Women Saying Amen at Shehecheyanu at Kiddush

Should women answer “amen” to the Shehecheyanu blessing at Kiddush if they recited it when lighting the candles?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

There is a custom that women recite "Shehechiyanu" at Hadlakat Neirot, and then there is the question of whether they can say "Amen" when "Shehechiyanu" is recited again at Kiddush. However, women who do not have a particular minhag of when to recite it, should not recite "Shehechiyanu" at candle lighting and should exempt themselves with the "Shehechiyanu" blessing at Kiddush.

 It is worth noting that one who did not recite or hear the shehecheyanu blessing at the start of the holiday may recite it anytime one remembers during the holiday.

Regarding your question, it is true the some authorities rule that if she already recited the shehecheyanu blessing when she lit the candles, responding amen to the shehecheyanu of Kiddush would be a hefsek (a forbidden interruption) between the Kiddush and the drinking of the wine. Indeed, a woman who recites Kiddush for herself on yom tov night does not repeat shehecheyanu at Kiddush if she recited it earlier at candle lighting. Similarly, according to this approach, a woman who recited shehecheyanu at candle lighting does not respond amen to the shehecheyanu at Kiddush, either.

Nevertheless, most other authorities permit a woman who recited shehecheyanu at candle lighting to respond amen when hearing it again as part of Kiddush throughout the year. They argue that the shehecheyanu recited as part of the Kiddush is an inherent and integral component of the Kiddush that a woman must hear before she is permitted to eat the yom tov meal. According to this approach, answering amen is not considered to be a hefsek. Hagaon Harav Fried Shalita writes that it seems according to Halacha that they do say 'Amen'.

Leket Yosher , p. 49; She’eilat Ya’avetz 107; Mishna Berura 263:23;  Mishna Berura 473:1;   Aruch Hashulchan , OC 263:12;  Kaf Hachaim , OC 473:6.

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