Introduction
Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha are learned, God-fearing women who provide guidance on the laws of niddah and other areas of Jewish law related to women’s health, in order to support and strengthen halachic observance, marriages, and families. Yoatzot Halacha also offer educational programming in their communities and work collaboratively with communal rabbis. These activities, and the sensitivity and knowledge with which Yoatzot Halacha carry them out, have received broad rabbinic approbation.
This page seeks to clarify the history and core values that shape the education, certification, and mentorship of Yoatzot Halacha, as well as Nishmat’s institutional culture. It also explores how these values inform the work of Yoatzot in practice and shape their impact on Jewish women and couples.
The Need for Yoatzot
Beginning in the 1970s, Rabbanit Chana Henkin, a Torah educator who made aliyah from the United States to Israel, encountered numerous cases of women whose marriages were strained due to limited halachic knowledge in the laws of Taharat Hamishpacha. She realized that many women hesitated to speak openly with rabbis about intimate matters, leading to confusion or unnecessary stringency.
In 1997, driven by concern for these women’s halachic observance and their well-being, Rabbanit Henkin secured rabbinic support to establish a beit midrash program for women’s study of the laws of niddah in depth, enabling women to serve as a trusted address for halachic questions in this area. She also recognized that sound halachic guidance in these matters requires thorough familiarity with the medical and psychological dimensions of women’s reproductive health, and integrated basic study of these fields into the curriculum.
Her partners in this effort were her husband, the noted posek Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin ztz”l, and Rav Yaacov Warhaftig shlit”a.
Emergence and Development
In 1999, Nishmat—The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women—introduced the first Yoatzot Halacha to the Orthodox community. As of 2026, Nishmat has certified 200 Yoatzot: 155 graduates of the Keren Ariel Fellowship in Jerusalem and 45 of the Miriam Glaubach Center U.S. Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Program. The inaugural cohort of students in the Montefiore–Nishmat UK Yoatzot Halacha Programme is currently underway.
Yoatzot Halacha have become a trusted halachic resource, assisting tens of thousands of women worldwide each year. Nishmat’s Golda Koschitzky Center for Yoatzot Halacha operates both a website and a telephone hotline. The website, Yoatzot.org, available in four languages, hosts educational materials on the laws of Taharat Hamishpacha and other areas of halacha related to women’s health, as well as a Q&A service. The telephone hotline operates daily, serving women in both English and Hebrew, receiving about 200 calls each week. More recently, Yoatzot have begun assisting women via a Hebrew WhatsApp channel. To date, women around the world have engaged in well over 400,000 consultations with Yoatzot Halacha through Nishmat’s institutional channels.
Yoatzot also serve in paid positions in more than 50 institutions across 30 communities, primarily in the United States, as well as in Canada and England. Worldwide, Yoatzot respond on a voluntary basis to questions from women who turn to them, teach classes, and lead educational programs in their communities.
Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha continue to expand their services to better support women, with specialized training in fertility and mental health. Since 2017, Nishmat has certified 45 Yoatzot Halacha as Fertility Counselors, with in-depth preparation in the halachic, medical, and emotional aspects of fertility. In January 2026, Nishmat launched a service in collaboration with mental health professionals to create a halachically-sensitive therapeutic program to assist women with OCD related to Taharat Hamishpacha.
