A Woman Who Forgot to Say Ya'aleh Veyavo on Rosh Chodesh

Shalom Rav,

1. A woman who forgot to say 'Ya'aleh Veyavo' in Shacharit or Mincha must return and pray again. Nevertheless, since women of the Sephardic communities are required to pray only once a day, if she has prayed more than one prayer during the day and forgot to say 'Ya'aleh Veyavo', it is good for her to say before returning to pray, 'If I am required to pray again, may my prayer be a prayer of obligation, and if I am not required to return and pray, may this prayer of mine be a voluntary prayer' (Responsa Yabia Omer, Part 6, Part Orach Chaim, Siman 18, and the book Hazon Ovadia, Chanukah, page 283).

2. This applies specifically to the prayers of Shacharit or Mincha, however, someone who did not say 'Ya'aleh Veyavo' in the Arvit prayer of Rosh Chodesh does not return, regardless of whether Rosh Chodesh is one day or two days, because we do not sanctify the month at night (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, Siman 682, Seif 1).

Only if she remembers that she did not say 'Ya'aleh Veyavo' before she says the name of Hashem in the blessing of 'Hamachzir Shechinato LiTzion', does she need to return to say 'Ya'aleh Veyavo' (see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, Siman 675, Seif 4, and Mishnah Berurah, S"K 7, and Siman 682, S"K 2).

With blessings,

Hillel Meirs