Anyone else reading Megillah this year?

Peanut2

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 9:56 pm

someoneoutthere wrote:

I would say you would only find this in an official manner in a MO community, and even then it would depend. A woman reading for a man is a much bigger complexity than a woman reading for women, due to all kinds of relevant issues, including that a man must make the brachos to be motzie others because his obligation "asher kidishanu...VTZIVANU" is a stronger obligation than that of a woman's, ie technically we're patur but for reasons of being the main part of the nes we're chayav...and since the bracha is al MIKRA megilla, lechatchila the reader should make the bracha to be motzie others and only in the case where the reader has already said the bracha/done the mitzva does someone else make the bracha, like with shofar.

All that aside, I'm the "spotter" and have been for many many years for male relatives that read in various (non regular shul) settings. I know how to lein megilla but have no interest in doing so. My husband can read faster, smoother, clearer and more pleasantly than I can.

As with all things like this, it becomes a discussion of just because I can, does it mean I should. But let's not take this thread down that road....

No, women's obligation is exactly the same as men's. Women cannot 'patur' men from obligations where men have a greater obligation, but that is not the case with megillah. Women are not exempt. The obligation is the same.

Women are not obligated in shofar, though we have sort of taken that obligation upon ourselves.

amother

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 10:39 pm

Peanut
Sorry you must be mixed up in mehillah it's quite a debate if it's the same and as far as I can recall the ruling is that it is not women are obligated to in L'Shmoah not Lkroah and therefore can in fact lain for other women but not for men.
I believe the MB actually brings this as one of the reason's why women should not lain for men.

Volunteer

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 11:05 pm

I also read the megillah for myself at home this year for the first time. I was not able to get to beit kenesset this year, and I learned that you can fulfill the mitzvah by reading it out loud yourself from the book if you don't have an actual klaf and can't get to a minyan.
It was a new experience for me, and I liked it because I could sort of act it out as I read it, like a voice actor. It made the story come alive more, and I got much more involved in it.

chocolate chips

Mon, Mar 17 2014, 11:39 pm

My frum aunt reads it for herself and some of her friends...although I don't know if she did it this year.

I could probably do it after so many years of hearing my father do it multiple times over purim for the shul, then my mother, then the school teachers then whichever sick or old person couldn't come to shul!
When dh reads for me I read along in my head and get annoyed that he doesn't do the same trop as my father LOL

Peanut2

Tue, Mar 18 2014, 12:32 am

amother wrote:

Right. It's a machloket rishonim. You're right I totally didn't remember the whole thing, but IMO it's certainly on the side of women having the same obligation.

Esp since R Ovadia Yosef famously ruled that women can read for men. So I think we def have enough to rely on in the deserted island scenario necessary to make this happen for those who don't want to make it happen.

Going to sleep, but doesn't the mb say women cannot read for other women either?

Isramom8

Tue, Mar 18 2014, 9:54 am

My son leined for a group of women in shul. The rav asked me to say the bracha. I asked if it should be al mikra megillah or lishmoa megillah, and he said, "You can say al mikra megillah".

I have spotted for my son in shul when he has read for women. He specifically requested that I spot for him, although this year the rav did this because he was able to be at his side. (Not that he made any real mistakes, bli ayin hara!)

The rav and my son are Chareidi.