Can a husband say “birkat ha’gomel” for his wife, or must she recite it herself in front of a minyan or in public in shul during “leining”?
Thanking you in advance.
Answer:
A husband cannot recite the gomel blessing on behalf of his wife. She can either recite the blessing herself, in front of a minyan of men (or, at least, a minyan of women, and one or more men) — but not in shul — or she can answer amen to her husband’s being called up in shul, with their intention that the blessing of Hashem (Barchu) should come to thank Hashem for His benevolence.
Sources:
There are different opinions among poskim as to whether and how a woman should make a hagomel blessing in shul. See Magen Avraham 219:1 (women can recite the blessing in front of women, or in front of one man), and Machatzis Hashekel (Biur Halachah cites a dispute between Machatzis Hashekel and Rabbi Akiva Eiger concerning whether the blessing can be made without ten people); Halachos Ketanos 2:161; Maharam Schick 88; Eliyah Rabbah 12 and Peri Megadim 7; Mishnah Berurah 3 and Shaar Hatzion, and others. The concensus is that women should not recite the blessing in shul. Some permit her to recite the blessing in front of ten women, among them one man. The idea of the husband being called up is presented by Eliyah Rabbah, and echoed in Peri Megadim.
