I don't understand megillah

DrMom

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:07 am

amother OP wrote:

I don't know if I'm just not being clear or what. I'm very familiar with the actual story. I've read it many, many, many, times in English and I've studied it. I just don't understand the actual words being said as it's being read. Larger print doesn't help. I have no problem reading along in Hebrew,. I'm just not getting anything out of it in that language.

If you can read along in Hebrew, how do you not have any idea at all what is being said?

I mean, you must have some basic vocabulary, right? Do you just read phonetically?

Perhaps before next year you can bone up on some of the relevant vocabulary.

amother

Clematis

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:08 am

amother Valerian wrote:

What you're getting out of it is fulfilling the mitzva of hearing megillah on Purim.

I came here to say exactly this.
There are deep meanings in every sound of the shofar. I don’t understand any of them. I stand in shul and have in mind that I’m grateful to have this opportunity to do a mitzva and hope I’m fulfilling it.
There are mitzvas we know reasons for, but even with those we just get a taste of what’s behind it. Very few of us understand the depths of each mitzva. Just doing it out of a desire to keep mitzvos and bring our neshama closer to Hashem is very often all that’s expected of us.
When you eat your matza and maror at the seder your kids will say all the reasons but all you need to have in mind when you make the bracha al achilas matza / maror is that you ask Hashem to allow you to fulfill the mitzva as you’re supposed to, and you thank him for bringing you alive and well (with fully functioning teeth, esophagus, stomach etc) to this moment to have this opportunity.
Megilla is no different in this regard. Be grateful you can hear and listen to the words the best you can. Following along inside will help you hear the words properly. If you understand enough to follow along the basic outline of the story as it’s read that’s great, otherwise just hear the words.

amother

Hosta

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:08 am

scruffy wrote:

Artscroll has an interlinear megillah.

https://www.artscroll.com/Book......html

What an awesome idea! Thank you!
I'm also a BT, know the story but not fluent in Hebrew. I just find a few words I know and string them together to get an idea what each part is talking about.
This interlinear megillah sounds perfect!

amother

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:10 am

amother Brown wrote:

I believe the mitzva is to hear, not to listen.
Personally, I think it has to do more with the Misora of passing down the Megilla , and making everyone hear it and participate as opposed to you as an individual
I hearing it, you are doing your part in the chain of the Misora

Thank you. This makes a lot of sense. Especially since I learned that it is preferable to go to a public reading than to hear it read privately, and the bracha she'asa nissim is said before megillah reading. It seems logical that the purpose is more on publicizing the miracle and passing the mesorah.

B'Syata D'Shmya

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:13 am

amother OP wrote:

I'm not fluent in Hebrew. What is the point in someone going to hear megillah (and not being able to miss a single word) when they don't understand what is being said? What is the purpose? Am I supposed to be getting anything out of this other than stress and anxiety?

I don't have time to study in preparation so I will know what every word means and at the speed of the readings there's not even time for me to process what is being said even if I knew the words.

I would love some perspective on this.

Have you ever read a book on this? there are many- Artscrolls translated Megilla, others R David Forman (The Queen you thought you knew), by R' Mendel Weinbach (Turnabout), or even the Purim Story by Srully Greenwald (on Youtube).

amother

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:18 am

DrMom wrote:

Yes, I can read Hebrew phonetically without understanding every word. When kids learn kriah, it focuses on phonetics. Some of the words that kids are learning with are even nonsense words.

Some words I see/hear and automatically understand. Some I could probably translate if I took time but it's not automatic and I can't do it at the pace of the megillah reading. And some words I just don't know.

I really don't have time to study for megillah.

amother

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:20 am

B'Syata D'Shmya wrote:

They talk about the point of the megillah reading, or the meaning of the megillah reading? I know the meaning, I don't need to study the meaning. There's just no meaning getting through to me when I hear it.

amother

Yellow

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:26 am

amother OP wrote:

deleted

tigerwife

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:36 am

watergirl wrote:

I'm a BT and at this point in my life BH I've reviewed the megillah enough over the years and improved my hebrew so I can understand a good percentage of it as it's being read, but for the most part I just follow along and don't try to break my teeth trying to translate every word.

This is hard to grasp, but this mitzvah is to HEAR every word, not to understand every word. On Pesach, the mitzvah is to UNDERSTAND every word so you will see hagaddas in every language under the sun BH. On RH and YK, you will see machzorim in every language, as we daven in our own languages.

The mitzvah of megillah is to be a simple yid. Just sit and listen. Follow along if you'd like. The mitzvah here is to listen.

What are you getting out of it? You get the simple mitzvah that you heard every word.

I will tell you that I had family members (my ex's sisters and mother) who for a long time refused to daven and bentch because "I don't get anything out of it". It was my holy mother A"H who came along and taught them the meaning of prayer, which sometimes means it's not for us. It's for Hashem. She changed the way we all davened - she was the holiest Baalas Teshuvah I've ever had the zchus to meet.

A change in thought is required here. Davening and mitzvos is not transactional, it's not "what will I get out of it". It's something I do because Hashem wants me to do it. The more I learned to embrace this, the more my heart was opened and the more I gained from davening.

I love what you wrote, Watergirl. What a great message.

lavenderchimes

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:52 am

I am learning Hebrew now. It's nowhere near good enough to understand megilah. I understand "Mordechai" and a few other words like I heard one "B'laila". 😂

There is a mitzvah to hear the megilah. So I do. I try to listen carefully so I hear it all.

I hope yo understand more next year.

B"H I do the best I can and there's nothing to be upset about as far as I can see - Hashem knows I am doing everything I can.

amother

Blue

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 11:01 am

amother Butterscotch wrote:

It really is so random to me too. And why do we have to hear it twice? Once should be enough.

Purim is such a frustrating, illogical holiday to me.

I have the same question. Would anyone know the reason why we read it twice - in 12-15 hour timespan?

amother

White

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 11:03 am

amother OP wrote:

Absolutely. Hebrew is very phonetic and most children can follow along with little understanding. Understanding takes much longer to gain.

OP, I understand your frustration. I remember as a child feeling like megilla leining took forever, since I couldn’t follow along in understanding. Now that I know what’s being said it feels much faster.

I think many posters have made excellent points. You should not feel like you’re missing out on any part of the mitzva. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do.

zaq

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 12:55 pm

One does a mitzvah because it's a mitzvah. Anything you "get out of it" is pure profit, but it's not why you do it. Or it shouldn't be. Judaism is not a "feelgood" religion. Like the Nike ads urge: "Just do it." Whether you think you "get anything out of it" or not.

Besides, eventually you get your reward, maybe here on earth and maybe after 120, if you really insist on the transactional business.

Bnei Berak 10

Tue, Mar 26 2024, 1:20 pm

amother Butterscotch wrote:

It really is so random to me too. And why do we have to hear it twice? Once should be enough.

Purim is such a frustrating, illogical holiday to me.

By all means please skip Purim if if you can't be bothered to acknowledged the huge miracle HaShem made.