[Avodah] [Areivim] women making a zimun

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

Bringing this thread to where this belongs.

On Tue, Jun 02, 2015 at 08:56:59AM -0400, Sholom Simon via Areivim wrote:

:> There was no family or community prior to the 20th century in
:> which girls  or women bentshed with a zimun.

: I always wondered about that vis-a-vis the following:

: The SA"HaRav (written by somebody who was certainly not a feminist)
: at 199:6 writes that three women who are eating together (provided
: there are less than 10 men) are permitted to break away and make
: their own zimmun.  (l'chelek l'zimun l'atzman).
...
: What I've always wondered about was: is he writing entirely
: theoretically, or was there a practice among some which led him to
: clarify this issue?

: Thoughts?

: -- Sholom

The SA haRav <http://www.chabadlibrary.org/books/default.aspx?furl=/adhaz/sh>
says that they must participate when 3 men make a zimun. If there are
three women, no minyan of men, and want to separate off to make their
own zimun, hareshus beyadam.

Then he takes on the case of three women who are eating without men,
again "hareshus beyadam" to make a zimun. (Similarly avadim, but not a
mix of women and avadim because we we assume avadim are capable of
peritzus.

Given that the part about avadim couldn't have been a practice in the
Baal haTanya's day, I wouldn't assume his mention of zimun for women
makes any such implication.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Weeds are flowers too
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