roadmap to prayer lesson 38

7/30/2019 Roadmap to Prayer Lesson 38

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Rehov Kahanamin 54, Bnei Brac 03.616.6340

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TH E P I R CH EI SH O SH AN I M R OAD M AP TO PR AYER PR O JEC T

The Roadmap to Prayer

Lesson 38

Pirchei Shoshanim 2006This shiur may not be reproduced in any form without permission of the copyright holder


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56 5

AA WWoomm aannss GGuuiiddee

tt oo DDaaii ll yy PPrraayyeerr

This Lesson is Dedicat ed

Leilui Nishmas - To the Mem ory of

R Aryeh Mordechai ben Avraham AH

Niftar 21 Iyar, 5766

II nn tt rr oo dd uu cc tt ii oo nn

TThhee llaawwss ff oorr WWoomm eenn aanndd PPrr aayyeerr pprr eesseenntt eedd iinn tt hhiiss lleessssoonn aarr ee

mm eeaanntt tt oo sseerr vvee aass aa ccoonncciissee gguuiiddee sshhoowwiinngg wwhhiicchh ssppeecciiff iicc

pprr aayyeerr ss wwoomm eenn aarr ee oobbll iiggaatt eedd iinn,, aanndd wwhhiicchh pprr aayyeerr ss aarr ee tt hhee

oonneess tt hhaatt wwoomm eenn ccuusstt oomm aarr ii llyy rr eecciitt ee oorr oomm iitt ..

AAss ffoorr pprr aayyeerr iitt sseellff ,, nnoowwaaddaayyss,, wwoomm eenn iinn ggeenneerr aall aarr ee

uunnqquueesstt iioonnaabbllyy eexxcceeeeddiinnggllyy iinnvvoollvveedd iinn pprr aayyeerr ..

TThhee iinntt eenntt ooff tt hhee gguuiiddeell iinneess iinn tt hhiiss lleessssoonn iiss tt oo oouutt ll iinnee tt hhee mm aannyy

ooppppoorr tt uunniitt iieess tt hhaatt wwoomm eenn ccaann uutt ii ll iizzee iinn tt hheeiirr ssppaarr ee tt iimm ee tt oo pprr aayyiinn ccoomm bbiinnaatt iioonnss tt hhaatt aarr ee oonnllyy aaff ff oorr ddeedd tt oo wwoomm eenn..

FFoorr tt hhiiss ppuurr ppoossee,, tt hhee lleessssoonn ff iirr sstt ll iisstt ss tt hhee vvaarr iioouuss HHaallaacchhooss

ppeerr tt aaiinniinngg tt oo tt hhee ppaarr tt iiccuullaarr pprr aayyeerr ss wwoomm eenn mm aayy oorr mmaayy nnoott

rr eeccii tt ee aanndd tt oo tt hhee oorr ddeerr iinn wwhhiicchh tt hheeyy ccaann rr eecciitt ee tt hhee TTeeff ii ll llaa ooff

SShhaacchhaarr iiss..

TToo ii ll lluusstt rr aatt ee tt hhiiss ff uurr tt hheerr ,, wwee hhaavvee cchhaarr tt eedd aa ll iisstt ooff sscceennaarr iiooss

tt hhaatt eeff ff eecctt hhooww mm uucchh aanndd iinn wwhhiicchh oorr ddeerr tt hheeyy wwii ll ll bbee ssaaiidd.. EEaacchh

sscceennaarr iioo iiss ggiivveenn aa ssoolluutt iioonn aanndd tt hheenn ssuumm mm aarr iizzeedd tt oo hheellpp

vviissuuaall iizzee wwhhaatt eeaacchh rr eessuulltt eenntt aaii llss..

AAff tt eerr oouutt ll iinniinngg tt hheessee eexxaamm pplleess,, tt hhee lleessssoonn ddiissccuusssseess tt hheeiimmppoorr tt aannccee ooff pprr aayyeerr iinn ggeenneerr aall aanndd hhooww wwoomm eenn iinn ppaarr tt iiccuullaarr

sshhaarr ee iinn tt hhiiss eesssseenntt iiaall eelleemm eenntt ooff JJeewwiisshh ll ii ff ee..

AAff tt eerr oouutt ll iinniinngg tt hhee vvaarr iioouuss ppoossssiibbllee ccoomm bbiinnaatt iioonnss tt hhaatt wwoomm eenn

ccaann rr eecciitt ee tt hheeiirr pprr aayyeerr ss,, iitt iiss iimmppoorr tt aanntt tt oo ppooiinntt oouutt tt hhaatt tt hhee

rr eegguullaarr oorr ddeerr ooff TTeeff ii ll llaass SShhaacchhaarr iiss ffoorr MMeenn iiss mm uucchh mm oorr ee rr iiggiidd..

Lesson

38


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T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T

A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L L E S S O N 3 8

56 8

HH II GG HH LL II GG HH TT SS OO FF LL EE SSSSOO NN 33 88

GGEE NN EE RRAALL QQ UU EE SSTT II OO NN SS

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2 . WW OO MM EE NN CC AA NN FF UU LL FF II LL LL TT HH II SS RR EE QQ UU II RR EE MM EE NN TT

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KK EE TT ZZ AA RR AA .. TT HH EE YY CC AA NN AA LL SSOO FF UU LL FF II LL LL TT HH II SS BB YY

PP RR AA YY II NN GG (( DD AA VV EE NN II NN GG )) JJUU SSTT SSHH EE MM OO NN EE HHEE SSRR EE II AA LL OO NN EE ..

3 . AA LL TT HH OO UU GG HH II TT MM AA YY AA PP PP EE AA RR TT HH AA TT WW OO MM EE NN

CC AA NN PP II CC KK AA NN DD CC HH OO OO SSEE WW HH AA TT EE VV EE RR TT HH EE YY

WW II SSHH TT OO PP RR AA YY ,, WW EE WW II LL LL SSEE EE TT HH AA TT TT HH EE RR EE

AA RR EE PP RR AA YY EE RR SS TT HH AA TT TT AA KK EE PP RR II OO RR II TT RR YY OO VV EE RR

OO TT HH EE RR SS..


