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According to the Shulchan Aruch OC 220:1 when one has a dream which makes them anxious, they can have 3 people rectify it.

My question is, can this be done by 3 women?

mbloch
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Kirk
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2 Answers2

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If the 3 people in question were standing as a beit din (court), this would not work as the Shulchan Aruch (CM 7:4) rules that women cannot be judges (see also section 2 here).

However this is not the case here. The Kaf Hachaim 3 on OC 220:1 writes (my translation)

לכתחלה יש לחזר אחר ג' גדולים ואם הם חכמים יותר טוב ואם לא אפשר בג' גדולים יש לצרף עמהם קטנים אם מבינים פי' המילות של הטבה:

A priori, one should go in front of 3 adults, and it is better if they are learned, and if not possible to find 3 adults, one can add minors as long as they understand the words to be said [to rectify the dream].

From the fact minors as permitted, one sees this is not a formal beit din but instead a group of people (who ideally like the person who had the dream, see text of Shulchan Aruch). If they can be minors then they can be women as well, and it is possible a woman might feel more comfortable rectifying her dream in front of other women friends.

I checked the above with a Rosh Kollel from Bnei Brak but as always consult your rabbi before implementing anything you learn here.

mbloch
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  • לצרף could imply some adult men are necessary, though I'm not sure how deliberate the wording is considering עמהם implies 1 minor while קטנים implies 2. – shmosel Dec 29 '23 at 10:47
  • Agree but the point was anyway that 3 men were not required. – mbloch Dec 29 '23 at 10:52
  • Sounds a lot like zimun (OC 199), where some say you can include a discerning minor (but no more than one - MB), and women can make their own group, but it's best if they join 3 men. – shmosel Dec 29 '23 at 11:14
  • @shmosel Who says it's better for them to join 3 men? – Double AA Dec 29 '23 at 18:07
  • @DoubleAA That was my inference from רשות v. חובה, but I see now in SA HaRav that they're free to split off unless there are ten men. – shmosel Dec 29 '23 at 18:43
  • I see @Deuteronomy's source offers the same argument (and also compares it to zimun). – shmosel Dec 29 '23 at 18:53
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R. Elhanan Naftali Prins in Abhnei Derekh vol. 17, p. 96 analyzes this question:

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Time permitting I'll translate at a later point.

Deuteronomy
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