The Megillah reading - is it okay in English?

bashinda

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 9:46 am

Someone just told me that because she can't understand the megillah in loshen hakodesh she reads it to herself in english.

When I suggested that that might not work that she might not get the mitzvah this way she took serious umbrage saying first it's a Lubavitch minhag (huh? since when is reading megillah only something Lubavitch does? -maybe she's confusing mitzvah with mivtzoim or maybe she just hasn't met enough non Lubavitch frum people) and when I suggested she talk to a Rav she said no I've been doing it for x number of years and that's it.

kind of like "I'm not listening I'm not listening" type of thing.

I don't get it. isn't this one of the 4 mitzvos of Purim? She's a
BT for a fair amount of time and not exactly the looking for heter type so I simply am perplexed. She even said that when someone came to read the megillah they read it in English.

Anyone heard of this? Is this fine? I thought the mitzvah was hearing the megillah not necessarily understanding it although certainly I derive more enjoyment when I'm understanding what I'm hearing.

I guess the other problem is that you have to read from a kosher megillah. How can there be such a megillah in English.

I guess I should take this as we all have mitzvahs that are difficult to do but it does seem sad to me that she doesn't seem to care that she might not have been doing the mitzvah. Sad

And why do it at all if there's no mitzvah associated with it?

Also what's the right response when you're in this type of situation. How should I have responded? I don't think I responded well. I was just so shocked.

greenfire

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 10:03 am

sometimes it is the way we go about telling a person. tell her what a beautiful idea it is to understand the megilla and perhaps that is something that can be done around the table by purim seuda simply because the scrolls are in hebrew and must be read from kosher scroll. Hopefully she will understand enough to change for next year and also discuss this with a knowledgeable rav so that you have his words backing you up.

bashinda

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 10:29 am

greenfire: I think I will. I should also add that she's old enough to be my mother and I do try to give her a lot of respect. She really changed her life around and I really am amazed by her.

I guess that's why her attitude shocked me so much. She doesn't even want to ask her Rav because she doesn't want to have to follow his psak.

I can understand wanting to understand it but what I don't get is why she can't do both. read it in english before hand and hear it fom a megillah for the mitzvah.

JRKmommy

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 11:09 am

A simple "Oh? I hadn't heard of doing that. That sounds like a good question for the rabbi." is probably the safest response. It's not your job to determine halacha for her.

Surprisingly, there may be some authorities who would agree with this woman. (I'm not giving an opinion as to whether or not this view is correct, but merely pointing out the existance of an Orthodox view which may permit this.)

I found this quote:

To properly fulfill the Mitzvah of listening to the Megillah, each word must be heard. If a word is missed, the listener should read it quietly to himself from the text in his hand. The principal purpose of reciting the Megillah is to publicize the miracle of Purim. Accordingly, many Poskim permit the Megillah to be read in English if the reader does not understand Hebrew.

from http://www.ou.org/torah/articl.....lah/.

mumoo

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 11:15 am

we use interlinear everything- it helps me tremendously with translation while still reading the Hebrew-and there is a Megilas Esther. Maybe you culd buy her one.

What if you told her that even if she also reads it for comprehension in English, you still think the mitzvah of hearing it in Hebrew from a kosher scroll is still necessary?

Mevater

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 11:18 pm

Let's give this Ba'alas T'shuva a break.

I realize that it's a halacha to hear the Megila in Lashon Kodesh, but imagine if because of our desire to practice more stringently the religion we feel is true, we had to adopt all new rules and regulations overnight, including a new difficult and strange language. Imagine we had to learn Chinese and take on Chinese customs, we wouldn't be that easygoing about following everything to a "T" either. Imagine living in China, among Chinese who are nitpicking about how you're doing with their rules and customs that they are familiar with from birth.

B'makom She'baalei tshuva Omdim, Ain Tzadikkim yacholim la'amod - In the place where Ba'alei Teshuva stand, even the righteous are unable to stand.

TzenaRena

Tue, Mar 06 2007, 11:38 pm

bashinda, does this lady consider herself a Lubavitcher? (the first comment of hers indicates that she might not.)

Anyway, I looked at the link JRKmommy posted, and the psak about a microphone is contrary to the psak of the Rebbe,who explains why some poskim said one could listen through a microphone, it was because they didn't thoroughly understand the technology of it; the sound that comes from a microphone or telephone is not the voice, only a replication of it, which one can't be yotzei with..( which has nothing to do with Lubavitch vs. non-Lubavitch psak, Just a mistake in the understanding of the technology. Which indeed some poskim reversed this psak after understanding the technology more thoroughly.(The Rebbe was besides everything else an engineer and completely apprised of all scientific advances)

By the same token, I would re-examine the premise in this article that one could hear it in a different language, because just as we don't accept the conclusion about the microphone, the other conclusions might not be accepted by our sources either.

And in light of the fact that in all the Chabad houses, and megillah readings performed by shluchim and those who go out on Mivtza Purim, the reading is the usual traditional megillah leining, I would be wary of such an idea. If it was acceptable l'chol hadeiyos, it would be common practice in the Chabad Houses.