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56 9

P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M

D A V E N I N G C A R D

M I N I M U M T E F I L L A F O R W O M E N

I. Tefilla Ketzara (a short prayer)consisting of Praise to Hashem, aRequest and an AppreciationA woman that has no time to daven can at leastlearn to recite the Birchos HaTorah along with theverses of Yevarechecha etc. and thereby fulfill theMitzvah of Tefilla (see other side of this card)

II. According to many Poskim a woman isrequired t o daven Shemoneh Esrei ofShacharis and Mincha

III. A woman is required to r ecite at leastthe first verse of Shema along withBaruch Sheim.

C O M B I N A T I O N S O F T E F I L L O S F O R

W O M E N A C C O R D I N G T O

T H E O R D E R O F P R I O R I T I E S -

H I G H E S T T O L O W E S T

Each number presented below represents a list of Tefillos awoman would say according t o the amount of t ime she

knows in advance she will have. Approximate times givenare for example purposes only. Individuals should t ime

themselves and adjust accordingly

1. Shemoneh Esrei before end of the fourthHalachic hour of t he day (in case of need up unti lChatzos midday); First verse of Shema no timelimit (approximately 6-8 minutes)

2. First pasuk of Shema, Emmes VeYatziv,Shemoneh Esrei (approximately 9-11 minutes)

3. Birchos Hashachar, First pasuk o f Shema, EmmesVeYatziv, Shemoneh Esrei (approximately 12- 14minutes)

4. Birchos HaTorah and pesukim, Birchos Hashachar,First pasuk of Shema, Emmes VeYatziv,Shemoneh Esrei (approximately 15-18 minut es)

5. Birchos HaTorah and pesukim, Birchos Hashachar,2 Birchos Krias Shema, 3 part s Shema, EmmesVeYatziv, Shemoneh Esrei (approximately 22-26minutes)

6. Birchos HaTorah and pesukim, Birchos Hashachar,Pesukei DeZimra (at least Baruch Sheamar,Ashrei and Yishtabach), 2 Birchos Krias Shema, 3parts Shema, Emmes VeYatziv, Shemoneh Esrei(approximately 28-30 minutes)


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57 0


D A V E N I N G C A R D

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57 1


W O M E N S S I D D U R

B O O K M A R K

O R D E R O F I M P O R T A N T

T E F I L L O S F O R W O M E N

P R I O R I T I E S :

I. a) Tefilla Ketzara (sho rt prayer) that includes a Praise,a Request and an A ppreciation for H ashem. (E.g.Birchos H aTorah, Birchos Hashachar; a w om an w ho isill and n eeds to eat but canno t daven, can fulfill hermitzvah of Tefi l la w ith Birchas H amazon)b) Shemoneh Esrei - (Necessary accor ding to ma nyPoskim)

II. First verse of Shema and Baruch Sheim Kevod eM alchusso etc. - (N ecessary )

III. Em m es V eYatziv un til the end (Go al Yisrael) w ithShemo neh Esrei im mediately afterw ard s - (Necessaryaccording to some Poskim)

IV. Birchos Hashachar - (Customary)

V. Birchos HaTorah w i th the se lect ion of verses -(Customary)

VI . The complete Shema and the two brochos that precedeit (according to most Poskim) - (Customary)

V II . Ba ru ch Sh eama r an d Yishtabach w ith at least Ashrei in-betw een (accordin g to m ost Poskim ) - (Custo mar y)


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57 2

The order of the Morning Prayer f or Women(The general daily T efi llas Shacharis Morning Prayer order f or women)

The order of Prayer according to the Ashkenazic version.

PriorityUsualOrder

Tefillas Shacharis said byWomen in the following

order

Ashkenazi or SephardiWomen according to many

Poskim

Sephardi Womenaccording to Chacham

Rav Ovadiah Yosef Shlita

1Al Netillas Yadayim, Asher

Yatzar,Elokaye Neshama

V 2 Birchos HaTorah

IV 3 Birchos Hashachar

VII 4

Baruch Sheamar,Pesukei DeZimra(at least Ashrei),

Yishtabach

Pesukei DeZimra but notBaruch Sheamar or

Yishtabach

VI 5First 2 BirchosKrias Shema X

VI 63 Parshiyos of

Krias Shema

I I 7Shema Yisrael and Baruch

SheimIncluded Included

II I 8The Bracha of

Emmes VeYatziv X

I 9Shemoneh Esrei

Shacharis

10 Tachanun X Customarily not recited by Women

11 Ashrei Uvah LeTziyone Recited by some Women

12 Aleinu Customarily recited by Women

13 Shir Shel Yom Recited by some Women


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A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L L E S S O N 3 8 T H E P I R C H E I

S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T


57 3

Women must pray (daven) at leastone prayer each day. It should have an

opening Praise, a closing Appreciation,and a Request.

Many Women follow the opinionof praying Shacharis and M incha,Shemoneh E sreis.

Some women take uponthemselves to pray M aariv as well,although it is not necessary1. Thosewho do so, benefit fulfilling the

M itzvah of Z echiras Y etzi as M itzr ayim.

Women are obligated to acceptupon themselves the Y oke of H eaven, tofollow H ashems Torah and M itzvos.For this reason, Women are requiredto at least recite the first verse of KriasShema with Baruch Sheim KevodeM alchusso L eolam V aed.

Women recite the Morning order

of blessings starting with the bracha ofA l N et ill as Y adayi m, A sher Y atzar etc.Birchos H aTorah and the 15 blessingsbeginning with A sher N assan L asechviV eena until the closing of (H a)G omelChassadim T ovim etc.

Women should recite Pesuk eiD eZimra. They should say at least aminimum of Baruch Sheamar, A shreiand Y ishtabach.

Both A shk enazic and Sephardic

women may recite the blessings forPesuk ei D eZimra (Baruch Sheamar and

1 According to M ishna Berura 106:4 and other

Posk im. It i s recommended that women who w ish to

pray M aariv express that they do not intend this to

be a vow to do this forever.

Y ishtabach) even though they are notobliged to recite Pesuk ei D eZimra. Rav

O vadi ah Y osef shl ita maintains thatwomen of Sephardic descent are notallowed to recite the blessing forPesukei D eZimra, since the opinion ofthe M echaber is not to recite brochos forvoluntary M itzvos.

Women recite the two blessings

that precede Krias Shema when reciting

Krias Shema. According to Rav Ovadiah

Y osef shli ta, Sephardic women should

not recite these blessings. Women should particularly recitethe blessing of E mmes V eYatziv,which follows K r ias Shema as itcontains in it the remembrance ofY etzias M itzrayim (the Exodus fromEgypt). According to Rav OvadiahY osef shlita women should not recitethis either2.

H alachic authorities suggest that

women also recite certain Torah-segments pertaining to the Korbanos(sacrifice offerings). Others say thatwomen are not required. Commonpractice is like the latter opin ion.

Some women recite the additionalprayers printed in Siddurim (PrayerBooks) following Shemoneh E srei ofShacharis.

Women generally do not recite

Tachanun. Women most commonlyrecite A leinu.

2 Y abia O mer Volume 2:6 number 10

A General O utl ine of Prayer for W om en


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57 4

Sample of Various scenarios of a Shacharis prayer

for Women

C A S E # 1

A woman was going to the doctors office with her child at 8:45 a.m. just after her

older children were to be picked up for school. She managed to daven Shemoneh E srei

and nothing more. Later that morning after coming home f rom the doctors off ice she

had some extra tim e to daven. She shouldnt daven Pesuk ei D ezimra any longer; rather

she should recite all 3 sections of Krias Shema and the blessing of E mmes V eYatziv.