Core Values
To fulfill their mission of strengthening halachic observance and Jewish married life, Nishmat and its Yoatzot Halacha are committed to the following core values:
- Yirat shamayim and unwavering fidelity to halacha as transmitted through the generations
- Humility and respect for rabbinic authority, with clear recognition of when consultation with rabbis and poskim is required
- High-level scholarship, including deep engagement with primary sources, ongoing Torah learning, and shimush talmidei chachamim (apprenticeship under leading rabbinic scholars)
- Medical literacy, respect for medical knowledge, and continuing professional development
- Sensitivity, empathy, and kevod habriyot (respect for human dignity)
- Professionalism, accessibility, and responsiveness
Yoatzot Training
Torah Education For Women
Developments in women’s Torah education in the modern era created the foundation necessary for women to serve as an address for halachic questions. Sara Schenirer’s establishment of the Bais Yaakov movement to stem assimilation catalyzed this change. Later, halachic authorities such as Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik further advanced women’s Torah education by promoting women’s study of Talmud, enabling thousands of women to engage more deeply and rigorously with halachic sources. As a result, growing numbers of women, already highly educated in a variety of fields, gained access to the depth and complexity of Torah sheba’al peh, the Oral Law.
Still, for various halachic, sociological and practical reasons (including the distinction between men and women regarding the mitzvah of learning Torah), even women’s institutions that provide a strong foundation in Talmud and Halacha do not replicate the full intensity or hours of the most demanding programs for men. Women’s seminaries typically devote significant time to Tanach and machshava (Jewish thought). Even advanced post-college programs in Talmud and halacha generally do not require a full night seder (study session). This enables students to simultaneously work or pursue academic degrees, and to build their own marriages and families.
Nevertheless, highly motivated women continue to achieve significant levels of scholarship and contribute meaningfully to the study and application of halacha. This expanded base of serious learners has created a pool of women capable of undertaking advanced study in Talmud and halachic literature, from which Nishmat draws candidates for Yoatzot Halacha.
Acceptance Criteria
With full fidelity to halacha, Nishmat’s rabbinic leadership both recognizes the halachic distinctions between men’s and women’s obligations in Torah study and facilitates in-depth Torah study, including sustained immersion in Torah sheba’al peh, for women who have the desire, ability, and focus for it.¹
Women accepted into Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha programs have typically spent years studying Torah sheba’al peh in-depth prior to entry. Many have completed a year or more in seminaries that offer advanced study of Torah shebe’al peh, continued their study of Talmud and Halacha during college, and pursued additional years of full-time immersion in Talmud or Halacha study programs. Others have developed learning skills and halachic knowledge in less formal frameworks.
Acceptance to Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha programs is contingent on commitment to Nishmat’s core values. Candidates for admission must also pass an entrance exam assessing proficiency in Talmudic and halachic texts. Applicants lacking the required proficiency may be encouraged to dedicate another year or two to learning and then reapply.
Curriculum
Rav Yaacov Warhaftig, Dean of Nishmat’s Keren Ariel program, designed the Yoatzot Halacha curriculum to be comparable to that required for Israeli Rabbinate certification in the laws of niddah. Fellows complete over 1,000 hours of study over two years, combining chavruta learning (paired study) with frontal shiurim (lectures).² ³
Throughout the program, fellows are assessed through frequent written examinations covering halachic, medical, and mental health material. They must also pass summative comprehensive oral examinations administered by a panel of poskim.⁴ The program is challenging, and not every participant completes the rigorous course of study and assessments.
In addition to halachic training, fellows complete a supplementary curriculum in women’s health, including introductions to fundamental topics in obstetrics and gynecology, fertility, sexuality, mental health, genetics, women’s cancers, postpartum health, and lactation.
Fellows also participate in an extensive practicum that prepares them to counsel women on hilchot niddah in alignment with Nishmat’s core values. In this practicum, students respond to simulations of the intimate and often complex questions typical of this area of halacha. Students learn to identify the correct halachic information, to explain the halacha clearly and thoroughly, and to recognize when consultation with a Rav is necessary.
Upon successful completion of these requirements, students enter a mandatory supervised mentorship program, gaining experience and practical tools for addressing women’s questions. They are then certified as Yoatzot Halacha.
