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When a miracle occurs to someone he makes a Bracha, HaGomel after Kriyas HaTorah. What does a lady do if a miracle occured to her? Does she say the Bracha or does she not? If she does then when does she say it and how?

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3 Answers 3

The Artscroll Women's Siddur quotes opinions both ways (especially in the case of a married woman benching gomel after childbirth). It then concludes "the practice is for a woman not to bench gomel" -- this may be the case in some right-leaning communities, though I've heard many a critic feel Artscroll didn't do the subject justice.

In many, many Jewish communities, a woman puts together an informal group of ten men and says it then -- it could be at a house, in the side room of shul during kiddush, or the like. Her first shabbos back in shul, or the bris, may be good opportunities for this.

I've also heard that in fact, the custom of old-time Jerusalemites is for the woman to do it during Shabbos morning prayers, out-loud during a pause between people in the Torah reading, from the Ezras Nashim (women's section). Obviously, check with your gabbai before trying this one!

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Someone told me that there are some Poiskim that hold that a lady should get together a Minyan of ladies with at least one man. Ever heard of that? –  Gershon Gold Oct 17 '10 at 2:11
That is mentioned in the mishna berura O.C. 219:3-hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14164&st=&pgnum=255. A few acharonim are referenced that I didn't look up. magen avraham quotes keneses hagedolah who says at least in front of one man or "women". I don't know the reason for the man in either of the above. –  YDK Oct 17 '10 at 4:19

The minhag that I have seen (today, in fact), and which is mentioned in the acharonim in O.C. 219 as well ("some people"), is that the husband makes the bracha at krias hatorah and says shegamalech (or shegamal l'ishti if she's not there). That way, the bracha is done with a kahal (and maybe even 2 rabbanim).

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And what does a lady do if she is unmarried? –  Gershon Gold Oct 17 '10 at 2:17
Anyone who has simcha for her safety can make the bracha for her (e.g. her father), though I haven't seen it personally. –  YDK Oct 17 '10 at 2:36

According to the Igros Moshe Chelek 8 - Orach Chaim 5 - Siman 14, a lady should make the Bracha in front of at least one other person (male or female) -- preferably her husband if she is married -- as rules of Minyan do not apply to women. (The beginning of this Teshuva was the last one Reb Moshe Zatzal ever wrote; it was completed orally.)

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