Then she should say A leinu.

S U M M A R Y :

1 . S H E M O N E H E S R E I .

2 . 3 S E C T I O N S O F K R I A S S H E M A ; T H E B L E S S I N G O F E M M E S V E Y A T Z I V .

3 . A L E I N U

C A S E # 2 , 3

A young woman leaves her house for school each morning at 7 a.m. Sunrise is at 7:10

a.m. Since she could only daven at home and on the bus on her way to school, she

starts davening at home and continues on the bus. She davens everything up until

Shemoneh E srei at home. She then davens Shemoneh E srei on the bus sitting down

because she would rather daven Shemoneh E srei after sunrise. If sunrise would be at

6:45 a.m. she should rather recite Shemoneh E srei at home so that she could say it whilestanding, rather than say it sitting down while on the bus. She should therefore recite

everything except for Krias Shema with its brochos until she gets onto the bus. Then she

should recite Krias Shema with its brochos on the bus.

S U M M A R Y : C A S E # 2

1 . A L L O F S H A C H A R I S U N T I L S H E M O N E H E S R E I .

2 . S H E M O N E H E S R E I O N T H E B U S S I T T I N G D O W N A F T E R S U N R I S E

S U M M A R Y : C A S E # 3

1 . A L L O F S H A C H A R I S E X C E P T F O R K R I A S S H E M A W I T H I T S B R O C H O S .

2 . S H E M O N E H E S R E I A T H O M E ST A N D I N G .

3 . K R I A S S H E M A W I T H I T S B R O C H O S .


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57 5

C A S E # 4

A Bas M itzvah schoolgirl usually prays (davens) Shacharis in school but doesnt have time

to eat breakfast in school. What should she do in order to allow her to eat at home

before davening Shacharis?

What she should preferably do is recite the brochos starting with A l N etillas Y adayim and

A sher Y atzar, E lok aye N eshama with the birchos H aT orah, having in mind to fulfill the

M itzvah of Tefilla. She should also recite the pasuk Shema Y israel and Baruch Sheim. Then,

she may eat breakfast and daven the rest of Shacharis in school.

S U M M A R Y :

1 . A L N E T I L L A S Y A D A Y I M A N D A S H E R Y A T Z A R , E L O K A Y E N E S H A M A W I T H

B I R C H O S H A T O R A H B E F O R E B R E A K F A S T .

2 . T H E R E S T O F S H A C H A R I S A F T E R B R E A K F A S T .

C A S E # 5

Children under Bar Mitzvah and Bas M itzvah3 who are hungry before going to shul on

Shabbos morning or before going to school, m ay eat before davening as needed. They

are not required to hear Kiddush before eating. They should however be trained not to

eat before Kiddush when coming home from shul. Girls should recite the first portion

of Shema before eating in order to accept the Y ok e of H eaven before eating4.

S U M M A R Y :

1 . C H I L D R E N U N D E R T H E A G E O F B A R A N D B A S M I T Z V A H M A Y E A T B E F O R E

D A V E N I N G A S N E E D E D W I T H O U T R E C I T I N G K I D D U S H 5 .

2 . C H I L D R E N , W H O A R E O F C H I N U C H A G E 6 , M A Y E A T B E F O R E D A V E N I N G . T H E YS H O U L D H O W E V E R F I R S T R E C I T E T H E F I R S T P O R T I O N O F S H E M A .

C A S E # 6

A woman is busy each morning taking care of her children. She finds it difficult to

daven each morning because her children constantly interrupt her. After 11 a.m. she

3 Rav Ovadiah Y osef shlita adds that once a healthy boy at age 12 should be trained not to eat before Kiddush even in the

morning before going to shul. H e may just take something to drink like adults. Y alk ut Y osef D inei Chinuch Kattan page

93.

4 H alichos Shlomo 2:4

5 See fur ther on about E ating befo re D avening

6 From about 6 years old until Bar M itzvah


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57 6

has a few minutes of quiet time when a friend comes over and takes her children for a

walk. What is the best way to deal with this situation? By the time her friend comes

over it is already past the first third of the day when the time for T efill as Shachari s has

passed. H owever, at 11 a.m. it is sti ll well before Chatzos (midday).

S O L U T I O N # 1

If this woman can get up a few minutes before her children and daven just thefirst pasuk of Shema Y israel with Baruch Sheim and Shemoneh E srei, she should doso. At 11 a.m. she should recite the Bir chos H ashachar (M orning Blessings)omitting A l N etillas Y adayim, and going straight through Birchos H ashachar. Shemay not daven Pesuk ei D ezimra with its Brochos after Shemoneh E srei, but shemay recite them omitting H ashems Name from the closings of BaruchSheamar and Yishtabach. Some Posk im maintain that it is better for awom an not to recite the brochos that come first and the bracha that follows Krias

Shema, since it is really past the time for Tefillas Shacharis. She should howeverrecite all three sections of Shema along with E mmes V eyatziv, but withoutH ashems N ame at the end of the bracha.

S O L U T I O N # 2

If this woman doesnt have any time to recite Shemoneh E srei before 11 a.m.she should at least say the first pasuk of Shema Y israel with Baruch Sheim ifpossible. At 11 a.m. she should daven straight from A l N etillas Y adayimthrough all the morning brochos, Pesuk ei D eZimra as usual, Krias Shema and itsblessings as usual, and then Shemoneh E srei and A leinu.

S U M M A R Y # 1

1 . F I R S T P A S U K O F S H E M A Y I SR A E L W I T H B A R U C H S H E I M ;

2 . S H E M O N E H E S R E I , B E F O R E 1 1 A . M .

3 . M O R N I N G B R O C H O S O M I T T I N G A L N E T I L L A S Y A D A Y I M , G O I N G S T R A I G H T

T H R O U G H T H E B I R C H O S H A S H A C H A R A F T E R 1 1 A . M .

S U M M A R Y # 2

4 . F I R S T P A S U K O F S H E M A Y I SR A E L W I T H B A R U C H S H E I M .

5 . A F T E R 1 1 A . M . S H E SH O U L D D A V E N S T R A I G H T F R O M A L N E T I L L A S Y A D A Y I M

T H R O U G H A L L T H E M O R N I N G B R O C H O S .

6 . P E S U K E I D E Z I M R A A S U S U A L , K R I A S S H E M A A N D I T S B L E SS I N G S A S U S U A L ;

S H E M O N E H E S R E I A N D A L E I N U .


