The question has been asked why women cannot be included in making a minyan.
The answer is based on the gemara which derives from the Meraglim, spies that a minyan is comprised of ten people since there were ten evil spies (excluding Yehoshua and Kalev). Since the women did not participate in the sin of the spies, they are not included in a minyan, because they don’t need the rectification for the sin of the spies.
I personally heard this from R' Mark during one of our learning sessions at Ohr Somayach in Yerushalayim in 2007.
On the topic of women davening, let us conclude with an interesting anecdote from R' Shmuel Abuhav (1610-1694). He writes that in the city of Salonica, there is a fixed chazzan for women who do not know the Lashon Hakodesh, and he fulfills their obligation of davening and his own in a foreign language (i.e., their native tongue).
Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander ztz”l for close to five years and received semichah from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ztz”l. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications and is the author of nine books including the recently released “Exhilarating Torah Insights on Recreation and Vacation.” His writings, many of which have been translated into Yiddish, Hebrew, German and French, inspire people across the spectrum of Jewish observance to live with the vibrancy and beauty of Torah. His shiurim can be found on various websites including Kol Halashon’s. Rabbi Alt lives with his wife and family in Kiryat Yearim (where the Aron was for 20 years [Shmuel 1, 7:1,2]) where he studies, lectures, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.
Shu”t Dvar Shmuel, 321. The sefer, Shu”t Dvar Shmuel was published by his son in 1702 in Venice. R' Shmuel Abuhav was the Av Beis Din of Venice Italy and one of the leading Torah personalities of his generation. He was known for his battle against Sabbateanism.
