Q. My husband o"h, who passed away l"a recently in the terrible pandemic, was for many years very close to his Rov, as I was too. My husband always made a point to go and visit his rebbe during Yom Tov. The Rov was also very helpful during the tragic last two month. Does a woman also have the mitzva to visit her Rebbe on Yom Tov?
A, Mishna Berura (301: 5) quotes Mogen Avrohom who rules that a woman is also obliged in the mitzva of kabbolas pnei rabo, to go and receive the masters face during Yom Tov, the same as a man is.
The reason is that the source for this mitzva is the case of the Shunamis, who went to seek Elisha. (Rosh Hashana 16: 2, and Pnei Yehoshua ibid.) and it is also not a mitzva that depends on time. He adds that she is only obliged to go, when she has permission from her husband.
See question 2691 above, that there is no obligation in our days to visit our spiritual leaders and teachers, however there is a mitzva and tradition to do so.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