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57 7

SA M P L E T I M E C H A R T F O R T H E F I R ST D A Y O FSH A V U O S 5 7 6 6

Zemanim for Yerushalayim - June 1, 2006/ 6 Sivan, 5766

Dawn - Alos Hashachar 4:22 A

Earliest Tallis 4:39 A

Sunrise 5:34 A

8:30 A (Magen Avraham)Latest time to read the Shema

9:06 A (Gra)

9:52 A (Magen Avraham)

Latest time for Tefilla (Shemoneh Esrei) 10:16 A (Gra)

Chatzos (Midday) 12:37 P

Mincha Gedolah 1:12 P

Mincha Ketana 4:44 P

Plag Mincha 6:12 P

Sunset 7:40 P

8:21 P (Geonim)3 Stars come out - Tzeis Hakochavim

8:52 P (Rabbeinu Tam)

This Shabbat Information - Shabbat Shavuos7 Sivan 5766

Candle Lighting 7:00 P

8:22 P (Geonim)Havdalah

8:52 P (Rabbeinu Tam)


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57 8

B A C K G R O U N D - E SSA Y

Prayer the Essence of Mank indPrayer is not a gender related issue. That is to say, man was created with a uniqueability and need to communicate with his creator. This is perhaps the most

impor tant aspect, which distinguishes man f rom anim als. When G-d created M an,

H e blew in to his nostrils a breath of li fe. Onk eles explains that this phenomenon is

referring specif ically to M ans abili ty to articulate his emo tion s and spirit with words

and speech.

The verse in Bereishis7 reads; All the wild shrubs did not yet exist on the earth, and

all the wild plants had not yet sprouted. This was because H ashem had not brought

rain on the earth, and there was no man to work the ground.

Rashi explains that what this really means is that since there was no man to

appreciate the rain and pray for it to happen; therefore H ashem did not yet cause it

to rain and make plant life grow. This in essence means H ashem waited for man to

take note of the needs of the world and to commun icate to H im to interact w ith

the world and sustain it with i ts needs.

When the world was created, the vegetation of the ground that was created on D ay

3 of Creation lay dormant at the earths surface without further development or

progress. Rain was lacking, and H ashem did not grant it to the world until the

creation of Man at which point, he prayed for it and H ashem granted his wish.

A lthough rain appears to be a natural phenom enon, H ashem apport ions it to theworld in varying amounts, at dif ferent places and dif ferent times. Rain can come as

a blessing or it can come as a curse. It can be withheld altogether causing great

famine and drought. O ur Sages taught that the key that cont rols rain is solely in the

hand of G-d and not in the hands of any M alachim (angels); thus, when we need

rain, we must realize that were beseeching H ashem directly to give us rain. This

communication is unique to all Mankind alike. Men, women and even children cry

out to H ashem for their needs as depicted throughout Tanach over and over again.

The Torah relates the prayers recited by famous individuals throughout history

including those that were said by illustrious women. Chazal (our Sages) teach that

the matriarchs were childless for many years so that they would pour their heartsout in prayer to H ashem. H ashem indulges in the prayers of H is loved ones.

7 2:5


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57 9

Undoubtedly, prayer defines the essence of M an. I n the G emara Bava Kama8, M an is

referred to as M aveh (one who prays) as the verse states, O mar Shomer, assa bok er

vegam layla, im tibayoun bayou (Says the watchman: M orning comes, and also n ight; i f

you seek, seek). Rashi explains: this verse refers to H ashem as the watchman Who

says when morning, the period in history when H ashem will redeem the righteous

from their exile, arr ives; and darkness is cast upon the wicked; if one wishes to beg

fo rgiveness and repent, they should do so. T hus the term bayou defines M an as one

who seeks and prays (davens) to H ashem for f orgiveness.

Throughout the generations, the Book of Tehillim was perhaps the most worn

volume of the entire T anach, as men, women, and children pored over its pages,

reciting fervent prayer in times of need. The power of prayer is most often

augmented with the recital of Tehillim as D ovid H amelech captures the heart and soul

of Jews in all situations in lif e throughout t ime, in the timeless words of Tehillim.

According to this, one may find it difficult to understand why women were in fact

excused and exempted f rom certain obligations of daily prayer?

The A budraham explains that the reason that women were exempted from certain

obligations of prayer was because of the womans central role in the Jewish home.

As a mother and housewife a woman finds herself investing most of her time and

energy in ensuring the best possible environm ent to nurture and raise her precious

Jewish family. The crown achievement of a woman is her family. She is the

irreplaceable foundation and cornerstone of Jewish continuity. Because of this, a

woman has certain H alachically defined allowances that make prayer less intrusive and

interfering with her ro le at home. I t w ould be an enormous error to say wom en are

exempt from prayer. Women in fact are always praying for the health and welfare

of their loved ones, whether when lighting the candles to greet the Shabbos; by the

ritual of separating dough from the Challah; or when rocking their little ones to

sleep. A true Jewish mother is depicted as one who drenches her Tehillim quietly in

tears.

With this in mind, let us proceed to outline the H alachic parameters of womens

obligations in prayer.

The Daily PrayersD uring the course of the year, the general format of daily prayer consists of three

main prayers; Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv. These three prayers are recited

throughout the course of the year w ithout exception . The Mussaf Prayer is added

8 D af 3b


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on certain days of the year such as the three festivals, Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, and

also on Rosh Chodesh. There is an obligation for m en to pray these prayers daily and

to get together in groups of at least ten adults to form a M inyan. Women are not

only exempt from praying these prayers together with a M inyan, but what is more

significant is that they do not combine together with others to complete a M inyan.

N evertheless, they do share the benefits of praying with a M inyan if they choose to

attend. H owever, historically, women in general did not commonly attend a daily

M inyan to pray. They did commonly attend prayer in shul on Shabbos and on

festivals.

Tefilla ObligationThere are various opinions and customs as to the extent o f a wom ans obligation in

daily prayer. One opinion is that a woman is required to pray at least one time a

day, but it doesnt have to be Shemoneh E srei. It could be any Tefilla Ketzara (shortprayer) which conforms to the basic components9 of a Tefilla (prayer).

Sephardi women should pray at least one Shemoneh E srei; preferably Shacharis. I f a

woman was unable to pray (daven) Shacharis until Chatzos (midday), she should pray

M incha, or at least the Shemoneh E srei of M aariv10 . The prayers of Shemoneh E srei of

women must follow the times for prayer for each prayer they wish to pray ( daven).

Rav Ovadiah Y osef shli ta considers it praiseworthy for a woman to recite all three of

the daily prayers in their correct times11.

A woman of A shk enazi descent should pray Shacharis and M incha. Some Posk im

require her to recite M aariv as well. The prevalent custom is to just pray Shacharisand M incha.

A woman who is busy caring for her children or some other similar situation where

she cannot always find time to pray (daven) is exempt from the above obligation.

She should recite at least a T efilla K etzara (shor t prayer).

9 See next H eading

10 Y alkut Y osef Otzar D inim L eIsha U leBas 3:2

11 Please refer to page 576 for a sample chart for times for Tefilla (prayer)


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58 1

The Basic Components of Tefilla

The Pri Megadim12 explains:

According to the Rambam13, the M itzvah of Tefilla consists of 3 parts:

a) Shevach (Praise): An introduction of praise

to H ashem

b) Bakasha (Request): A prayer asking H ashem

to prov ide us with our needs

c) Hodaah (Appreciation) A closing of

additional praise and appreciation to H ashem.

