Note: These Halachos are just as important for men to learn and know, as they are for women.
When Reading in Shul, DO NOT Read During Davening or Krias HaTorah
...Continued from previous week
1) Although women are not obligated to daven in Shul with a minyan, it is still praiseworthy, when possible, for them to do so.
Any Tefilah davened in Shul with a minyan has a bigger chance of being better accepted by Hashem and is a bigger Mitzvah than Tefilah that isn’t in Shul with a Minyan. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 90:9. See also Aruch HaShulchan 90:13)
Many stories are found in Chazal and the Poskim regarding the big heavenly rewards afforded to women who do in fact frequent the Ezras Nashim (women’s section in Shul) to take part in Tefilah B’Tzibur. (See Yalkut Shimoni Parshas Eikev Siman 871. See Talmud Bava Metziah 107b).
However, women who do go to Shul must be careful not to squander their rewards for doing so, by coming to Shul inappropriately dressed or by spending their time in Shul with idle chatter (or even worse: Lashon Hara and Rechilus, G-d forbid) and thus desecrating the holiness of the Ezras Nashim [which has holiness just as the Shul does](See Igeres HaGra that the Gaon of Vilna wrote to his wife and daughters regarding this)
2) M’Ikar Hadin, women are not obligated in Tefilas Mussaf of Shabbos, Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh, as these Tefilos were enacted as a commemoration of the Korbanos, and women were not obligated to donate to or partake of those Korbanos (being that they are time-bound Mitzvos)
3) However, being that women throughout the ages did in fact accept upon themselves to daven all Tefilos, the prevalent custom (for those women who daven all other Tefilos) is for them to daven Musaf as well. (See Shu”t Besamim Rosh Siman 89 and Shu”t Sho’el U’Meishiv, Madurah Tinyana, Vol. 2 Siman 55)
4) After completing Shemona Esrei and saying “Elokai Netzor” and “YihYu L’Ratzon”, 3 steps must be taken back, while simultaneously bending the back and bowing, the way a servant takes leave of a master. (Mishna Berura Siman 123:1). One of the reasons for the three steps is because the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was allowed to destroy the Bais HaMikdash due to his running three steps forward in honor of Hashem; therefore we take three steps back and ask Hashem to rebuild the Bais HaMikdash (See Mishna Berura Siman 123:2 quoting the Bais Yosef)
5) The first of the three steps should be taken with the left foot. The size of the step should be the length of one foot, i.e. the big toe of the left foot should reach right behind the heel of the right foot.
The second step is then taken with the right foot. The size of this step should be the length of 2 feet, i.e. the big toe of the right foot should now reach right behind the heel of the left foot.
The third step, again with the left foot, should be the length of one foot, which will once again bring the two feet together. (The Chazon Ish Zatzal would take the third step also the length of two feet, and then take an additional step to bring his two feet together. This was the opinion of the Levush as well as a few other Poskim. They obviously didn’t consider this last step as one of the “steps”, rather just a movement to bring the feet back together, as it is prohibited to add “steps” beyond the 3 required ones.)
A left handed person, reverses the aforementioned order, and takes the first step with their right foot etc. (Biur Halacha quoting the Chayei Adam and Shulchan Aruch HaRav). The reason is that we want to “step away” from Hashem with our weaker foot, so it should seem difficult for us to take leave of Hashem (See Mishna Berura Siman 123:13)
6) Some Poskim maintain that these measurements, which are derived from the way Kohanim must stand during the Avodah, are not applicable to women. (Sefer Ishei Yisroel, quoting Sefer Orach Ne’eman Siman 123:11). The prevalent Minhag, however, is for women to indeed follow the same procedure as men when taking the steps back after Shemnona Esrei.
7) Women should also recite Krias Shema SheAl HaMitah before going to bed, as the primary reason for its recital is for Shmirah, protection, and women also require protection. (Elya Rabbah and Pri Megadim Siman 239)
8) Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita (in Shu”t Teshuvos V’Hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 198) quotes in the name of Rav Meir Premishlaner Zatzal that women should say the Bracha of Hamapil, as saying it is a Segulah to not miscarry a child.
Thus, even according to those opinions that maintain that women are exempt from the complete Krias Shma Al HaMitah, there is still a good reason for them to say HaMapil. (See the Teshuva of Rav Sternbuch Shlita at length that according to all opinions, women should say the first parsha of Shma, V’Hee Noam, B’Yadcha Afkid Ruchi, and Bracha of HaMapil)
...To be continued B’Ezras Hashem next week
