Questions about or that apply specifically to women.
8
votes
2answers
100 views
V'Al Brischa SheChasamta Bivsoreinu - ועל בריתך שחתמת בבשרנו - does a lady say this?
In Bentching (grace after meals) - both in the Ashkenazic and in the Sefardic version - we say V'Al Brischa SheChasamta Bivsoreinu - ועל בריתך שחתמת בבשרנו - "and for Your covenant, which you sealed ...
9
votes
2answers
206 views
If women are not obliged to daven maariv, should they daven if they wish to?
This source says that women are not obliged to daven maariv but may do if they wish.
Although the Shulchan Aruch (108:7) allows one to recite a Tefilat Nedava in a certain case, Halacha Berura (22nd ...
11
votes
3answers
361 views
Woman's hair covering in the home or in private
Trying to sort out my question, I came across this one, which is closely related, but it is not an exact duplicate.
According to those who say a woman must cover her hair, not just her head (those ...
13
votes
3answers
237 views
Halachic Source for Women-Only Mikvaoth?
Some (actually many) Mikvaoth are designated for women's use only, generally for reasons of cleanliness.
Is there Halachic literature supporting (or urging) this?
(This question is not asking for ...
8
votes
2answers
264 views
How can I determine if someone is Shomer Negiah?
I am not Shomer Negiah. However, I have been in mixed social situations where I was unsure if the person I was meeting was Shomer Negiah. I don't want to offend anyone, so I'm wondering if there is a ...
4
votes
2answers
121 views
What is the story of Yehudit which takes place during the Chanukkah Story?
I have heard many varying and conflicting stories about Yehudit and her effect on the war with the Greeks at Chanukkah time and was wondering if anyone has sources for her story and what it truly is.
...
14
votes
3answers
516 views
The laws behind the separation of men and women
In Israel there is a hot debate because of instances on some communities where extra steps are taken to separate men and women in every day life. For example in some bus lines women seat in the back ...
10
votes
2answers
203 views
What is a woman's obligation when it comes to T'fillah?
In Orthodox practice it is commonly thought that women are not obligated in T'fillah (parts of it anyway) due to its time-bound nature. However, what is a woman's obligation? Which prayers must she ...
10
votes
2answers
227 views
Women saying kadish
Why do some people hold a woman should not say kadish? She's not singing so it shouldn't be Kol Isha, and if she's behind a mechitza it shouldn't be a tzniut problem.
7
votes
1answer
274 views
Why “new-mother bat her-father” for a woman who gives birth?
When we pray for the healing (refuah) of a woman or girl, we refer to her as "(patient's name) bat (patient's mother's name)", for example "Shoshana bat Michal" or "Rivka bat Shifra Aviva". This is ...
11
votes
2answers
672 views
Why do divorced or widowed women still need to cover their hair?
I was recently reading the latest edition of Halachically Speaking. It says:
A woman who is a widow r”l or divorcee still has an obligation to cover her hair.
But why is this so? Why should they ...
11
votes
4answers
605 views
Why are women exempt from (many) time-bound mitzvot?
I have heard two reasons for women being exempt from time-bound mitzvot and both seem problematic, so either there are additional explanations or I am not properly understanding these two:
Women ...
8
votes
2answers
213 views
Should women eat in the Sukkah?
Is there any inyan for a woman to eat in the sukkah. I know they're not required (after all, it's a mitzvas asei shehazeman grama [מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא]), but I still know many women who do.
Is this ...
6
votes
3answers
246 views
Bringing little girls into the men's section in Shul
It has become the norm in mosts shuls I've been to, that fathers bring little girls into the men's section of synagogues on Shabbos and Yom Tov.
Until what age should girls still be allowed to ...
9
votes
3answers
174 views
Uman for Rosh Hashanah?
Why do people leave Eretz Yisroel to go to Uman for Rosh Hashanah? (It seems to me like leaving America for July Fourth.) In general what is the reason people go: is it Just a festival in the ...
7
votes
2answers
205 views
May a woman freeze her ova?
Is a woman allowed to freeze her own ova if she is coming to the later years of her life and is afraid she will miss her opportunity to have her own children naturally or otherwise, or is that frowned ...
3
votes
0answers
61 views
Stepping back, forward and bouncing 3 times, after Shmoneh Esrei [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
"Jumping" at the end of Shemoneh Esrei
As a female davener, who is very slow, I have never seen what men do at the end of Shmone Esrei. But my husband assures ...
7
votes
1answer
89 views
Why does Yalkut Yosef recommend women not do “tashlich”?
I read in Yalkut Yossef that women don't need to go to Tashlikh and the Rav Y. Yossef shlit"a concludes with "Shev Veal Tasse Adif" (trans. it's better to do nothing).
Does anyone know the reason ? I ...
6
votes
1answer
104 views
What does one do when one needs to bentch gomel?
One who has recovered from a serious illness or accident is supposed to bentch gomel during the torah service. What do you need to know to do this? Specifically:
When is the right time -- the ...
11
votes
5answers
630 views
Is a mechitza required for dancing at Jewish weddings? Why?
If the men and women aren't dancing together, is it strictly required that there also be a mechitza between them? If so, why? What guidelines would this mechitza have to meet?
Or is it simply a smart ...
7
votes
1answer
147 views
Chamisha Asar B'Av - when did the Minhag stop?
The Gemara Taanis 31. says אמר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כחמשה עשר באב וכיוה"כ שבהן בנות ירושלים יוצאות ... וחולות בכרמים ומה היו אומרות בחור שא נא עיניך וראה מה אתה בורר לך אל תתן ...