Birchas Hashachar, Birchos HaTorah

Rav Shlomo Z alman A uerbach ztl rules that wom en who do not pray the full Shemoneh

E srei prayers, should at least recite Bir chas H ashachar with the last section containing

the Y ehi Ratzone (M ay it be the will). O therwise, they can recite Bi rchos H aT orah,

which consists of a praise of Baruch A tta H ashem A sher K idshanu BeM itzvosav

V etzivanu L aasok (or A l) D ivrei T orah; a request V eha'arev N ah (Please sweeten)

and a praise and appreciation A sher Bachar Banu M ik ol H aamim (That You chose

us from all the nations).

Modeh Ani

M odeh14 A ni (I thank) contains Praise to H ashem and an Appreciation. A woman can

add a personal Request and with this addit ion, she has fulf illed her Torah obligation

to pray. This works according to R av Shlomo Z alman A uerbach ztl even though the

Request comes after the Praise and Appreciation. On the other hand, Rav Chaim

K anievsk y shli ta is quoted as saying that the Request must be in-between the Praise

and Appreciation. R av M oshe Shternbuch shli ta points out that one who wishes to

consider this her prayer for the purpose of fulfilling her Torah obligation must

have explicit intent to fulfill her M itzvah.

12 Introduction H ilchos T efill a Simon 89

13 H ilchos T efilla Perek 1: 2

14 According to Rav A uerbach the correct pronunciation for w omen is M odoh A ni


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58 2

Birchas Hamazon

Bir chas H amazon is another way a woman can fulfill her obligation to pray. In Birchas

H amazon all three components of tefilla are included. One would be required to

have intent that this should count towards her obligation to pray.

H owever, since wom en are not supposed to eat before praying (davening), how

would it be possible for a woman to fulfill her requirement of Tefilla with Birchas

H amazon? Perhaps this is only a practical solution for a woman who is not well and

she is required to eat breakfast for health reasons. Such a woman can fulfill her

obligation of Tefilla with Bi rchasH amazon if shes not well enough to daven as usual.

Al Net illas Yadayim, Asher Yatzar and Elokaye

Neshama

Women customarily recite all these three blessings including A l N etillas Y adayim,when reciting it before praying (davening) Shemoneh E srei.

A Womans Obligat ion in Birchos HaTorahThe M echaber15 rules that women should recite Bi rchos H aT orah. There is an issue

whether women can say this blessing and have men fulfill their requirement by

listening to their blessing16. The reason for this difference is because women are not

obligated in the M itzvah of Torah study. Rav Ovadiah Y osef shlita maintains that

women should recite Bi rchos H aT orah; but if they have a doubtful situation where

theyre not sure whether they said Bi rchos H aT orah, they shouldnt recite it17 since

their obligation in this bracha is at most a D eRabbanan (a Rabbinic ruling)18.

A Womans Obligat ion in Birchos Hashachar19

The M ishna Berura brings a proof that the Mechabers opinion is that women

should recite Bir chos H ashachar. The proof to this is that the M echaber says in Simon

4620 that instead of reciting the blessing She'l o A ssani I sha (Who has not made me a

15 Shulchan A ruch O rach C haim Simon 47:14

16 SeeShulchan A ruch O rach Ch aim end of Simon 47 and also M ishna Berura and Biur H alacha.


18 See also M ishna Berura in Biur H alacha who concurs with this.

19 The arrangement of blessings recited each morning beginning with the blessing of A sher nassan L asechvi veena,

le'havchin bein yomeuvein layla (Who the gives the heart/ rooster understanding to di scern between day and night)

20 Seif 4


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woman), women should recite Sheassani Kiretzono (Who made me in accordance to

H is will). T his implies that w om en recite the rest o f the blessings as well21.

A d iscussion w hether th e Bircho s H ashachar may be said past the tim e allott ed fo r Tefillas Shacharis (M or ning

Prayer) is discussed by the M ishna Berura (Sim on 70 :1, M ishna Berura s

k 2, and Simo n 52 , M ishna Berura s

k10) A s for the op inion of the M echaber and th e opp osing view of the Rama regarding saying the blessings for

time-bound M itzvos for w om en, see Simo n 17:2, and Simo n 589 :6.

Birchos Hashachar: A Womans Version

Although women should really say Shelo A ssani

Goyah (Gentile) and Shelo A ssani Shifchah in the

feminine instead of Shelo A ssani Goy and Shelo A ssani

Ahved; nevertheless they recite these blessings the

same way men recite them, since both men and

women recite them for the same reason 22. Other Posk im maintain that they shouldsay it in the feminine; Shelo A ssani G oyah and Shelo A ssani Shi fchah. However, the

Kaf H achaim23 quotes the sefer Olas Shabbos as saying that they should omit

H ashems name from this blessing, since the Talmud does not mention such a

blessing. N evertheless, one may say it using H ashems N ame, according to Ben Ish

Chai24 and also according to the opinion of the Yalkut Yosef25. A shk enazic Posk im

maintain that women should recite these blessing exactly as men. Rav Ovadiah Y osef

shlita maintains that with regard to the womans special bracha of Sheassani Kiretzono,

a woman should not mention the H ashem E lok einu M elech H aolam when saying th is

bracha since this bracha is not mentioned by the Talmud.

21 This seems to include the blessings of O zer Y israel B igvura and Oteir Y israel Besifara. The relevance this has to

wom en was discussed at the end of shiur 4

22 These blessings are to give t hanks to H ashem for creating us as Jews who are obligated to perform H is M itzvos

and we are also sanctif ied as Jews who are one nation and marry into each other.

23 46:42

24 Parshas V ayeishev # 9

25 H ilchos Bi rchos H ashachar # 6 (page 52)

Shelo Assani Goyah,Shelo Assani Shifchah

Shelo Assani Goy

Shelo Assani Ah ved


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Pesukei DeZimraRegarding Pesuk ei D eZimra, the M ishna Berura cites the opin ion of R ebbe A k iva E iger

ztl that women are obligated to

recite it since its entire purpose is apreparation for Shemoneh E srei, by first

praising H ashem and asking our

personal requests in Shemoneh E srei.

Since women are obligated to pray

(daven) Shemoneh E srei, they should also

pray (daven) Pesuk ei D eZimra. H owever, the Shulchan A ruch H arav disagrees26. H e

says that women do not have to recite Pesuk ei D eZimra; if they wish to recite it,

they may. He maintains that they may also recite its blessings (i.e. Baruch Sheamar

and Y ishtabach). On the other hand, Rav O vadiah Y osef shlita maintains that Sephardic

women who follow the opinion of the M echaber27

are not allowed to recite any ofthese brochos (blessings), since the position of the M echaber is that women are not

allowed to recite blessings for M itzvos from which they are exempt. Only women

from A shk enazic descent who follow the opinion of the Rama regarding blessings

for M itzvos they voluntarily perform, may recite these blessings as well.

