(c) Apr 18 2001 RashiYomi Inc. MY COLLECTED & INDEXED MAIL JEWISH POSTINGS-Ver #1
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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@saber.towson.edu> Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 23:56:31 -0400 (EDT) Subject: RE: Women and their obligation to Pray with A Minyan Rena in v31n98 writes >Women are not obligated ever to daven with a minyan, but this has Actually according to the Rambam (a) All people (men/women) are Biblically required to pray (Say Shmoneh Esray) when they have needs (b) All people (men/women)achieve a higher status of prayer by praying with a community (c) It is rabinically required to pray with a community (10 men) WHEN you have an obligation to pray. I realize that the sources on prayer are very rich AND varied in both Rishonim and Acharonim but I would not make a blanket statement that women NEVER are required to daven with a minyan. In a recent mail jewish I advanced the idea that the reason for a minyan of TEN is to commemorate the sin of the spies-- the slander of only 10 spies destroyed the whole community. Thus every time we pray we remember the importance of abstaining from slander---it would seem clear then that BOTH men and women must perform this commemoration (even if women did not participate in the sin of the spies...they still need to remind themselves of the importance of this mitzvah). Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; RHendel@Towson.Edu Moderator Rashi Is Simple http://www.shamash.org/rashi/