עברית
Prayer and Blessings
What Should a Woman Pray in the Morning?
Question
Hello esteemed Rabbi, and thank you for your response.
What should a Sephardic woman pray in the morning at home?
I understand that I need to say the morning blessings.
Do I also need to include the Shema and its blessings?
Furthermore, what about the Shacharit prayer? If so, should I recite it in full?
Thank you for your help, Rabbi
Answer
Greetings,
It should be noted that Sephardi women are only required to pray once a day, and they can choose which prayer (Shacharit, Minchah, or Maariv) they wish to recite, although it is preferable to choose the Shacharit prayer (Responsa Yabia Omer, Part 6, section 17).
A Sephardic woman who chooses to pray Shacharit should do the following: First, she should recite the morning blessings (which a woman is obligated to say every day), except for the blessing “who has not made me a woman,” which she instead replaces with “who has made me according to His will” without using the Divine Name. If she wishes, she may also recite the blessings of the Torah. Then, it is recommended that she say the verse “Shema Yisrael” and “Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom forever and ever,” to accept the yoke of Heaven upon herself. If she wishes, she may recite all the verses of the Shema, and afterwards, she should pray the Amidah. However, she is not allowed to recite the blessings “Blessed is He who spoke” and “May His name be blessed” and the blessings of the Shema with a Divine Name (Halacha Brura, Part 5, page 455).
Best regards,
Hillel Meirs