Women: Birchos Krias Shema and Krias ShemaThe Mechaber states that women are exempt from Krias Shema because it is a

M itzvas A ssei Shehazeman

Gramma (a positive, time-

bound M itzvah).

The M agen A vraham adds that

they are also exempt from the

Birchos Krias Shema because

they are only recited when its

time for T efillas Shacharis. Thus, they too are considered Zeman Gramma (time-

bound).

How Late can Women Recite Krias Shema and

Birchos Krias Shema?As mentioned above, women do not have an obligation beyond the first pasuk of

Shema. H owever, if they choose to recite all three parshiyos (sections) like men they

26 Simon 70: 1. H e says the same regarding the Birchos Krias Shema

27 See box on page 576

W om en sho uld recite PesukeiDeZim ra wit h the opening Baruch

Sheamar and clo sing Yishtabachbrochos, according t o mo st Poskim.

According to Rav Ovadiah Yosefshlita, Sephardic wo men are notallowed to recite these blessings.

W om en are exemp t fro m recitin g Krias Shem a. They are alsono t o bligated t o recite Birchos Krias Shem a (i.e. The b lessings

of Yotzeir Ohr, Ahavah Rabba).

They are requir ed to at least recite the first pasuk o f Shem aYisrael and Baruch Sheim Kevo de etc.

Accord ing to m ost Poskim, w om en are allow ed to recite allthese brochos. According to Rav Ovadiah Yosef shlit a,

Sephardic wo men are not allowed to recite these blessings.


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are commended for doing so. In such a case, they should also recite the three

words K eil M elech N eeman at the beginning of Krias Shema to complete the number

of w ords in Krias Shema to 248 equal to the number of limbs in the human body28.

Even those women who are scrupulous to recite the three parshiyos of K rias Shema

do not have to recite it particularly in the first quarter of the day, since women are

not obligated in this M itz vah, which is a time-bound M itzvah. If they wish to recite

K rias Shema with its brochos, then they are required to recite it before the end of the

fir st third o f the day, which is the ending tim e for reciting T efill as Shacharis

Zechiras Yetzias Mitzrayim:

Remembering the Exodus from EgyptAccording to H alacha, it is a M itzvah to remember the Exodus from Egypt (Z echir as

Y etzias M itzrayim) twice each day; once in the morning and a second time in the

evening. The Pri M egadim mentions that according to the view that Z echiras Y etz iasM itzrayim at night is only a M itzvah deRabbanan (a Rabbinic directive), then Z echir as

Y etzias M itzrayim is definitely a M itzvas

A ssei Shehazeman G ramma, since

according to Torah-law the M itzvah is only

in the morning; hence, women are

exempt . H owever, the M agen A vraham29

rules that women are required to fulf ill

this M itzvah. Accordingly, they should recite

the bracha of E mmes V eYatziv in the

daytime especially if they are not reading theentire Krias Shema, in order for them to

fulfill the M itzvah by reciting this

blessing.

O nce they are doing this already, they

should not interrupt between the

closing of this bracha which is G oal

Y israel and the start of Shemoneh E srei in

order to fulfill the M itzvah of being Somech G eulah L eTefilla (putting together the

bracha of G oal Y israel with Shemoneh E srei). Otherwise, a woman who recites all three

sections (parshiyos) of Krias Shema fulfills the M itzvah of Remembering our departure

from Egypt (Z echiras Y etzias M itzr ayim) with the final verse in the third paragraph of

28 Please refer to Roadmap to Prayer Lesson 14, page 216

29 Simon 70:1

W om en who recite al l 3 portionsof Krias Shema do not have to

recite them before the ending tim efor t he M orning Shema (after 3

H alachic hours of the day).

If they w ish to recite Shema alongw ith Bircho s Krias Shem a, theymust recite it befo re the ending

time for praying Shacharis (after 4H alachic hour s of th e day). Som e

allow them to recite it until

Chatzos (noo n). W om en are alsonot obligated to recite Birchos KriasShem a (i.e. The blessings of Yo tzeirOhr, Ahavah Rabba). According tomo st Poskim w om en are al low ed

to recite all these brochos.

According to Rav Ovadiah Yosefshlita, Sephardic wo men are notallow ed to recite th ese b lessings.


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Shema. They may then recite Shemoneh E srei any time later if they dont have time to

recite both the bracha of E mmes V eYatziv and the enti re Shemoneh E srei right now.

The S h a agas A r y eh 30 di sagrees w i t h the M a gen A v r ah a m s interpretation of

this H alacha citing the widespread custom amongst women not to pray (daven)formal prayers, and at the

same time they are also not

cautious to fulfill the M itzvah

of Z echiras Y etzi as M itzrayim.

H e wr ites about this laxity;

H anach lahem leY israel, im

einom N eviim bnei N eviim heim

(take no notice of the

children of Israel, for if they

are not prophets, they arechildren of prophets)31. He

concludes that in fact,

women are exempt from

the Mitzvah of Zechiras

Yetzias Mitzrayim even if

the M itzvah applies to both

daytime and nighttime. The

logic of this is that the two

are separate M itzvos and they

do not complement each other. If the daytime M itzvah is missed, one cannot makeup for it at night. Similarly, if the nighttime one was missed, one cannot make up

for it in the daytime. Thus, even Z echiras Y etzi as M itz rayim is a M itzvas A ssei

Shehazeman G ramma from which women are exempt 32.

TachanunThe prevalent custom is that women dont recite this blessing33. Rav Ovadiah Y osef

shlita mentions34 that it would be befitting for a woman to recite the V iduy (sin-

confession) portion of Tachanun. The M achzeh E liyahu refers us to the original

30 Simon 13

31 Shabbos 148b

32 Shaarei T eshuvah 70: 1

33 T efill a K ehil chasa 15:5


W om en wh o perhaps om it the first tw o blessings beforeKrias Shem a shou ld at least recite th e blessing th at fo llow sKri as Shem a (i.e. Emm es VeYatziv) in order to fulfill the

M itzvah of Zechiras Yetzias M itzrayim (Remem bering theExod us from Egypt) w ith it.

After finishing the blessing of Emmes VeYatziv w ith theclosing bracha of Go al Yisrael, a w om an should pro ceed topray (daven) Shemoneh Esrei wit hout delay or int erruptionto be Somech Geulah leTefilla ( recite Shem on eh Esrei right

after Go al Yisrael).It is better fo r a w om an to recite the first v erse of Shema

alone; then the blessing of Emmes VeYatziv and pro ceed to

Shemoneh Esrei; rather than recite the full 3 sections ofShema and Shem on eh Esrei w itho ut th e bracha of Em m es

VeYatziv.According to Rav Ovadiah Yosef shlita, Sephardic

w omen are not allowed to recite this blessing either.

