...Continued from previous week
1) Women are also obligated to pray each day. (See Rambam hilchos Tefilah perek 1 halacha 2 and Shulchan Aruch Siman 106:1 and Mishna Berura S”K 4 at length)
2) However, according to many rRshonim and Poskim their obligation is not the same as men, and those that cannot daven the entire Tefilah each day (due to raising young children, or other valid exemptions) could instead recite a "Tefilah ketzarah", a short prayer which includes a request , a praise and a giving of thanks to Hashem. (See Mishna Berura ibid, kaf hachaim Siman 110:11. See also Shu”t Machaze Eliyahu Siman 19:14 what he quotes from the Chazon Ish. See also Halichos bas Yisroel perek 2 footnote 2.)
3) Women who cannot daven the entire Tefilah, yet can do more than a simple Tefilah ketzarah, should keep in mind that certain parts of Tefilah are bigger obligations for them than other parts and therefore they should say the more important parts first. We shall discuss these obligations in detail as we progress in this topic B'ezras Hashem.
4) Women [who are able to] are obligated to recite Birchos HaTorah. (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 47:14)
According to many Poskim their obligation to recite these brachos is based on their obligation to learn the portions of Torah that apply to them. According to these Poskim, a woman may even exempt a man with these brachos. (See Biur Halacha end of Siman 47)
Other Poskim (including the Gaon of Vilna) maintain that women are exempt from any Torah learning and only recite these brachos similar to them reciting brachos on other mitzvos asei shehazman grama, time-bound mitzvos. (The Sephardic view on this is different; Sephardic women should consult their own Chachamim for Halacha L’ma’aseh)
According to this opinion, they may not exempt men with these brachos. (Biur Halacha ibid.)
5) Women are obligated in all the brachos of Birchos Hashachar. (See Mishna Berura Siman 70 S”K 2 and Aruch HaShulchan Siman 70:1)
The only difference, as far as the text of the birchos hashachar, is that women should recite "She’asani k'retzono - Hashem created me according to His will" instead of "Shelo asani isha - Hashem did not create me as a woman (who is obligated in less mitzvos than a man) , which is the version men say. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 46:4)
6) the Chida (in Avodas HaKodesh) as well as the Ya'avetz (in his siddur) bring a custom for women to say "shelo asani goya" rather than the masculine "goy" and shelo asani shifcha"(female maidservant) rather than "eved" (male slave).
However, most Poskim say that this change should not be made and women should say the same nusach as men as the collective goy includes women as does the collective eved. (See Aishel Avraham, Butchatch, Siman 46:4 and Sefer Minhag Yisroel Torah 262:6 for other sources.. Rebbetzin Kanievsky, the wife of Rav Chaim Zatzal, indeed used to say it in that manner, and Rav Chaim would listen and answer Amen to her brachos on most mornings, so obviously Rav Chaim Zatzal held that it was indeed OK to say it that way. Each individual should consult their own rav for halacha L’Ma’aseh)
...To be continued next week B’Ezras Hashem
