Vayigash Bulletin in PDF format

The berachah which women make in the morning–she’asanee kiretzono–has three different meanings suggested by the commentaries:

  1. According to the Tur, it is a form of tzidduk hadin over the fact that she has less mitzvos than a man does.
  2. According to Rav Samson Rafael Hirsch, it is a form of thanksgiving that she is exempt from certain mitzvos due to her already-elevated soul, thus freeing her to establish a Jewish home and to raise her children.
  3. According to Teshuvos Yeshuos Yaakov, it is a reference to the medrash which states that HKBH “consulted” with the angels over Adam’s being created. There was no such consultation over woman’s creation, as HKBH saw the absolute necessity in creating her. Thus–kiretzono!

I asked Rabbi Ari Enkin, a noted mechaber of Halachic works and a former shiur-giver at BTYA, to give some mar’ei mekomos for the issue of the kedushah in the ezras nashim of a Shul. Here they are!

Below are sources on the kedusha of the ezras nashim: Pri Megadim E.A. 151:1 Avnei Nezer 33 (he says it has kedusha — but less than the beis haknesses) Aruch Hashulchan 154:7 Minchas Yitzchak 7:8 Shevet Halevi 5:21 Chochmas Adam 86:15 (No kedusha at all!!) Mishnas Yosef Hilchos Beis Haknesses 19