CH child friendly megillah reading

de_goldy

Mon, Mar 17 2008, 11:07 pm

I think YOU'RE the one who needs your priorities straight CM.

GR is doing this reading in her house for the very purpose of her children being able to attend. Who are you to tell her to put them in another room?

amother

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 1:29 am

ditto de_goldy
If GR announces that she's doing it davka for her children, and she invites others to come with their children, how can you tell her guests how she "wants" them to behave?
Why don't you go where you want, and leave eveeryone else to have their guests the way they want?

gryp

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 9:38 am

I don't know what can possibly be wrong for a megillah reading for both kids and adults at the same time, nor would I put the kids in another room even if I had one.

Personally, the way it works in my house, is that Yiddishkeit is for both the adults and the kids. There is no reason to leave the kids out of Simchas Yom Tov.

YALT

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:03 am

well, if anyone sees a woman with a sleeping baby, and a toddler - that's me risking it! All my life, this is the way I was brought up, and this is the way I'll continue. As long as I know that my children are not the kind to run around screaming in the shul, and they may very well be sitting still - I'll be that "terrible woman" risking it on other womens' behalf.

GR, where in CH do you live? Can I come too?

gryp

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:10 am

Sure, Yalt. PM me if you're interested and I'll give you details.

I'm just setting out a clear and early warning that I don't live in a big place so we might be a little squashed. But if you really need a place to hear, you're welcome to join.

chocolate moose

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:44 am

YALT wrote:

As long as I know that my children are not the kind to run around screaming in the shul, and they may very well be sitting still - I'll be that "terrible woman" risking it on other womens' behalf.

I think that's very unfair of you.

chocolate moose

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:44 am

GR wrote:

Personally, the way it works in my house, is that Yiddishkeit is for both the adults and the kids. There is no reason to leave the kids out of Simchas Yom Tov.

Children under the age of chincuh are not chayav in megillah. that's part of Yiddishkeit too.

gryp

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:46 am

I think you've made your point, chocolate moose. You do what you like and I'll do what I like.

GetReal

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:51 am

GR, I think it's wonderful that you arrange things in such a way that your kids can also hear Megillah. In general, it bothers me when people bring their kids to shul. Each adult there has a chiyuv to hear every word, and if a kid makes noise, they have to hear the entire megillah again. A child-friendly reading, where people know beforehand that there will be kids and the reading is geared to them, is a great idea.

amother

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:55 am

Frankel's shul corner Utica and President has a fun costume contest following the megillah every year.

chocolate moose

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 10:56 am

GR wrote:

I think you've made your point, chocolate moose. You do what you like and I'll do what I like.

What I "like" isn't contrary to halacha.

Motek

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 11:20 am

I agree with Choc.

I think it's out of the question to take children to a megilla reading if you are not sure they can sit quietly for 40 minutes, unless the one reading the megilla is going to stop every time there is noise and wait for silence, ensuring that everybody hears every word.

I also do not think that the vast majority of children under 5 can sit quietly for 40 minutes and should not be made to try. As far as I know there is no mitzva of chinuch for megilla for children of this age, and the hergesh of the parents should not be at their children's expense. If parents want children to hear what the laining of the megilla sounds like, they can hear one perek.

gryp

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 11:24 am

Motek, if you read this thread from the very beginning, plus the other thread about bringing children to a megillah reading, you'll get a full picture of how ridiculous this conversation is.

shalhevet

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 11:52 am

But that still won't solve the problem of the mothers being yotzei the megilla, even though it will be fun for the children. When do you hear the megilla GR, and the other mothers?

gryp

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 12:00 pm

Someone turned this conversation into a leining for the children. Don't ask me who, what, where, or why. My husband is leining for women at my house who need to bring their children along because of a lack of babysitter or because it's too hard to keep their children quiet in shul while hearing every word.

If that's too hard for anyone to understand, simply offering yourself as a babysitter or an aide in shul to keep kids quiet, will show your sympathy and understanding of a mother's plight.

shalhevet

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 12:20 pm

In that case I misunderstood. But now my question is even more relevant. How are the mothers going to be yotzei the megilla with a room full of little kids? What about one or two of the mothers going to shul at the regular time, and leaving their kids with you, and then afterwards your husband reads for you and all the other women and they babysit them all?

Anyway the whole megilla is much too long and boring for a 2 year old, even if they can stay quiet. My husband reads a little bit of the megilla (including plenty of Hamans) at home, to children too young for shul.

Tehilla

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 12:24 pm

well by night, you realize, it's late...it would be up to GR and her husband.

two readings one for mothers, then one for kids is at least an hour maybe hour and 20 minutes...plus that's a lot on the one leining.

anyway, it's GR's decision, in her house--not a shul, not a public domain so I'm not sure where the criticisim (not from you shalhevet) is coming in. after all, B"H, we're capable adults with intelligence and able to make a decision.

really, some people just need to stay out of it.

gryp

Tue, Mar 18 2008, 12:29 pm

None of the mothers attending seem to be worried about their kids being quiet for that 1/2 hour. Enough said.

Making a mountain out of a molehill doesn't mean the mountain exists.

Wishing you all a good Purim. I hope you'll all hear every word of the megillah. I know I will! And I don't even have to worry about it.