Certification
Through intensive study of hilchot niddah, Yoatzot Halacha deepen their understanding of the halachic system and develop a clear appreciation of the limits of their role. Although the curriculum parallels that of the Israeli Rabbanut, its purpose is to certify Yoatzot to advise women on halacha, not to confer ordination. Nishmat’s rabbanim operate within the halachic consensus of contemporary poskim (halachic authorities), which does not view women as eligible to receive semicha.⁵
While the Yoetzet Halacha program equips Yoatzot with significant expertise, they are not granted the authority to issue original piskei halacha (formal rulings in complex or unprecedented cases). Nishmat’s certification explicitly reflects this distinction: in cases requiring innovative pesika, the Yoetzet must consult a recognized posek for a ruling.⁶ Setting this expectation clearly is integral to the course of study.
Yoatzot Halacha in Practice
Rabbinic Supervision
Yoatzot Halacha work in close collaboration with rabbanim to provide accurate and responsible halachic guidance.
The substantial volume of consultations between Yoatzot Halacha and rabbanim reflects Yoatzot’s awareness of the distinction between teaching and applying established halacha and issuing innovative pesika. Yoatzot work closely with community rabbis and regularly seek counsel with Nishmat rabbanim. When serving in an official communal role, a Yoatzet will confer with the local rabbi to determine whether he prefers to address individual rulings or for her to consult another posek.
Prior to publication, all content published on Yoatzot.org undergoes careful review by a senior Yoetzet Halacha, a posek, and—where relevant—a physician. All responses to questions submitted to the site are drafted by Yoatzot Halacha and undergo halachic review. Yoatzot staffing the hotline follow clear protocols that define when they may respond independently, based on established halachic guidelines and the rulings of Nishmat’s poskim, and when consultation with rabbinic staff is required for a personal ruling.
In educating women and responding to their questions, Yoatzot are sensitive to the range of observances found among different communities and families. Couples who follow Ashkenazic or Sephardic psak are advised accordingly, and the traditions and practices of each particular community are validated and respected.
Personal guidance is understood as a cornerstone of halachic life, and women are encouraged to seek individualized direction. Especially in questions involving delicate halachic, personal, or medical matters, consultation with a Rav or Yoetzet who knows the individual or couple well can provide the most appropriate guidance. At the same time, many women and couples wish to preserve some degree of anonymity, or simply lack access to a suitable authority or a local Yoetzet. Nishmat’s institutional Yoatzot services, under the supervision of their rabbanim, therefore provide a critical address for such questions.
Institutional Culture
The culture fostered among Yoatzot Halacha is one of strong collegiality, ongoing learning, and shared responsibility. Yoatzot regularly discuss the intricacies of cases with one another and consider possible approaches prior to consulting with poskim.
Graduates are expected to continue their studies through ongoing professional development, deepening and sharpening their halachic knowledge, exploring new perspectives, and staying current with developments in medicine. Continuing education also addresses the emotional and psychological dimensions of their work, helping Yoatzot respond with the appropriate sensitivity for matters that touch on deeply personal aspects of women’s and couple’s lives.
Nishmat’s emphasis on growth, collaboration, and consultation both enhances the knowledge and skills of Yoatzot Halacha and fosters a culture of humility and care, helping to minimize the risk of error, and ensure responsible, thoughtful guidance.
Impact
Yoatzot Halacha have been remarkably successful in reaching women who might otherwise have refrained from asking essential questions in Taharat Hamishpacha—achieving the primary goal first envisioned by Rabbanit Henkin.
Whether addressed to local Yoatzot or to those available through Nishmat’s various channels, the volume of questions that flood Yoatzot attests to the vital role they play in supporting Jewish women in observing Taharat Hamishpacha fully and faithfully.
Beyond this, Yoatzot have enabled women who previously sought rabbinic guidance but hesitated to share important details to feel more comfortable, open, and understood. Conversations with Yoatzot often unfold differently, shaped by the ease and natural flow of female-to-female interaction. This dynamic allows for the emergence of relevant background and contextual information, enabling Yoatzot to respond more effectively and sensitively—not only to the immediate question, but also to related halachic, medical, emotional, and spiritual concerns.⁷
Women consistently express profound appreciation for Yoatzot, finding in them a female mentor, guide, teacher, and confidante in an area of observance that is deeply personal and intimate.
