In our last podcast we discussed the general value of voluntary mitzva performance. This week we're discussing whether it's appropriate to make a beracha when voluntarily performing a mitzva. We'll discuss the purpose of a birkat hamitzva, the possible concerns with reciting one in this case, and the differences in practical halacha for Ashkenazim and Sefardim.

Read the full article here: https://www.deracheha.org/beracha-on-voluntary-performance/

May a woman perform mitzvot voluntarily? The test case is semicha (Wikipedia)

Smicha or semikhah (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-size:1.15em;font-family:"Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey David CLM","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli","SBL BibLit","SBL Hebrew",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}סמיכה‬, "leaning [of the hands]"), also smichut (סמיכות‬, "ordination"), smicha lerabbanut (סמיכה לרבנות‬, "rabbinical ordination"), or smicha lehazzanut (סמיכה לחזנות‬, "cantorial ordination"), is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized".

Why are women generally exempt from positive time-bound mitzvot? We'll discuss the rule, exceptions, and possible rationales, including whether these explanations are "just apologetics".

After establishing in our previous podcast than men and women are viewed as having equal sanctity in Judaism, we'll explore the halachic obligations of men and women - when are they the same and when are they different? We'll discuss rules of thumb for gender differences in halacha, and how we're meant to understand these differences.

Was gender hierarchy built into creation? Are men and women really created equal? All this, and more, in the first of our three-part series on women's status in Judaism

Join us as we speak to Shayna Goldberg, contributing editor at Deracheha, about how Torah influences her life and what she envisions for her students.

What areas of Torah may, and should, a woman study? And how? In this episode we'll discuss different modern approaches to women studying Oral Torah, from those who approve on a limited basis, to those who believe it's an absolute imperative at this stage in time.

To read the sources mentioned in this episode, click here https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah-4-what-to-study/

What early opportunities developed for women’s formal Torah study? On what halachic basis?

To read the sources mentioned in this episode, click here https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah-3-openings/

What is a woman's obligation in Torah study? The Talmud teaches that women are exempt from the Torah-level obligation to learn or teach Torah. What does this mean women should actually do? In this episode we'll explore opinions that approve or disapprove of a father teaching Torah to his daughter, and discuss how this influences the obvious obligation for women to know basic halacha in order for them to practice as observant Jews.

To read more about the sources mentioned in this episode, click here https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah-2-obligation/

What is the mitzvah of learning Torah? Does it apply to women? In this episode we'll see that the definition of Talmud Torah is more broad than we might have thought, although women are exempt from studying Torah in a formal way. 

To read the sources mentioned in this episode, click here https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah/