Afraid to attend megilla tonight

notshanarishona

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 3:43 pm

I find it funny that people are worried about megillah when you send your kids to school in a classroom with 25 students a day and hallways with hundreds or thousands . Why is megillah any different than going grocery shopping ?

amother

Khaki

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:01 pm

ywn says all people who arrive to isreal from anywhere have to self quarantine for 14 days

amother

Coral

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:12 pm

I will be live streaming.
I flew home from Israel yesterday on 2 separate planes yesterday with many people from who knows where, and I am not willing to be my community's patient Zero. Have not been within 10 feet of my husband/kids, I've been in the kitchen, but not at the same time as them, and I slept /showered in the basement (and will continue to.)
I work in a hospital, and I'm on quarantine from work-working remotely, and not driving carpool.

twizzlers1

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:21 pm

We went to a reading outside. I know it's not perfect but maybe it cut down on the germs a bit. I sat by my kids and there was a lit of space between people.

etky

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:45 pm

amother [ Lemon ] wrote:

My coworker was in shul on shabbat and got exposed. He's now in quarantine.
Our family read the megillah with a live stream over the internet. We are not going to shul this Purim.
There are many poskim in Israel who said this is absolutely acceptable.

That's what we did.
Not willing to risk it with so many non-quarantined people recently returned from trips abroad coming to shul and many ignoring the 100 people rule + the situation in nearby Bethlehem and too early to know if anyone in our yishuv has been exposed to the virus through that route.
It's a bummer but I just couldn't bring myself to step foot into the shul.
And yes, I also changed where I shop and stopped going to the gym for the same reasons I didn't go to shul.

Goldie613

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:53 pm

The OU sent this out today re megillah readings - my apologies if someone has already posted this elsewhere on imamother =

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OU.org

Halachic and Practical Guidance for Megillah Readings

Please note the following guidance that is generally applicable. We encourage each person to consult their local rabbi. Individual communities experiencing an outbreak may need to act differently, and all communities need to keep abreast of the guidance provided by their local and state health departments.

It is critical to note that it is our recommendation, and - as we understand it - the recommendation of health departments generally, that healthy individuals attend public Megillah readings as usual.

As we have been instructed by medical and public health experts, the best way to prevent spread of disease is not to keep the well at home, but rather to keep the ill out of public spaces.

Who should stay away from shul on Purim? Although in different manners, both those who are ill and those who are considered high-risk should they contract illness.

As such: Anyone with symptoms of illness, including fever, cough, stomach bug or other sickness, should refrain from coming to shul or other public places and gatherings. This is true even for the reading of Megillah. If you have doubts, please err on the side of staying home. And if you have such symptoms, please call your doctor before going to the medical office for treatment. Individuals with such symptoms likely need to be in isolation. Likewise, anyone who had meaningful exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 must also maintain isolation.

On the other hand, the elderly and those with underlying medical issues such as chronic lung problems, the immunocompromised (due to chemotherapy or other immune-modifying medications), and insulin-dependent diabetics who appear to be at greater risk of complications from COVID-19, should discuss their individual medical situation with their provider prior to attending, especially if they have multiple risk factors listed above. As a rule, these individuals do not need to be in isolation; they may simply need to avoid large crowds.

Those who should not be coming to shul but do not need to be in isolation, should ideally take part in a private Megillah reading. As in past years, rabbis and communities across the country will do their very best to provide this service to members of their community.

For those who need to be in isolation due to COVID-19, the following Halachic guidance is based on the ruling issued for our communities by Rav Hershel Schachter, שליט״א.

The clear majority of Halachic authorities do not consider Halachically adequate a Megillah reading heard over the phone or online. There is however a minority opinion that does allow for this, provided that the reading is live, and not pre-recorded. Following the Halachic principle that we may rely upon minority opinions under extenuating circumstances – שעת הדחק כדיעבד דמי וכדאי הוא ר״ש לסמוך עליו בשעת הדחק - this minority opinion can be relied upon for those who are in mandated isolation.

IMPORTANT: Even for those in isolation, the ideal solution is to have a kosher, hand-written Megillah in hand which they read from audibly, either on their own (even without the correct טעמי המקרא, cantillation), or assisted by a reading heard by phone or on-line. In such situations – as in all situations where there is no Minyan present – the closing Bracha following Megillah reading is not recited.

