Do I need to hear megillah?

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 2:09 am

My husband is a baal teshuva who doesn't know all the laws, and at this point is not always comfortable that he has a rav to ask quick sheilos. That is another issue to tackle, but in the mean time, can someone tell me if I must hear megilla tonight and / or tomorrow morning? (I suppose I should remember this as well, but I have my first little baby so I have always gone before and these kinds of things have not applied to me since I learned them in school.) We are Y-em, that is why it is tonight.

Thank you!

BrachaVHatzlocha

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 8:39 am

yes, I think so.
By the way, if you ever feel uncomfortable calling your rov, you can call 800-halacha to ask shailos.
happy purim!!!

cindy324

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 7:18 pm

You know, I went to hear Megilah and I was thinking, I might as well have stayed home. To those of us that have toddlers, mine is 18 months, it's literally impossible to properly hear megilah. The minute she started kvetching, I had to step out so that at least others are not disturbed. In the hallway of the shul was no better, I had to run after my daughter, who decided that she needs to climb up and down the steps. And yes , I took plenty of treats to keep her busy with, but eventually she just wanted to run around. so basically, my question is, would it be totally wrong for a mother with such small children to decide to just stay home?? We'd be enabling those that don't have small children with them, to properly hear megilah.

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 7:23 pm

they usually have a few megillah readings for this purpose. or at least more than once a day in most places in the world. so thats why you take turns with your husband as to who watches the baby.

happymom

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 7:25 pm

thats why its a good idea to have a megilla reading at home or find someone else who is having one in their home... its to much to expect chilren to stay quiet and sit for such a long time... thats why my husband read it for me at home...

BrachaVHatzlocha

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 7:37 pm

unless you live "out of town" and don't have a choice, you should not take an 18 month old to shul...either he'll make you leave, or disturb others...
For night, I went after my husband came home. A neighbor had a women's reading. By day, a neighbor's teenage daughter watched my kids so I could go. Otherwise, how can you manage??

BeershevaBubby

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 7:49 pm

Yes, a woman does have the obligation to hear Megillah on Ourim - once in the evening and once in the day.

As for bringing babies... does your community/shul offer a 'women's reading' later, where you leave the kids with Daddy... if not, I highly suggest it gets organized for next year.

Mama Bear

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 8:06 pm

For the first time, on my 10th married Purim, I went to a special reading for mother's megillah reading last night. It felt weird but wonderful.

Today was not a problem. I went to an early reading and dh went to a later minyan.

queen

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 9:08 pm

Mindy- wasn't that wonderful?!?!!!
Someone wished me last night- "mazel tov" on my first 'Ladies Megillah'
Smile

Pickle Lady

Tue, Mar 14 2006, 9:17 pm

happymom wrote:

its to much to expect chilren to stay quiet and sit for such a long time... thats why my husband read it for me at home...

Thats nice that your husband can lain megillah but I doubt amothers BT husband can do that just like my BT hsuband can't either.

It is hard to take kids with you to megillah readings. Last night I took my 3 week old, 20 month old and 3 year old (bday Purim) to hear megillah without my husband. I made it through half of it in the room and they were moderatly quiet and one started to cry and then I had to be in the hallway which I could still hear.

queen

Wed, Mar 15 2006, 6:22 am

Pickle- was getting a babysitter an option?
As taking all your kids necessitated your leaving mid-reading, so you missed words......?

Question

Mama Bear

Wed, Mar 15 2006, 6:53 am

Pickle lady that's crazy - you should NOT have been shleppping 3 kids to shul when you are still a 'kimpiturin' at 3 weeks!!! You're really amazing - I cant understand how people do things like this. In my community, someone would come lain for the woman or she'd go to a 2nd reading while her husband babysat. You're amazing.

micki

Wed, Mar 15 2006, 7:37 pm

B"H this year I heard EVERY word both times! helps that my hubby lained but the was noise and the baby did not freak out and it was great!
I would not leave my kids home- not fair to them. its purim for them too! if you have ever seen the joy on their faces when they shhook that gragger, you too would never be able to leave them at home.
all that said, come prepared.
have 2 snacks,(make sure to feed them supper BEFORE megilla), one pretzel like snack, one candy type. the candy type hand out about half way thru. bring a water bottle, and tell them what behavior you expect from them.

Tefila

Wed, Mar 15 2006, 7:39 pm

Quote:

all that said, come prepared.
have 2 snacks,(make sure to feed them supper BEFORE megilla), one pretzel like snack, one candy type. the candy type hand out about half way thru. bring a water bottle, and tell them what behavior you expect from them.

Definatley Tongue Out

lucky

Wed, Mar 15 2006, 9:24 pm

Quote:

and tell them what behavior you expect from them.

Aha. So what behavior is expected from a two yr old? Rolling Eyes

Young kids cannot sit for so long. Even with snacks, one kid just has to try and take a bit of nash from his brother and you have war.

If you didn't have a separate laining for women this year, make sure there is one next year.

On the same wave, we have a separate Shofar bluzen for the women. They time it so the men have time to run home to watch the kids, so the wife could go to shul.

amother

Wed, Mar 15 2006, 9:40 pm

We went away for Purim. We were in a VERY large frum community and could not find a later megillah anywhere. We didn't think it would be a problem, especially in the community that we were in! No one had any info! After many phone calls, we found a man who was laining for a woman in a mental health facility. (This was already 3 in the afternoon!) I was so uneasy, especially when a rather large man searched my purse. We weren't even allowed to go to a side room, so we had to sit in a lobby area with doctors, nurses, and patients constantly walking through. Baruch Hashem, I was able actually to fulfill the mitzvah, when for so many hours it didn't look like I was going to! (and Bikur Cholim, too, as we visited the patient)

nechamashifra

Fri, Mar 17 2006, 8:25 am

amother if you have any questions in general but don't feel comfortable calling a rav, you can always go to www.askmoses.com