Obligation and Exemption Primary Sources

(7) [With regard to] all commandments of the son which are [incumbent] upon the father, men are obligated, and women are exempt. And [with regard to] all commandments of the father which are [incumbent] upon the son, both men and women are obligated. And [with regard to] every positive commandment that is time-dependent, men are obligated and women are exempt. And [with regard to] every positive commandment which is not time-dependent, both men and women are obligated. And [with regard to] every negative commandment, whether it is time-dependent or it is not time-dependent, both men and women are obligated, except for: "You shall not round off [the corners of your head]" (Leviticus 19:27), "You shall not destroy [the corners of your beard]" (ibid.), and "You shall not become ritually impure for the dead" (Leviticus 21:1).

(3) Women, slaves, and minors are exempt from reciting Shema and from Tefillin and are obligated in [reciting] Shemonah Esrei and in [affixing a] Mezuzah and in [reciting] Birkat HaMazon.

Which are positive commandments dependent on time? Such as sukkah, lulav, and Tefillin. Which are positive commandments which are not dependent on time? Such as returning a lost object, sending away the mother bird, putting a fence around your roof and Tzitzit. Rabbi Simon exempts women from Tzitzit because it is a positive, time bound mitzvah (translation by Rahel Berkovits)...

(8) “And so it was, when Moshe raised his hand, Israel prevailed…” (Exodus 17:11). And is it Moshe’s hands that make [success in] war or break [success in] war? Rather, [this comes to] tell you, [that] whenever Israel would look upward and subjugate their hearts to their Father in heaven, they would prevail; and if not, they would fall. Similar to this matter, you [can] say concerning the verse; “Make a [graven] snake and place it on a pole, and everyone bitten who sees it will live” (Numbers 21:8): And is it the snake that kills or [is it] the snake that [revives]? Rather, whenever Israel would look upward and subjugate their hearts to their Father in heaven, they would be healed; and if not, they would be harmed. A deaf-mute person, or a fool, or a minor, cannot relieve others from their obligation [for hearing the shofar they blew the shofar for them]. This is the general rule: all those who are not obligated to carry out a particular action, cannot release [others] from their obligation.

I

Rab Adda b. Ahabah said : Women are under the obligation to recite the Sanctitication [1] of the [Sabbath] day by the ordinance of the Torah. But why, since it is a command the observance of which is dependent upon a certain point of time, and women are exempt from all commands of this class ! Abbai answered : [The Sanctification by women] is a Rabbinical ordinance. Rab said to him : But lo, [Rab Adda] mentioned it was "by the ordinance of the Torah" ! And further, let us make all commands [of this class] obligatory upon women by Rabbinic authority ! But, said Raba, [the correct reason why they have to "sanctify" the Sabbath is because] the Scriptures declare, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" (Exod. xx. 8) and "Observe the Sabbath to keep it holy" (Deut. v. 12) — everyone who has to "observe[2]" must likewise "remember[3]"; and since women must "observe," so must they "remember."

II.

Rabina asked Raba : Is the recital of the Grace after meals by women an ordinance from the Torah or the Rabbis ? What is the point at issue ? It is whether they have the power of exempting others[4]. It is quite right if thou sayest it is from the Torah ; then one who is enjoined by the Torah [to keep the observance] comes and exempts one [whose observance is likewise commanded] by the Torah. But if thou sayest it is from the Rabbis, then it is not a compulsory observance, and one who is not under the obligation [to keep the observance] cannot exempt others. How is it then ? Come and hear : It has indeed been stated : A son [who is a minor] may say Grace for his father, a slave for his master, and a woman for her husband ; but the Sages declare : May a curse alight upon the man for whom his wife or his son says Grace !

Mishna: We do not prevent children from blowing the Shofar; rather we should practice with them until they become proficient.

Talmud: Does this imply that women are to be prevented [from blowing the Shofar]? Is it not taught that one should prevent neither children nor women from blowing the Shofar on the Festival? Abbaye said, "This is not a contradiction: one source records the opinion of R. Yehuda and the other that of R. Yose and R. Shimon. As we have learned: The sones of Israel place their hands upon the offering, but the women of Israel do not. This is the view of R. Yehuda. R. Yose and R. Shimon say that the placing of hands by women is optional."...

Women, servants and minors are not required by the Torah to wear tzitzit. It is however a rabbinical obligation for every child who knows how to dress himself to wear tzizit may do so without reciting a blessing. Similarly, regarding the other positive commandments which women are not required to fulfill if they desire to fulfill them without requiring a blessing, they should not be prevented from doing so....