Do women in your shul bow on the floor?

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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Rosh Hashana-Yom Kippur

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MiracleMama

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 5:10 pm

No. I have never seen it.

Chavas

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 5:45 pm

Of course.

momtra

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 5:54 pm

I remember learning that women did not bow in the beis hamikdash, and therefore we do not.

amother

Coffee

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 5:54 pm

Growing up in a Chabad shul all the women did it. Moved to Israel and for the first time saw women doing it after first placing something on the ground so as not to be bowing directly on the floor. Married a Temani and it's not their custom so don't do it any more.

zaq

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 6:54 pm

Growing up, I never, ever saw anyone do this. Thirty years ago, I noticed ONE woman in my shul who did. Now, almost all the women in my shul do, including those who never did years ago. (OTOH, how do I know this? I'm not watching the other women, I'm minding my own business with eyes on my own machzor.) You all know how I feel about switching minhagim in midstream just because "everyone else" is doing something. I, therefore, remain one of at most a handful of women who do not kneel on the floor, and have no intention of changing just because a bunch of girls came back from seminary 15 years ago and introduced this custom, which was never part of our tradition.

Chloe22

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 8:57 pm

Most of the women in my shul kneel on the floor. I don't because I'd have problems getting up.

goodmorning

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 9:15 pm

For those who are interested in a source, Rabbi Soleveitchik held that it women should not bow (during the Avodah of YK) because the Avodah is intended to be a commemoration of the Avoda in the BHMK. At the time of the Avoda in the BHMK, women were never in the actual Courtyard and would not bow (just recite "Baruch sheim").

This doesn't directly address the bowing during Aleinu (RH or YK), but I'd guess that something similar applies.

samantha87

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 9:18 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Some do. Some don't. I usually do, unless I'm wearing a straight skirt and fear that it will wind up somewhere around my chin.

...and that would be the tznius reason.

Where I grew up, and now, most do. Like someone else said, American and Yekkish. Add MO, and it's +3 to do so.

lucky14

Tue, Sep 27 2016, 11:07 pm

yes

Marion

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 12:22 am

Couldn't tell you; haven't been in shul for that part of the davening in over 10 years.

Iymnok

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 3:43 am

Dh told me not to, the reason based on tznius. I do bow deeper though.

Though growing up I saw that some kneeled, some kneeled and touched their forehead to the floor and a few laid flat on their face.

Ruchel

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 5:33 am

Nope. Though I MAY have seen it once ?? It does ring a bell. MMmmm.

Most don't even do the little steps. Typically they're girls who went to sems abroad.

The first row is made up of those and ladies with the nose in their siddur who shush people, behind them come a few rows of those who try to follow in a French/Hebrew siddur, and behind even are the yentas LOL

amother

Navy

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 9:56 am

amother wrote:

So interesting because I've only ever been to Chabad for RH/ YK (maybe 3-4 different shuls/ chabad houses) and not once have I seen this.

Sadie

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 10:27 am

This is the first time that I've heard that some women don't do it.

HonesttoGod

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 11:08 am

Growing up we had special cloths to put on the floor in shul and all the women and all the men did it.

Now in my husbands shul only the Chazzan does it and everyone else including the women don't.

Marion

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 12:15 pm

One should always have something to lay on the floor (unless it's already carpeted). IIRC it's because one doesn't bow on stone so as not to possibly have it misconstrued as bowing TO the stone...

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 1:14 pm

Growing up I australia, everyone who was physically able to did.
We did learn that if the floors were non carpeted you should put something down, but all our shuls had carpet.
Moved to the us and was very surprised that no one does it here.
I'm talking about chabad shuls both places.

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