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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/