In addition, Yoatzot have become a significant force in advancing women’s education in Taharat Hamishpacha, with their knowledge, expertise, and invaluable female perspective. Across Jewish communities worldwide, Yoatzot teach and guide, drawing on their extensive experience addressing women’s questions. In this way, they also play an important role in correcting widespread misconceptions and misunderstandings and in strengthening proper observance. Yoatzot.org’s clear and accessible educational materials reach a broad global audience.⁸
Nishmat remains attentive to the evolving needs of the communities that Yoatzot serve, continually assessing gaps and emerging challenges. They have developed targeted programs, including advanced training in fertility counseling, cutting-edge holistic support for women navigating OCD in the context of halacha, and a multidisciplinary kallah‑teacher certification course. Plans for the future include an extensive training track in sexuality for Yoatzot Halacha, integrating medical, psychological, and halachic perspectives alongside deep Torah insights. Through this ongoing work, Yoatzot seek to broaden both access and depth of support.
Conclusion
The impact of Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha demonstrates that Rabbanit Henkin both correctly identified the need for a female address for halachic questions in Taharat Hamishpacha and, together with Rav Henkin and Rav Warhaftig, developed an effective and enduring model to meet that need.
In every generation, new halachic challenges arise that must be addressed with sensitivity to their broader implications. Rav and Rabbanit Henkin, with Rav Warhaftig, successfully introduced a valuable and positive change, while building consensus rather than sowing division around sensitive issues.
Orthodox Jewry, with its deep commitment to tradition, is understandably cautious in the face of changes to established patterns of religious life. Educating women to serve as a halachic address in the area of Taharat Hamishpacha was not an innovation for its own sake, but a means of preserving and strengthening the observance of halacha and traditional Jewish values. The consensus built around Yoatzot Halacha and the positive impact they have had has borne this out.
The nuanced approach articulated by the Orthodox Union’s rabbinic leadership in 2017 offers a constructive path forward: Rabbanim and community leaders who feel that their members would benefit from access to Yoatzot Halacha should ensure that such access is available.⁹ Accordingly, we encourage religious and lay leadership to consider how best to meet the needs of women who prefer to consult a qualified female halachic advisor in this deeply personal area of life and to weigh the potential benefits of offering this option.
The emergence and continued growth of Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha reflect a broader Torah principle articulated by Shlomo HaMelech in Mishlei 5: “Drink waters from your own cistern” (v. 15) and yet also “Let your springs spread outward.” (v. 16). These verses express the balance between rootedness and transmission.¹⁰ Torah responses to new realities must emerge from deep fidelity to the waters of our own tradition, the mesorah, and be grounded in yirat shamayim, halachic commitment, and serious Torah learning. At the same time, Torah that is cultivated deeply and responsibly must also be capable of springing outward in response to the evolving needs of the Jewish people.
We have been blessed to witness the success of Yoatzot Halacha in realizing this vision, bringing more areas of life under the guidance of Torah and halacha. We pray that Hashem will continue to sustain them in supporting women and families to live lives of kedushah and taharah.
