I would like to share with you some thoughts about Tefila. As a Jewish woman, I’m always proud of our matriarchs. One of them was Hannah, the mother of the prophet Shmuel. In the Haftarah of Rosh HaShana we read the story of Hannah and her Tefila.

Hannah was not able to have children. The same problem that affected virtually all our matriarchs. Our rabbis said that “HaShem wants the Tefila of righteous people”, and that’s why sometimes good people face some very difficult challenges. Hannah is a typical case. Her situation forced her to be creative. And she composed one of the most beautiful and eloquent Tefilot. Let’s see.

Hannah was desperate. Elqana, her husband loved her, but she could not have children. It was very painful for her every time she saw Peninnah, Elqana’s other wife, who did not hide how busy she was taking care of her seven children. In Shiloh, where Elqana and his family visited the Mishkan during Holidays, Hannah prayed to HaShem very eloquently, pouring her heart out to HaShem, asking the Almighty to grant her a son. From this Tefila our Sages learned many technical details that apply to the Amidah (reciting the Tefila standing, moving our lips without raising our voice, the prohibition of drinking alcohol before praying, etc.).

But the main lesson is what we learn from Hannah’s eloquence.

When praying, Hannah did not simply “ask” HaShem for a child. Hannah “presented” her case before HaShem with smart, solid and creative arguments.

1. Hannah first formulated a new way to address HaShem, referring to the Almighty as: “God of the armies (or hosts)”. Our Hakhhamim explained that in this case “armies” refers to the armies of heaven: stars, and galaxies. Like a human army, they move in a precise and harmonious way, obeying the orders of the commander in chief, HaShem. Hannah told HaShem: “You, God of hosts, who have created billions of stars and billions of giant celestial bodies, can’t you grant me just one little baby?”

2. Hannah also told HaShem: “I am a woman. I have been given breasts and reproductive organs. But what good is my female body for if I can not conceive and nurse a child?”

3. According to the Midrash, Hannah also argued: “I fulfilled the three commandments of women (the name Hannah in Hebrew is an acrostic which includes these three mitzvot: Hallah, a piece of the bread dough given to the Kohen; Nidda, family purity; and Hadlaqat Haner, lighting candles before Shabbat). Therefore, don’t I deserve to be granted a son? “

From Hannah we learn that when we pray and ask HaShem for our needs, we need to be persistent and use, very respectfully, all the arguments we can to show that we deserve a positive response to our request, as Hannah did.

Finally, we also learn an extremely important lesson from Hannah’s story. As we know, at the end HaShem gave her a child. And then Hannah prayed again. This time with more devotion, and much more eloquently.Because now Hannah prayed to thank HaShem. We also learn from Hannah that in the same way we pray to HaShem with all our heart to beg Him for everything we need and want, we should not forget to pray to HaShem thanking Him for everything He gave and gives us. And that we need to convey our gratitude to HaShem, very especially, when our prayers are answered.

These High Holy Days, let us take Hannah as the model for our Tefila. Let us pour our hearts out to HaShem, asking Him to inscribe us in the book of life. And let’s not forget to thank HIM for everything we have received and we receive from Him.

Rosh HaShana, is a festive and joyful day, or a solemn and serious day?

To understand the double aspect of Rosh HaShana, let me share with you a question that was asked to rab Obadia Yosef z “l. A Hazan (cantor of the synagogue) should recite the prayers of Rosh HaShana with a cheerful melody or with a sad and solemn tone?

On the one hand, Rosh HaShana is a Yom Tob, a festive and joyful day in which we wish each other to have a good and sweet year. This is why during the two nights of Rosh HaShana we have a pre-meal Seder with blessings and celebration for a better new year.

On the other hand, we know that Rosh HaShana is the “day of judgment”, which begins the “Divine trial” which will determine whether we will deserve to be alive. On Rosh HaShana we recover the awareness of our fragility and our mortality. We realize that the continuation of our life is not guaranteed. That our existence is a delicate privilege, a gift from God, which can be reclaimed by Him at any time. From this point of view, Rosh HaShana is a very serious day. A ‘Yom hadin’, the day of judging whether we deserve or not deserve one more year of life …

I think that now we can better understand the question if Rosh HaShana is a joyous or a solemn day. Rabbi Obadia Yosef replied that Rosh HaShana melodies should be happy. Because although we are judged, we are aware that our Judge is also our Father, who loves us and when we recognize our mistakes is willing to forgive us and give us another chance. Hence the optimism and the celebration.

What happens if a woman has to go to the Mikve the night of Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur?

There are some nights in the Hebrew calendar during which marital relations are suspended.

There are two categories:

1. Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av. During these two nights, conjugal relations are strictly forbidden by Halakha. Therefore, if the Mikve night falls on one of two nights, the Mikve must be postponed until the following night.

2. During the two nights of Shabu’ot, both nights of Rosh HaShana and the night of Hoshana Rabbah conjugal relations are also prohibited. However, this limitation is not Halakhic (= from the Talmud) but it is rather a tradition (Minhag). Therefore, if the Mikve falls during one of these 5 nights, a woman goes normally to the Mikve and this limitation is suspended. The rabbis, however, recommended proceeding with more circumspection than usual during the night of Rosh HaShana.

Do women have the same obligation as men in relation to the Mitsva of Shofar?

Men are required to listen the Shofar, following the biblical commandment “yom teru’a yihie lakhem”. And although women are formally exempt from the Mitsva of Shofar, since it is a commandment which is only fulfilled at a specific time, in practical terms, women listen to the Shofar like men. Why? Keep in mind that in addition to the formal compliance with this important command, the sound of the Shofar “awakens us from our spiritual slumber,” calling us to repent and to improve our actions. And this is a message that both men and women,need to assimilate these days of Teshuba. Therefore, it is very commendable for women to attend synagogue, hear the shofar and be inspired by its sound. The only practical difference between men and women regarding the Shofar relates to the recitation of Berakha in the case of a person who can not attend synagogue on Rosh HaShana. Let’s see. In the Synagogue the Toke’a (= the person who blows the Shofar) recites the Berakha ASHER QIDDESHANU BEMITSVOTAV VETSIVANU LISHMOA’ QOL SHOFAR for the whole congregation. And all who hear this Berakha and say AMEN, men or women, are included in this blessing. However, if a woman is not able to attend the Synagogue, when the Ba’al Toke’a blows the Shofar she should not recite the Berachah. While in the case of a man who hears the Shofar out of the synagogue, he does recite the Berakha (among Ashkenazi Jews, women also recite the Berakha in these circumstances).