מנהג הכאת שם המן בשעת קריאת המגילה

1

In many communities there is a custom to bang and/or make loud noises at the mention of המן's name while מגילת אסתר is being read on פורים.

According to רמא (או"ח תרצ:יז) the original מנהג was that children used to draw המן's face or write his name on stones or wood and bang the stones or pieces of wood against each other at the mention of המן's name during קריאת המגילה so that המן's name would thereby be erased [1]. From this the custom developed to bang at המן's name during קריאת המגילה not specifically on stones or wood, but rather just in general.

An additional reason was suggested by the חת"ס [2] that we are commanded to erase עמלק's memory; but yet, his very memory is sustained so many times in every place where his name is mentioned just in מגילת אסתר alone; not only that, but even after the Final Redemption, פורים will remain [3], so ultimately עמלק's memory is never fully erased. To this end, we bang and make noise to show that we do not want to hear the name עמלק.

חכמת שלמה (או"ח שם) says that normally we do not curse a king whose name is mentioned in a פסוק if, in that פסוק, the king is still alive. To this end, רב ברכיה [4], upon reading אשר הגלה נבוכדנצר, would say נבוכדנצר שחיק עצמות (pathetic bones), because this is the only place where נבוכדנצר is mentioned as deceased. המן, on the other hand, being a commoner, we can curse at any mention of his name. Now, in practice, to say שם רשעים ירקב (the name of evildoers should rot) in middle of קריאת המגילה would be a הפסק (see שער הציון או"ח שם), so instead we bang.

טעמי המנהגים (תתעו) adds that where we curse המן or we mention his name and bang, הקב"ה makes them feel the bangs so that they receive great pain because every Jew in history following המן has, in a sense, experienced נס פורים themselves. Had המן been successful ר"ל we wouldn't exist in the world, therefore all who are born after המן's downfall must pain him, so הקב"ה makes sure that המן feels the banging that we do at the mention of his name during קריאת המגילה.

2

Some communities have an established custom specifically not to bang at the mention of המן's name.

One reason is because banging can cause confusion of where the בעל קריאה left off, where he is continuing from, etc. [5]

Another reason not to bang is because pausing for more than a breath is a הפסק [6].

An additional reason not to bang is טורח הציבור [7].

Here is a summary of the London ספרדי מנהג (copied from here):

Although it is a time honoured custom in many synagogues, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, to make a noise during Megillah reading when Haman’s name is mentioned, and in some cases to be rather noisy and frivolous throughout the service, this has never been the case in S&P (ed. - Spanish & Portuguese) communities, where "gravidade" (ed. - gravitas) has always been an overarching value.

(ed. - ironically, one of the first innovations of the Hamburg Reform Temple שר"י was doing away with banging by המן, as they considered doing so to be un-decorous. They may have borrowed this idea from the Spanish-Portuguese custom, albeit for the wrong reasons. Indeed, perhaps in part as a response to Reform innovations ר"ל, KAJ is מקפיד to bang, and not only by המן but by זרש as well [8])

[1] based on שם רשעים ירקב (משלי י:ז) and מחה אמחה את זכר עמלק (שמות יז:יד). See also לבוש (או"ח שם) and מטה משה (סי' תתרו) where other reasons are suggested על דרך הרמז

[2] שו"ת מילי דאבות חלק ג סי' יג

[3] The status of ימים טובים בזמן הגאולה is beyond the scope of this discussion, but all seem to agree that פורים will still be observed.

[4] ירושלמי סוף פ"ק דמגילה

[5] פרי מגדים או"ח שם ס"ק כא

[6] שם ע"פ מ"א שם ס"ק יז

[7] In Telz there is a הקפדה to finish banging quickly for this reason. (מנהגי ישיבת טלז, ליל פורים)

[8] entire paragraph based on conversations with Mendy Meyer and ישראל Strauss. Perhaps the decision to bang for המן and זרש specifically is due to their specific mention by name in אשר הניא (the פיוט that many congregations say/sing following קריאת המגילה). Banging by המן and זרש would seem to predate Reform as the custom is already discussed by early אחרונים; the specific הקפדה and insistence on adhering to this מנהג may be, in part, a response to Reform.