama 17 – ShaH 57)
53. It is proper for each listener to read quietly a possuk or two from a chumash while the beating is occurring just in case he misses some words from the baal koray. In general, anytime he misses hearing a word he should read it from his ready chumash during the Megilla reading. (MB 60)
54. Even when reading the Megilla on the proper day you should bother yourself to be with a minyan to publicize the nais rather than reading it by yourself. (MB 61)
55. Even if your house is so close to the shul that by opening the window you can hear the Megilla, you should still go into shul to be part of the rov am. (MB 62)