To summarize:

Generally healthy individuals should attend public Megillah readings as usual, where the community is exercising the proper precautions.
Those who are not currently ill but are not attending a public reading because they are deemed high risk, should reach out to their Rabbi and community to help arrange a private Megillah reading.
Those who are ill or have had serious exposure and must remain in isolation must not come to shul. They should ideally have a kosher, hand-written Megillah in hand from which they read audibly, either on their own or assisted by a reading heard electronically.
Those who must be in isolation but are unable to read from a kosher, hand-written Megillah, may fulfill their obligation via hearing a live Megillah reading, by phone or online.
As a community service, we are providing links to Megillah Readings in each North American time zone that can be accessed by those who are affected by this quarantine.
As a community service, we are providing links to Megillah Readings in each North American time zone that can be accessed by those who are affected by this quarantine.

Night Reading:
Eastern Time Zone Link - Click Here 7:40pm EDT
https://www.facebook.com/event.....7658/

Mountain Time Zone -7:30 pm 1 (304) 948-5320, Password 386-6526
West Coast Link - Click Here Times : 7:40pm Pacific
https://www.facebook.com/bethj.....on.7/

Morning Reading:
6:40am Mountain – 8:40am Eastern +1 (304) 948-5320, Password 386-6526
9:00am Mountain – 11:00am Eastern +1 (304) 948-5320, Password 386-6526
9:00am Pacific – Noon Eastern Click Here
https://www.facebook.com/bethj.....on.7/

We hope and pray that our community and all the world be spared from any harm and any further upheaval, and that all those currently affected be granted a full and speedy recovery.

Warm wishes for a happy and meaningful Purim.

==================

(Edited to add the links in separately - copying and pasting off the original email lost them, so I put them in after the fact.).

amother

Khaki

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 5:14 pm

In Westchester a few shuls canceled Megillah and Purim party’s

amother

Lilac

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 5:29 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Is everyone just going to shul as usual this Purim? I’m nervous that in a day or two they’ll say someone at shul was tested positive and then we’ll have to self quarantine. Would wearing a mask to shul change anything?

Work on your emunah, we learn that harm doesn’t come to a person while engaged in a mitzvah

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 5:41 pm

notshanarishona wrote:

You're assuming that our kids aren't already quarantined.

But its my husband I worry about. He has health issues and is immuno-compromised. No, he's not going into a room filled with dozens of people. He'll listen online.

As for me, I have cold. I hope its a cold. No one wants to be near me!

SixOfWands

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 5:42 pm

amother [ Lilac ] wrote:

Work on your emunah, we learn that harm doesn’t come to a person while engaged in a mitzvah

Tell that to the attorney still in very serious condition. And to the hundreds of people still quarantined because they went to shul.

amother

Lavender

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 9:25 pm

My community had a reading tonight outside in the park!

amother

Coral

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 9:42 pm

amother [ Lilac ] wrote:

Work on your emunah, we learn that harm doesn’t come to a person while engaged in a mitzvah

I'm really sorry to say this, but will anyway.
Making such statements is stupid because it doesn't strengthen people's emuna, it sets them up for failure.
I may be mistaken, but in the Gemara, didn't Elisha ben Avuyah become an Apikores because he saw a boy fulfilling the Mitzvah of kibud av when his father sent him to do Shiluach Hakan (both for which the schar is arichut yamim) die. I don't pretend to understand Hashem or what is meant by arichut yamim, or what is protected, rewarded or anything else which is more complex than my or any simple human brain can comprehend, but to say that harm, as WE understand it, doesn't come to someone fulfilling a Mitzvah and therefore to throw caution to the wind, is also saying not to do your histadlut, which is ridiculous.

amother

Khaki

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 11:13 pm

Our shul in Westchester will have individually wrapped food
Hand sanitizer and were told not to sit closely to one another most shuls canceled purim parts in the new Rochelle Scarsdale area kids are not allowed in shul

amother

Lime

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 11:52 pm

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

I read an article that hand sanitizers don't work effectively. Drs and nurses only use hand sanitizers in hospitals (and not soap and water) and they say thats why patients easily get sick with other diseases while inpatient.

Wonder where you got such false information from.

amother

Lilac

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 11:53 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Tell that to the attorney still in very serious condition. And to the hundreds of people still quarantined because they went to shul.

Quarantined doesn’t mean they caught it. Time to work on emunah

amother

Forestgreen

Tue, Mar 10 2020, 12:48 am

Afaik soap and water is best when possible and hand sanitizer (will min 60-70 % alcohol base) when out and about and can't wash with soap and water