Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz
As a mother with children in shidduchim (of marriageable age), I have been reciting a lot of Tehillim (Psalms) recently. It’s taken me a few months, but I have finally completed the entire Tehillim. When we complete a significant section of Torah, we celebrate with a siyum (party). Is Tehillim significant enough? And is a woman able to make a siyum?
Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds:
A Siyum Beyond Gemara (talmud)
When we think of a siyum (celebration upon completion of Judaic study), we typically associate it with the Oral Law, specifically completing a tractate of Gemara (Talmud)—a demanding and lengthy endeavor undertaken by men who are obligated to dedicate time and energy to intensive Torah study.
However, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ruled that a siyum can be made on Tanach (the Written Torah) as well, even though it is generally less demanding than Talmud study. Moreover, one does not need to complete all of Tanach—even finishing a single book, or even just one of the five sections of Tehillim (Psalms), deserves a siyum. So although the study of Gemara is reserved for men, women also study Tanach, and can therefore make a siyum as well.
Learning vs. Reciting
But this applies to learning a book of Tehillim, not just reciting it. To make a siyum, a person must understand what he or she read. This requires studying with at least a basic commentary, such as the Metzudat Tziyon, which explains difficult words, and the Metzudat David, which clarifies the basic meaning of the pesukim (Hebrew verse).
Most people who recite Tehillim don’t fully understand the meaning of what they are saying. However, anyone who seriously studies a book of Tehillim, whether man or woman, should celebrate. Gather your family and perhaps some friends, serve some refreshments, and rejoice in the achievement of completing an entire book of Tehillim. This might even inspire others to do the same!
In short: Anyone—man or woman—who learns and understands even one book of Tehillim should make a siyum, but not one who just recites it.
Written by Rabbi Aaron Shapiro
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