W om en should f ulfill this M itzvah at night in the samemanner as by day. In practice, W om en w ho d on t davenM aariv usually do not fulfill this M itzvah unless they aremeticulous to recite the 3 parshiyos (section s) o f Shem abefore going to bed. According to the Shaagas Ar yeh,

women do not customary fulfill this Mitzvah, even in

the morning.


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reason for reciting T achanun with N efi llas A payim35 ; which is to follow the different

manners which M oshe R abbeinu beseeched H ashem; sitting down, standing up, and

falling to his face. Since women are exempt from the main order of prayer, they

wouldnt fall to their faces either.

Ashrei and Uva LeTziyoneThis prayer does not have to be recited by women. N evertheless, wom en

comm only recite this prayer anyway; tim e permitt ing.

Aleinu, Shir shel YomWomen m ost comm only say A leinu as a closing to whichever Tefilla they recite. The

Song of the day (Shir shel Y om) is like A shrei and U va L eT ziyone.

Ein KElokeinu and Pittum HaketoresWomen do not commonly recite the recital of E in K Elokeinu and PittumH aketores as it is mainly fo r men to recite for the M itzvah of Torah study. Sincewomen are not obligated to study Torah per se, they dont usually recite this portionas part of their personal prayer.

Tefillas MussafThe Posk im (authorities on H alachic matters) discuss whether women are obligated

in the M ussaf prayers of Rosh Chodesh and the festivals. Since the K orban M ussaf was

brought f rom the Shek alim coin donations which men are obligated and women are

exempt, the question arises whether women were included in the M itzvah to pray(daven) T efillas M ussaf. R ebbe A k iva E iger ztl in his notes to Shulchan A ruch36 writes

that it is customary for wom en to recite the Shemoneh E srei of M ussaf in addition to

Shemoneh E srei of Shacharis and M incha. Rav Ben T ziyone A bba Shaul ztl, concurs with

this opinion even for Sephardic women. R av Ovadiah Y osef shli ta maintains that it is

better for women not recite T efill as M ussaf on their own. They should rather listen

to the Shaliach Tzibbur and fulfill the M itzvah through listening. H e adds that i f a

Sephardi women wishes to recite T efil las M ussaf on her own she is permitted. On

Rosh H ashanah and Yom Kippur where M ussaf is also a contains special prayers for

personal matters, a woman is required to recite them. Likewise, women should

recite the N e

ilah Prayer on Yom Kippur37

.

35 Falling on ones face which we do by leaning on our forearm

36 Simon 106



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58 8

HallelWomen are exempt from reciting H allel on R osh C hodesh and other festivals,

because it is a M itzvas A ssei Shehazeman G ramma (a time-bound M itzvah). Women

are obligated to recite H allel at the Seder on Pesach night. Some Poskim requirewomen to recite H allel on Chanukah as well38. Rav Ovadiah Y osef shli ta holds that

women are not ob ligated to recite Hallel except on the night of Pesach (Passover).

O n R osh Chodesh, Chanukah or other Y omim T ovim (Festivals) Sephardi women who

recite H allel should not recite the blessing at its beginning or its end39.

Tefilla Priorit ies for WomenWomen who are busy with their children at home are exempt from the M itzvah of

prayer at that time. Therefore, if need be, they can skip the prayer at that time of

day. If they will have some time to pray some parts of tefilla but not all, she should

plan to recite as much as she can, according to the following order of importanceand priorities.

P R I O R I T I E S :

I . Shem oneh Esrei

II. First v erse of Shema and Baruch Sheim Kev ode M alchusso etc.

III. Em m e s V eYatziv until t he end (Go al Yisrael) w ith Shem on eh Esrei im m ediatelyafterw ards.

IV. Bircho s H ashachar and Birchos H aTorah w ith the selection of v erses.

V. The com plete Shem a and the tw o bro chos that precede i t (according to m ost

Poskim).V I. Baruch Sheamar and Yishtabach w ith at least A shrei in-betw een (accord ing to

m o st Po skim , see details abov e).

Davening Shemoneh Esrei w hile Standing or

SittingIt is always preferable to pray (daven) Shemoneh E srei while one is standing in one

place. H owever, at times it becomes necessary to allow Shemoneh E srei to be recited

while seated. If one doesnt have enough time in the day to pray before traveling

one can use the time during travel to pray (daven) Shemoneh E srei even while seated.

If however a woman knows that she could pray (daven) most of davening up until

Shemoneh E srei and then pray (daven) Shemoneh E srei while traveling and seated, she

38 T oras Raphael Orach Chaim 75, M oadim U Z emanim 2:146. See also Iggros M oshe Volume 1:190 who mentions

such an obligation.



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58 9

should rather pray (daven) Shemoneh E srei at home even though she will have to skip

most of the regular davening, parts of which she cannot recite after Shemoneh E srei.

This is true even if this will prevent her from being able to be Somech G eulah

leTefilla.

Act ivities one must Refrain from before

DaveningA woman who prays (davens) at home should not involve herself in any activities

before praying (davening) first. This includes activities that take time to perform such

as many household chores. She may however perform activities that do not take

time such as turning the washing machine on, when everything was already placed

inside the washer the night before. If a wom an needs to care for her young children

to help feed them breakfast or get them off to school, she may do so even if this

will delay her davening. If taking care of her childrens needs takes up all her timefo r davening, thats a priori ty, which exempts her from that prayer altogether.

A woman who serves her husband breakfast is also considered a priority in prayer

and she should not delay him because of her prayer.

Eating before Praying (Davening)There is a H alacha (Jewish Law) that anyone who is already Bar/ Bat M itzvah that

they not eat or drink in the morning before praying (davening) first. Children under

that age may eat before praying (davening) even if they are physically strong enough

to wait to eat breakfast until after praying (davening). The general M itzvah of Chinuch

(training children in M itzvos at age-appropriate times) doesnt apply to eating before

praying (davening), just like with regard to eating before Kiddush on Shabbos40.

Therefore, children may eat breakfast before satisfying their requirement in the

M itzvah of Tefilla (prayer).

Girls Who Pray (Daven) in SchoolGirls who are already Bas M itzvah who pray (daven) in school and do not have time

to eat breakfast there, may recite a short Tefilla (prayer) at home before leaving for

school allowing them to eat breakfast before davening the rest of T efil las Shachari s.

The short Tefilla (prayer) should consist of 3 parts as explained earlier in this lesson.

40 Simon 106 M ishna Berura k 5


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59 0

Kiddush on Shabbos: Eating before KiddushOn Shabbos the law is that one may not eat or drink anything before Kiddush41 .