Appendices
Appendix I: Rabbinic supporters of Yoatzot Halacha
Rabbi Yosef Adler ztz”l
Rabbi Yaacov Ariel
Rabbi Kenneth Auman
Rabbi Assaf Bednarsh
Rabbi Gedalyah Berger
Rabbi Jack Bieler
Rabbi Hershel Billet
Rabbi Yosef Blau
Rabbi Binyamin Blau*
Rabbi Robert Block
Rabbi Kenneth Brander
Rabbi Nasanayl Braun*
Rabbi Shaar Yashuv Cohen
Rabbi Mark Dratch
Rabbi Michael Edrei
Rabbi Ben Zion Elgazi
Rabbi Zvi Engel
Rabbi Menachem Genack
Rabbi Baruch Gigi
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Rabbi Reem HaCohen
Rabbi Kenneth Hain
Rav Yitzchak HaLevi
Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot*
Rabbi Yehuda Henkin ztz”l
Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg
Rabbi Yaakov Jaffe
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky
Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier
Rabbi Eliashiv Knohl ztz”l
Rabbi Barry Kornblau
Rabbi Norman Lamm ztz”l
Rabbi Yaacov Lerner
Rabbi Shlomo Levy
Rabbi Abraham Lieberman
Rabbi Dov Lior
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein
Rabbi Chaim Marder*
Rabbi Adam Mintz*
Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern*
Rabbi Elazar Muskin*
Rabbi Dale Polakoff
Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch ztz”l
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon
Rabbi Shaul Robinson*
Rabbi Daniel Rockoff
Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg
Rabbi Benji Samuels
Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter
Rabbi Ezra Schwartz
Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg
Rabbi Ari Segal
Rabbi Meir Sendor
Rabbi Yehuda Septimus*
Rabbi Albert Setton
Rabbi Yitzchak Sheilat
Rabbi Michael Shmidman Z”L
Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky
Rabbi Meir Soloveitchik*
Rabbi Adam Starr*
Rabbi Aryeh Stern
Rabbi Chaim Strauchler*
Rabbi Eytan Tokayer
Rabbi Kalman Topp*
Rabbi Yaakov Warhaftig
Rabbi Brahm Weinberg*
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Rabbi Jay Weinstein
Rabbi Richard Weiss
Rabbi Elie Weissman*
Rabbi Jeremy Wieder
*Rabbi of a synagogue with a yoetzet
Appendix II: Communities that employ Yoatzot Halacha
Atlanta, GA
- Congregation Ohr HaTorah
Bergenfield, NJ
- Beis Medrash of Bergenfield
Boston, MA
- Congregation Beth El-Atereth Israel
- Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe of Brighton
- Congregation Shaarei Tefillah of Newton
- Maimonides Kehillah of Brookline
- Young Israel of Brookline
- Young Israel of Sharon
Cherry Hill, NJ
Cleveland, OH
- Beachwood Synagogue
Englewood, NJ
- Ahavat Torah
Fair Lawn, NJ
- Congregation Darchei Noam
Five Towns , NY
- Congregation Beth Sholom
- The Irving Place Minyan
- Young Israel of North Woodmere
Las Vegas, NV
Livingston, NJ
London, England
- Golders Green United Synagogue
- Mill Hill East Jewish Community
- South Hampstead Synagogue
Long Branch, NJ
- Congregation Brothers of Israel
Los Angeles, CA
- B’nai David Judea
- Beth Jacob Congregation
- Kehillat Yavneh
- Knesset Israel Congregation
- Young Israel of Century City
- The Westside Shul
Lower Merion, PA
Memphis, TN
- Baron Hirsch Congregation
Montreal, Canada
- Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem
Plainview, NY
- Young Israel of Plainview
Providence, RI
- Congregation Beth Sholom of Providence
Riverdale, NY
- Riverdale Jewish Center
- Young Israel of North Riverdale
Silver Spring, MD
- Kemp Mill Synagogue
Stamford, CT
- Congregation Agudath Sholom
Teaneck, NJ
- Beth Aaron
- Jewish Center of Teaneck
- Netivot Shalom
- Rinat Yisrael
- Shaarei Tefillah
Tenafly, NJ
- Kehillat Kesher
Toronto, Canada
New York, NY
- 6th Street Synagogue
- Altneu Shul
- Congregation Kehilat Jeshurun
- Congregation Ohab Zedek
- Congregation Ramath Orah
- Congregation Shearith Israel
- Kehilat Rayim Ahuvim
- Lincoln Square Synagogue
- The Jewish Center
- Westside Institutional Synagogue
Washington Heights, NY
- Mount Sinai Jewish Center
Washington, DC
- Kesher Israel
Westchester , NY
- Young Israel of Scarsdale
West Hartford, CT
- Young Israel of West Hartford
West Orange, NJ
Appendix III: For further reference
- Rabbanit Chana Henkin. “Yoatzot Halacha: Fortifying Tradition Through Innovation,” Jewish Action, 1999, available here.
