Shulchan
Aruch Chapter 688:
The Law of Cities that Had Walls From
the Time of Joshua the Son of Nun (8 Chapters)
Note: REMA in brackets [ ]
1. Large cities that had walls from the time of Joshua the Son of
Nun,
even if they currently do not have walls, read the Megillah on the 15th
of Adar. This applies even if they are located in the Diaspora,
and even if they do not have 10 idle people [meaning 10 individuals who
do not work and engage in the needs of the community]. The places
should have had a wall and afterwards settled, or was settled first
with the intention of having a wall built later. With the
exception
of if it is known that it was settled first without the intention to
build a wall [but not if the wall was completed and later settled].
2. Similarly, this includes villages that are visible from the
walled cities. This is true even if they are not nearby like if
they are located on a mountain. Similarly, they are included even
if they are nearby but
not visible like in a valley. However, they
can not be farther than a Mil
[1]. The exception of the city of Shushan, even if it did not have a
wall from the time of Joshua, they read on the 15th since the miracle
happened there.
3. Villages and big cities, and cities that did not have walls
from the time of Joshua read the Megillah on the 14th.
4. A large city where there is a doubt if it was walled in the
days of Joshua the Son of Nun, they read on the 14th, 15th and both
nights. A blessing is only made on the 14th which is the time of
reading for the majority of the world.
5. A resident of a small city who travels to a large city, or a
resident of a large city who travels to a small city, the following
rule apples: If he had in mind to return to his place at the time
of reading {on the 14th} but got held back and did not return, he reads
it as he would in his usual place. However, if he originally had
in mind to return after the time for reading, then he reads with the
members of the place where he is at. [If he is in the desert or a
boat, he reads on the 14th like most of the world.]
6. If the 15th day falls out on the Sabbath (in a walled city
from the time of Joshua), we don't read the Megillah on the Sabbath,
but rather we move the reading to the Friday before. Money to the
poor is collected and distributed during this day, and on Sabbath we
bring out two Torah Scrolls. Also, on the second day of the week
we bring out two Torah scrolls and read "and Amalek came" and we say
the Al Hanissim prayer. We do not make the Purim meal until the
first day of the week.
7. One who sails on the sea or travels in or goes on a caravan [2] and can't find a
Megillah to bring along then he should read it on the 13th,12th, or
11th without a blessing. If he is unable to stall his journey for
these days some say that he can even read on the first day of the
month. [And this is the custom. However, if a Megillah
becomes available later then he reads it again on the 14th. This
applies even if he read it already on the 13th since he really read it
not in its proper time.]
8. The resident of a small city who is in a boat or on the road
without a Megillah, then afterwards he got one on the 15th, then he
reads it on the 15th.
Footnotes:
1. A unit of measurement that is about one mile.
2. Unsure of exact translation.
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Translated by Jay Dinovitser 02/2013
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