6075 -Equal Rights Selichot?

A. As we wrote in question 6072 above, in reality the recitation of Selichos, even for men, is not a real obligation but an ancient tradition which has been practiced for many centuries, and we are not obligated to do more than what this tradition dictates.

In history including even recently, women did not go to Shul to recite Selichos.

However If they want to do so, women can go to an available Shul to recite Selichos, if the shul is indeed available for them.

We must add the following. If they do choose to say Selichot, they must first recite, as many daily do the Birkot HaTorah first, especially if they are Sephardi. (Halichot Beitah 7:2, Yalkut Yosef (Otzar Dinim leIshah ulaBat 7:6, Mekadesh Yisrael (Yamim Noraim, Selichot 59), Nitei Gavriel (Hilchot Rosh HaShana 10:16*), Piskei Shlomo (vol. 4 page 137).

In some European communities, it was common for women to attend Selichot. And, nowadays, even some Ashkenazi women try to attend Selichot in the synagogue on the first night or Erev Rosh HaShana and Erev Yom Kippur.

See next question.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a, and Horav Dovid Bartfeld consulting, Horav Hagaon Rav Yitzchak Berkowitz Shlit’a