There is also a prohibition that one should not eat or drink before praying

(davening)42. Beverages that are drunk mainly for their health benefit and not for thesake of enjoyment are not prohibited before praying (davening) Shacharis in the

morning. For example, coffee is a drink that people usually drink to help them

function better in the morn ing and is commonly drunk before praying (davening).

When one wishes to drink or eat something on Shabbos morning, one is only

allowed to drink something before Kiddush if one is presently not allowed to eat a

meal yet. Since the M itzvah of Kiddush requires that it be accompanied by a meal

(K iddush B emak om Seudah) one only becomes obligated in the M itzvah of Kiddush at

such a time. Since one may not eat a meal before praying ( davening) in the morning,

at that time the obligation of Kiddush has not yet begun because of the prohibition

to eat a meal before praying (davening), thus creating a leniency allow ing one to dr ink

something before Kiddush. Accordingly, a woman that intends to pray (daven)

Shacharis later in the morning may drink something before Kiddush on Shabbos

since she anyhow may not partake in a meal until after Shacharis. On the other hand

women who generally fulfill their obligation to pray by reciting just a short prayer as

mentioned earlier in this lesson, R av Shlomo Z alman A uerbach ztl rules that such

women become obligated in Kiddush since they already satisfied their obligation of

prayer. If such a woman wants to drink something on Shabbos morning before

Kiddush should be careful not to recite any blessing before drinking on Shabbos

morning. Otherwise, they would become obligated in Kiddush since they already

fulfilled their obligation to pray and as a result they would become obligated torecite Kiddush first. 43

41 Simon 289: 1

42 Simon 89: 3

43 See Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchaso quoting Rav A uerbch extensively in Volume 2 Chapter 52:13 and in the footnotes.

H e also mentions that unless one intends to eat a considerable amount of fo od as in a case of one who is ill, one

should not make Kiddush for food considered to be just a snack. Rav M oshe Feinstein zt l has a different view

regarding a married woman.


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Questions:1) H ow can women fulfill their obligation to pray (daven)?

2) D o men share the same H alachos regarding these various combinations for themorning prayers (T efil las Shachar is)?

3) Which of the following may a woman recite after praying (davening) Shemoneh

E srei? 1) Pesuk ei D eZimra including its brochos. 2) 3 sections of Shema including

its brochos.

4) I s it better for a woman to recite Shemoneh E srei on the bus while sitting down

and praying (davening) all of Shacharis according to it s regular order, or is it better

for a woman to skip Krias Shema and its brochos in order to recite Shemoneh E srei

at hom e while standing?

5) What should a woman pray (daven) in order to be permitted to eat breakfast at

home before praying (davening) the regular order of Shacharis in school?

6) W hat did H ashem do by Creation which specif ically taught us the signif icance of

Tefilla (prayer)?

7) A re women obligated to recite Bi rchos H aT orah? If they do, can they say it to be

motzee (fulfill) a mans obligation?

8) Should women recite Bir chos H ashachar? What is an obvious proo f to th is?

9) Should women recite Pesuk ei D eZimra with the opening and closing brochos?

10) H ow late can a wom an recite the brochos for Krias Shema?

11) H ow late can a woman recite Shemoneh E srei of Shacharis?

12) What does the Shaagas A ryeh comment with regard to a wom ans obligation in

the M itzvah of Z echiras Y etzias M itz rayim?

13) A re women obligated in the M itzvah of reciting H allel at any time that H allel is

recited during the course of the year?

14) Why is E mmes V eYatziv considered a high priority for an A shk enazi woman to

recite according to all Rabbinical A uthorit ies (Posk im)?

15) M ay a child that is of Chinuch-age allowed to eat before praying (davening)?


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16) M ay a child that is of Chinuch-age allowed to eat before Kiddush on Shabbos

morning?

17) When is a wom an not even allowed to drink water befo re reciting K iddush on

Sahbbos morning even before praying (davening) T efil las Shachari s?


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Answers:1) They can f ulfill it either by reciting a Tefilla Ketzara (short prayer) consisting of a

Praise to H ashem, a Request, and an Appreciation, according to some

Rabbinical Authorities (Posk im). According to other Posk im, women should

make an eff ort to recite at least the Shemoneh E srei of Shacharis and M incha.

2) N o. M en are generally required to follow the basic order of reciting Pesuk ei

D eZimra, three sections of Shema along with all its brochos, followed

immediately by Shemoneh E srei.

3) After reci ting Shemoneh E srei, even women may not recite the brochos fo r Pesuk ei

D eZimra. They may however, recite the three sections of Shema along with its

brochos.

4) If a woman can pray (daven) Shemoneh E srei at hom e while standing after sunrise

(H aN eitz H achamah), she should do so even if this causes her to pray (daven) the

rest of Shacharis out of order.

5) She should first pray (daven) a T efilla K etzara as outlined in A nswer # 1.

6) H ashem created the vegetation on the 3rd day of Creation, yet H e didnt bring

the rain to make it grow until Adam saw the need and prayed ( davened) to

H ashem for rain. Th is teaches us the impor tance of prayer.

7) Women reci te Bi rchos H aT orah. It is questionable though whether theirparticipation in this bracha is sufficient to help be motzee (fulfill) a mans

obligation through her recital of the bracha.

8) Women do reci te Bir chos H ashachar as it is evident from the special bracha that

only wom en recite; the bracha Sheassani Kiretzono.

9) There is a dispute amongst the recent Rabbinical A uthor ities (Posk im) whether

Sephardi women are permitted to recite the brochos for Pesuk ei D eZimra.

10) A wom an should preferably not recite the brochos fo r Krias Shema past the

regular time for morning Prayers (T efillas Shacharis) which is at the end of thefourth H alachic H our of the day. If necessary, she may recite them as late as

Chatzos (midday).

11) The same as in the previous answer (Answer # 10).


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12) H e comm ents that women in general are not meticulous in perfo rming the

M itzvah of Z echiras Y etzias M itz rayim. H e explains that the reason for this is

because it is a M itzvas A ssei Shehazeman Gramma (a commandment which

requires that it be performed within a certain time) from which women are

exempt.

13) Women are generally exempt f rom reciting H allel (although they commonly do)

except for the night of Pesach. Some Rabbinical Authorities (Posk im) maintain

that women are obl igated to recite H allel on Chanukah as well.

14) E mmes V eYatziv contains in it the commemoration of remembering our

Exodus from Egypt (Z echiras Y etzias M itz rayim) which is obligatory for women

according to some Rabbinical Authorities (Posk im).

15) Yes, except that he should recite Shema first.

16) Yes.

17) A wom an who does not intend to pray (daven) Shemoneh E srei of Shacharis, and

she already satisfied her obligation to pray (daven) by saying a short prayer

(Tefilla Ketzara), she may not even drink water before reciting Kiddush since she

became obligated to recite Kiddush with her short Tefilla.

roadmap to prayer lesson 38

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