Answer by Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin, Moreh Hora’ah at Beis Horaa of Rechovot, Israel:
The Torah instructs us, “Zachor es asher asah lecha Amalek” – we must remember what Amalek did to Bnei Yisroel after the miracles shown to them in Mitzrayim even though every other nation was afraid to attack, and that Hashem has commanded us to destroy them. The Sefer HaChinuch records this as a mitzvas asei.[1]
The way to fulfil this remembering is specifically through reading or hearing from one who reads those pesukim which mention Amalek and his evil actions[2].
Whether hearing it from the Torah is a Torah obligation or a rabbinic one is a machlokes among rishonim.[3] The remembrance of Amalek every day in the Sheish Zechiros is a minhag based on the Arizal.[4]
How often must we remind ourselves of this?
Some rishonim hold that min haTorah we only need to perform this mitzva once in a lifetime,[5] others say no less than once in three years,[6] while others hold it must be heard once a year.[7]
Regardless, there is a mitzva midrabanan to read Parshas Zachor every year on the Shabbos before Purim, (and some write one can fulfill the obligation on Purim morning if it was missed[8]).
Are women obligated to hear Parshas Zachor?
Some rishonim understand that this mitzva is intertwined with the obligation to eradicate Amalek, and since women are exempt from going to battle, they would be exempt of remembering it as well.[9]
Others argue that battling Amalek is a milchemes mitzva, an obligatory war, in which women must also participate in some way.[10] Others argue further that the two mitzvos are independent of each other, and even if women are exempt from battling Amalek they must still remember the evils Amalek did and how Hashem punishes those who hurt Bnei Yisroel.[11]
The accepted halacha is that women are not obligated to hear Parshas Zachor.[12]
However, since many poskim hold that women are obligated, and others hold that they are in fulfillment of a voluntary mitzva, many women try to hear Parshas Zachor when possible or recite the pesukim at home.[13]
REFERENCES:
1. מצוה תר”ג.
2. מגילה דף י”ח ע”א. שוע”ר סי’ רפ”ב סט”ז. וראה שו”ע סי’ תרפ”ה ס”ז.
3 . מן התורה – רא”ש ברכות פ”ז סי’ כ’, תה”ד סי’ ק”ח. מדרבנן – רמב”ן עה”ת סו”פ כי תצא. וראה מנ”ח מצוה תר”ג.
4 . אוצר התפילות ח”א ע’ רכ”ז.
5. ראה שדי חמד מערכת זיין עמוד קס”א.
6. חינוך שם (בשנה אחת, שתים, או שלש לכל הפחות).
7. מיני תרגימא לר”י פיק (הוו”ד בס’ המועדים בהלכה) ע”ד מת שמשתכחת מהלב אחר י”ב חדש. ולכן י”א שלפני שנה מעוברת צריך לכוין לצאת בקריאת פ’ כי תצא.
8 . מג”א ריש סי’ תרפ”ה, אבל ראה משנ”ב שם סקט”ז שהעיר בזה (שאין שם הפסוק זכור וגו’).
9. חינוך שם.
10. מנ”ח שם. ראה רמב”ם הל’ מלכים פ”ז ה”ד וברדב”ז שם.
11. שו”ת בני ציון סי’ ח’.
12. שו”ת תורת חסד סי’ ל”ז, כף החיים סי’ תרפ”ה סק”ל, מועדים וזמנים ח”ב סי’ קס”ז.
13. תורת חסד שם (לכל הפחות הנשים יוצאת יד”ח בזכירה וסיפור שלא בספר תורה).
Published in Lmaan Yishmeu, a project of Merkaz Anash
in otzar minhagei chabad (ADAR) it quotes MANY sources that our minhag is that women should hear zachor.
parshas zachor 5743 trhe Rebbe says that IT IS MINHAG THAT WOMEN GO TO SHUL TO HEAR ZACHOR
In the charedi world the accepted minhag is that women go to shul to hear Parshas zochor and there are even later minyanim held for this reason
Hold that women do listen to parashas Zachor
So what does it say here?
There are those who argue with those who argue who say there is another opinion that argues with they another opinion.
Can we get a clear answer?
I asked my husband and he said that they forgot to mention the minchas Elazar whom the Rebbe quoted often who maintained that women do have to go to shul to hear the Torah reading.