Q. Hon. Rov Shlit’a. Thanks so much for all the answers. One last question. What is the real obligation for women making Kiddush on Shabbat?
A. Whether women have to Kiddush on Shabbos morning is the subject of much argument. Although it is prohibited to eat before tefila on weekdays, many women eat breakfast after reciting a brief petition, and finish davening later on in the morning. Some Poskim permit the above, since one may rely on the opinion of the Rambam who maintains that women fulfill their tefila obligation with a brief petition. Therefore they are already eating after “davening.” On Shabbos morning, however, they are obligated to make Kiddush in addition to the daily obligation to daven. As soon as they meet their basic davening obligation by reciting a brief petition it is for them already the zeman seudah and they cannot eat until they make Kiddush. Peri Megodim, O.H. (289: 4( Minchas Yitzchok (4: 28); Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchoso (52:13.)
Some married women, nonetheless, are accustomed to eat on Shabbos morning without first making Kiddush. They rely upon the view that maintains that it is not yet the Zeman Seudah for them until their husbands are ready to eat, which is not until their davening is over in shul. 7 Other poskim do not agree with this argument. 8 In either case, unmarried women, including girls who eat at their father’s table, do not have this leniency to rely upon.( See Igrois Moshe, (O.H. 4:101-2).
Yet even according to this view, once a married woman has davened, she may not eat before reciting Kiddush, even if her husband has not yet ended his davening;).
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a
Important Numbers
