Q. I belong to a group of women that meets every night for a short zoom shiur on Lashon Harah, and we count Sefira at the end with a bracha. We have been criticized that it is not correct. Should we continue?
A. Mishna Berura (489: 3) writes that women are exempt from the mitzva of counting the Omer as it is time dependent. However he adds, that Magen Avrohom maintains that they have accepted this mitzva as an obligation, but mentions that it is not apparently the common tradition in our communities.
He further quotes Shulchan Shleima and others, that women should avoid reciting the brocho as it is likely they will forget counting and completing the mitzva. Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that when reminded properly women can count with a brocho.
Minchas Chinuch (306) mentions From Zohar and the writings of the Arizal, that women should avoid counting at all,
However, others disagree and permit, when they are reminded by their husbands to count. (See Piskei Teshuvos ibid.)
See question above about how in our days it is easy to be reminded by the cell phones etc. to do the counting. They would have to be reminded to count on Friday night also.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that when reminded properly they can count with a brocho.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
