Megillah, Daf Yod Het, Part 2
Introduction
The mishnah says that if one reads the megillah "by heart," not from a book, he has not fulfilled his obligation. The Talmud asks where this is derived from.
קראה על פה לא יצא וכו‘. מנלן? – אמר רבא: אתיא זכירה זכירה, כתיב הכא והימים האלה נזכרים, וכתיב התם +שמות י"ז+ כתב זאת זכרון בספר, מה להלן בספר – אף כאן בספר.
If he read it by heart, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
From where do we know this?
Rava said: The word "zekhirah" in one passage is derived from "zekhirah" in another. It is written here, "And these days shall be nizkarim [remembered]" (Esther 9:28) and it is written elsewhere, "Write this lezikaron [for a memorial] in the book" (Exodus 17:14). Just as there it was to be in a book, so here it must be in a book.
Rava derives the obligation to read the Megillah from a book from the use of the root "zakhor" in Esther and its comparison with Exodus. In Exodus the verse clearly means that the words must be written. Therefore, when Esther says, "And these days shall be remembered" it means that they must be read from a written source.
The technique that Rava uses here, taking a word that appears in two contexts and applying the rules in one to the other, is called a "gezera shava." It is a well-known midrashic technique.
וממאי דהאי זכירה קריאה היא? דלמא עיון בעלמא! – לא סלקא דעתך, (דכתיב) +מסורת הש"ס: [דתניא]+: +דברים כ"ה+ זכור, יכול בלב? כשהוא אומר לא תשכח – הרי שכחת הלב אמור, הא מה אני מקיים זכור – בפה.
But how do we know that this zekhirah refers to reading [out loud]? Perhaps it means reading with the eyes?
Do not think such a thing, since it has been taught: "Remember" [zakhor] (Deuteronomy 25:17). This might be only with the mind? When it says, "Do not forget," forgetting in one’s heart is already stated. How then can I fulfill "remember"? With one’s mouth.
How do we know that one must read the Megillah out loud and not just look at it with one’s eyes? The answer comes from the use of the word "zakhor" in Deuteronomy 25:17. When the verse says, "Do not forget" it already teaches us not to forget with our hearts. So what more do we learn from "zakhor"? That we must say the words out loud.