Miracle Blessing - Birchas HaGomel

Question

When a miracle occurs to someone he makes a Bracha, HaGomel after Kriyas HaTorah. What does a lady do if a miracle occured to her? Does she say the Bracha or does she not? If she does then when does she say it and how?

Answer 1

The Artscroll Women's Siddur quotes opinions both ways (especially in the case of a married woman benching gomel after childbirth). It then concludes "the practice is for a woman not to bench gomel" -- this may be the case in some right-leaning communities, though I've heard many a critic feel Artscroll didn't do the subject justice.

In many, many Jewish communities, a woman puts together an informal group of ten men and says it then -- it could be at a house, in the side room of shul during kiddush, or the like. Her first shabbos back in shul, or the bris, may be good opportunities for this.

I've also heard that in fact, the custom of old-time Jerusalemites is for the woman to do it during Shabbos morning prayers, out-loud during a pause between people in the Torah reading, from the Ezras Nashim (women's section). Obviously, check with your gabbai before trying this one!

Answer 2

The minhag that I have seen (today, in fact), and which is mentioned in the acharonim in O.C. 219 as well ("some people"), is that the husband makes the bracha at krias hatorah and says shegamalech (or shegamal l'ishti if she's not there). That way, the bracha is done with a kahal (and maybe even 2 rabbanim).

Answer 3

According to the Igros Moshe Chelek 8 - Orach Chaim 5 - Siman 14 - A lady should make the Bracha in front of her husband - She does not need a Minyan. This was the last Teshuva Reb Moshe Zatzal ever wrote.