It’s a common question that many women and girls in the frum community grapple with: how can I feel a part of Judaism when there are so many mitzvos women are exempt from doing? Some of those mitzvos women don’t perform at all (such as tzitzis or tefillin) and for the ones women do perform voluntarily (like sukkah or shofar), they struggle with feeling. “What significance does this mitzvah have anyway, if I’m not actually obligated to do it?”
Practically, women do customarily fulfill most time-bound miztvos. But why? And why are women exempt from them in the first place.
A new halacha course by Batsheva Learning Center is launching this February, offering a fresh perspective on mitzvos asei shehazman grama. This is the third course of its kind, the last two exploring the topics of Niddah and Kisui Rosh. These courses are unique in that they give students access to the original sources in Gemara, Rishonim and Acharonim that discuss these topics and give them the opportunity to explore the text on their own with a chavrusa. This style of learning created a real shift in the participants’ understanding of halacha.
“The text-based learning was a refreshing challenge and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the development of halacha in general and this important mitzvah in particular,” said Gavi Globerman, a participant of the course on hilchos niddah.
“Getting to learn the reasoning behind the complicated halachos of Niddah really gave me an appreciation for the day-to-day halachos that we keep.” said another course participant, Raizy Leitner. “It made me realize that they are not just random details, but the conclusion of a conversation that took place over thousands of years.”
This time, Batsheva Learning Center is offering a brand new course that will be relevant not just to married women, but women of all ages and stages.
The course offers an in-depth exploration of the topic of mitzvos asei shehazman grama from both a halachic and mystical perspective. Participants will get a chance to look at the original sources for women’s exemption from these mitzvos, analyze how halacha defines them, and understand the issues at play when performing these mitzvos voluntarily. They’ll then look at
some of the deeper reasons given for this exemptions in both nigleh and Chassidus, based on the spiritual relationship between women and time.
The goal is for women joining to walk away with an appreciation for the depth and richness of the halachic system and a more meaningful relationship with the mitzvos they encounter every day.
The 8–week course is offered in person in Crown Heights, Chicago and Los Angeles as well as online on both Central and Pacific time zones. The students will each receive a sourcebook, which includes all the original sources they will be studying. They will also receive a workbook, which includes summaries, flowcharts, and background information to aid the students in studying the sources. During each lesson, the students will get the chance to explore the sources on their own with a chavrusa, before regrouping to discuss it with the instructor. The course starts in about two weeks, with registration closing Jan. 16.
Www.batshevalearningcenter.com/courses
Incredible organisation and looks like a wonderful idea for a course.
Amazing teachers as usual
What a great opportunity!