[Avodah] women and kiddush levanahafter

[Chana Luntz]

RET wrote:
 
> after chana nicely summarized various opinions about women and havdala
> can someone also please summarize the minhagim about women saying/not
> saying kiddush levana

I didn't think there was that much to say.

There seems to be (as far as I am aware) close to universal agreement that it is a rabbinic mitzvah aseh shehazman grama, and hence women are patur.  And while the gemora in Sanhedrin 42a seems to suggest that their women (or Babalonian women, or some of their women) did say kiddish levana (possibly linking it to the special observation of Rosh Chodesh by women), as far as I was aware, the close to universal custom is, as the Aruch HaShulchan notes (Orech Chaim siman 426 at the end), that women do not say it.  Those who hold, like ROY for example, that women cannot say brochos in relation to mitzvos for which they are patur, are clearly not going to allow them to say it, at least with shem and malchus, and in addition, the Shlah (as quoted by the Magen Avraham and the Mishna Brura on Orech Chaim siman 426) holds that (even for Ashkenazim) women should not say it on the grounds that they caused the pegam of the moon.

Are you aware of anything else?  Indeed do you know of anywhere where the custom of women was to say it?

 
> --
> Eli Turkel

Regards

Chana