- Rabbanit Chana Henkin. “New Conditions and New Models of Authority: The Yoatzot Halakhah.” YUTorah Online, July 24, 2006, available here.
- Rabbanit Chana Henkin. “Women and the Issuing of Halachic Rulings.” In Jewish Legal Writings by Women, edited by Micah D. Halpern and Chana Safrai. Urim Publications, 1998. Available here.
- Yoatzot Halacha Dr. Deena Zimmerman and Dr. Tova Ganzel. “Women as Halakhic Professionals: The Role of the Yo’atzot Halakhah.” Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women’s Studies & Gender Issues no. 22 (Fall 2011): 162-171. Available here.
- Rabbanit Chana Henkin. “The Origin Of Yoatzot Halacha – Women Advising Women.” The Jewish Press, December 28, 2017. Available here.
- Yoatzot Halacha: Interview with Rabbanit Henkin. Podcast, Halacha Headlines 2017, available here.
- In Conversation with Rabbanit Henkin. Podcast, Dear Yoetzet 2026, available here.
Authors
Yoetzet Halacha Dena Block, Co-director, Miriam Glaubach Center
Yoetzet Halacha Atara Eis, Dean, Nishmat
Yoetzet Halacha Hadassa Klein, Director, Yoatzot.org
Contributors
Rav Kenneth Auman, Rabbinic Dean Miriam Glaubach Center, Rabbinic Authority Yoatzot.org
Yoetzet Halacha Ilana Elzufon, Chief Editor, Yoatzot.org
Yoetzet Halacha Karen Hochhauser, Co-director, Miriam Glaubach Center
Yoetzet Halacha Laurie Novick, Senior Writer, Yoatzot.org
Footnotes
[1] In this way, such women stand apart from Maimonides’ formulation in Hilchot Talmud Torah (1:13), which reflects the assumption that most women are not capable of such study and might reach incorrect conclusions. See Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin, posek for Nishmat, in Benei Banim 3:12.↩
[2] The curriculum comprises relevant halachic texts: Mishnah and commentaries, Talmud and commentaries, Rishonim, Tur, Beit Yosef, Darkei Moshe, Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Nosei Keilim and Responsa. After studying these texts in chavruta, fellows attend shiurim which cover both the lomdus of the sugyot and the range of halachic positions of top poskim.↩
[3] In Israel, from Elul through the beginning of Av, students study a minimum of 18 hours a week. In the United States, from Sivan through Av, students study a minimum of 28 hours a week for three summers, and a minimum of 12 hours a week during the year. We stress “a minimum” because students report spending an average of ten hours extra each week studying, in order to keep up with the demands of the course.↩
[4] Teachers of the Yoatzot include Rav Yaacov Warhaftig, Yoetzet Halacha Noa Lau, Rav Michael Edrei, Rav Assaf Bednarsh, Rav Daniel Roselaar, Yoetzet Halacha Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel, Yoetzet Halacha Adi Bitter, Yoetzet Halacha Shira Mnitentag, Yoetzet Halacha Ayelet Kaminetzky, Yoetzet Halacha Dr. Deena Zimmerman, Rav Kenneth Auman, Rav Gedalyah Berger, and Nishmat Dean Yoetzet Halacha Atara Eis. Current testers for the Israeli program are: Rav Assaf Bednarsh, Rav Yitzchak Halevi, Rav Shlomo Levi, and Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon. Testers for the U.S.-based program are: Rav Assaf Bednarsh, Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Rav Ezra Schwartz, and Rav Michael Edrei. Until his passing at the end of 2020, Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin ztz”l was one of the testers for both programs.↩