8
votes
1answer
160 views
How do married women whose professions are physically demanding cover their hair?
I'm assuming that somewhere in the world there are observant married women who work as police officers, builders, and other physically demanding jobs where an ordinary scarf, hat, or wig may not stay ...
10
votes
3answers
484 views
Can a female be a Shochet? (slaughter animals)
Can a female slaughter animals according to Halacha? (sources)
9
votes
1answer
271 views
May a lady take a pregnancy test on Shabbos?
Are there any issues with taking a pregnancy test (non-electronic) on Shabbos?
7
votes
4answers
210 views
Moshe's divorcing Tzipora
Moshe refrained from marital relations with Tzipora for almost forty years, so as to be able to receive prophecy at any moment (Shabas 87:1). 1. Did he divorce her? 2. If not, why not?
8
votes
1answer
115 views
Is there an Inyan for females to stay up Shavuos night?
Should females remain awake the night of Shavuos? (sources please)
14
votes
1answer
887 views
Mixed swimming in a pool?
What are the issues with mixed swimming, from a tzniut point of view? Does it make a difference if the swimmers are or aren't Jewish? For example, are there issues with me swimming with my wife and a ...
15
votes
4answers
365 views
How does an outsider know how to dress for a particular Orthodox community?
Standards of dress (at least for women) aren't nearly as consistent within Orthodoxy as we might wish. Wearing exactly the same halachically-correct clothing I have been under-dressed in some places ...
4
votes
2answers
176 views
arachin: dependance on age and sex
Why is the erech (Vayikra 27:1–8) of a woman less than that of a man? And why does erech depend on age? Sources, please.
16
votes
12answers
1k views
How to tactfully circumvent opposite-gender handshake
Say you're a man in a professional setting, and a woman who isn't used to dealing with observant Jews stretches out her hand to greet you -- but your practice is to avoid shaking hands even in ...
12
votes
2answers
424 views
Do Shaving Restrictions Apply to Bearded Women?
For example, if a woman were to have a beard, would she be permitted to shave it off with a razor or otherwise destroy it, or do these restrictions apply to both men and women?
7
votes
3answers
319 views
Is mixed gender volleyball permissible?
Are men and women permitted to play volleyball against each other, with each team only one gender?
Does it make a difference if they are separated by an opaque wall or a regular net?
3
votes
1answer
329 views
Women Making Kiddush
Let's say a husband and wife are alone on Friday night or on Shabbos day. Can the wife make kiddush for herself and her husband?
5
votes
2answers
146 views
Formal Hebrew honorific for one's mother
Many men, when going up for an aliya, tell the gabbai their name as, e.g. "Reuven ben Rav Yaakov", even if "Yaakov," the father, isn't actually a Rabbi." I believe the reason for this practice is to ...
10
votes
3answers
367 views
Disparity between male and female pronunciation of Cholam
In many Yeshivish communities in the US, the male segment of the population vocalizes the cholam as "oi," while their female counterparts vocalize it as a long "o". How did this come about? Does the ...
6
votes
4answers
470 views
3
votes
1answer
88 views
women's saying a b'racha on s'firas haomer
Mishna B'rura 489:3 says women do not say a b'racha on s'firas haomer; Aruch Hashulchan 489:4 says they do. What is the practice of various Ashk'nazi communities (for example, chassidic (various ...
4
votes
4answers
408 views
Matrilineal Descent
I have heard that matrilineal descent (i.e. having Judaism passed down through the mother) comes from the Roman period when women were raped by Roman soldiers and the babies were then said to be ...
7
votes
1answer
555 views
Tznius In Regards to Covering Elbows
Are there sources that say women do not have to cover elbows? Because I've seen Orthodox women not covering them and I want to be able to say that there are sources that support their actions.
3
votes
0answers
148 views
Is Cross dressing allowed on purim [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is cross-dressing permitted on Purim and if so why?
Normally cross dressing is against Halacha is it allowed on Purim?
1
vote
3answers
80 views
Reading Meggilah for women
What is the Process if you are Laining Meggilah for women only:
Who makes the Bracha? Before and after? Can a person who has already heard be yotzeh the Women? Does it make a difference if it is ...
3
votes
2answers
61 views
3
votes
1answer
61 views
Wives and daughters and the Mitzvos of Purim
Can a married woman rely on her husband for the mitzvos of Purim of Shalach Manos and Mattanos Levyonim (I recall somthing about Ishto Kigufo)?
2
votes
2answers
461 views
Etymology of “kimpeturin”
What is the etymology of the yiddish term "kimpeturin," which refers to a woman who is recovering after childbirth?
3
votes
1answer
185 views
Woman attending shul after childbirth
There is a common custom that a woman who has given birth does not travel anywhere until she has gone to shul. What is the source of this custom, and what are its details? (I.e., it is necessary to ...
4
votes
4answers
320 views
Hair Covering Before Marriage?
Are there any communities in America or Israel where women cover their hair before marriage? Do Satmar women cover their hair before marriage?
2
votes
2answers
98 views
Birchas Hatorah and Sefardic women
In an earlier question I mentioned that women make Birchas Hatorah. Is the same true for Sefardic women and why?
2
votes
1answer
92 views
Teffilin and women [closed]
Easy riddle but I Need sources
Which famous women wore teffilin and the source where we know it from?
5
votes
1answer
118 views
8
votes
2answers
123 views
Mitzvah for fathers to buy things for dating-age daughters?
I heard that men whose daughters are dating have a mitzvah to supply them with things that will help them, i.e. dresses, jewelry, etc. Is there a source for this?