[5] Auman, “Feminism, Egalitarianism, Judaism: Where are we Headed?” Tradition 49:1, 2016 ; Reiss; Schwartz, “Nishmat Ha-Bayit: A Window into the Success of Yoatzot,” thelehrhaus.com, October, 2018. Henkin, “A Milestone: Women Advisors in Jewish Law,” The Jewish Week, November 7, 2013; Leichman, “Henkin’s Revolution”, The Jerusalem Post, August, 2015; quotes from Rabbis on press release from 2013 graduation; Genack, “Yoatzot and She’alot,” The Jewish Link, July, 2018, Taubes, “The Importance of Yoatzot Halacha,” The Jewish Link, July, 2018.↩
[6] The certificate reads:
האשה הצנועה והמלומדת, בעלת מדות טובות אשר הכרנו בה שיראתה קודמת לחכמתה, העמיקה והרחיבה בלימוד הלכות נדה וטבילה בשקידה רבה מתוך מקורותינו הראשוניים ועד פוסקי זמננו כדרכה של תורה, למשך יותר מאלף שעות לימוד במדרשת “נשמת”, בתוכנית יועצות הלכה…. וזכתה לראות פרי מעמלה, ועתה נבחנה על ידינו ועל ידי ועדת הרבנים המיוחדת והרי היא בקיאה בדיני נדה וטבילה. ובהיות והדור צריך לכך להשיב נשים רבות מעון, הרינו תומכים בידה ומסכימים שהיא תהיה כתובת ראשונה לנשים אשר תרצינה לפנות אליה בעניינים אלה להדריכן בדרך התורה והיראה, ובדבר הצריך הכרעה תפנה לפוסק מוסמך. אנו תפלה לה’ שתלך בכוח זה לעלות מעלה מעלה במעלות התורה ובעבודת הקודש, וחפץ ה’ בידה יצלח לזכות את הרבים בדבר ה’ זו ההלכה
“The learned and modest woman, of good virtues, Mrs.—–, of whom we have recognized that her fear of God precedes her wisdom, has learnt diligently, both in depth and in scope, the laws of family purity and mikveh immersion, from our most primary sources up through the halachic rulings of our time in the manner of Torah, for over one thousand hours of study, in Midreshet Nishmat, in the Yoatzot Halacha Program…. And she merited to see fruit from her toil. She has been tested by us and by a special committee of rabbis, and she has been found expert in the halachot of family purity and mikveh immersion. And because the generation is in need of it, to help many women straighten their ways, we support her, and authorize her to be a first address to women who wish to turn to her in these matters, to guide them in the spirit of Torah and fear of Heaven. And in a matter that requires halachic discretion, she should turn to a certified Posek. We pray that she ascend higher and higher in Torah and in holy endeavors, and may she succeed in doing God’s will to help the masses merit to keep God’s word, which is Halacha.”↩
[7] The Jewish community has seen another benefit to the introduction of Yoatzot Halacha–limiting the access of malicious actors to women in intimate matters can reduce the incidence of abuse. Though this was not the catalyst for the certification of Yoatzot Halacha, it is a potentially beneficial side effect. See “Rebuilding our Trust in the Rabbinate.” Yoetzet Halacha Atara Eis.↩
[8] In 2025, Yoatzot.org’s English site had 535,000 views and 175,000 visitors, hailing from across the world.↩
[9] OU’s position paper (2017) concluded that any Rav who felt practice in his community would be enhanced by hiring a Yoetzet Halacha would not be in violation of halacha. They report that they did not reach a unanimous conclusion regarding Yoatzot Halacha.↩
[10] See Rashi ad loc.↩