Prayer

Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thank you for answering my last question. For someone who davens without a minyan, is it obligatory for him to say Selichos, given that the Rema in o.c. 565:5 rules that he is not allowed to say selichos without a minyan, to which the Mishnah Beruah disagrees and only says it is “permissible,” implying that it is only permissible but not an obligation. Does anyone hold that one is obligated? Thank you.

Hey Rabbi, I’ve heard that there’s one version of the “traveler's prayer” for regular travel, and a different special version for flying in an airplane. When you fly are you supposed to say both? Thanks.

During the third paragraph of שמע, do you kiss your ציצית before or after the word? For example, ועשו להם, (Kiss your ציצית ) and then say the actual word ציצית. Or ועשו להם ציצית, (Kiss your ציצית) Thank you!

I have recited the blessing Shelo Asani Isha my entire life. But in recent years, I have become growingly uncomfortable with it. I’m getting to the point that I feel I can no longer recite it while believing it in my heart. I do not feel joy as I recite it, but I feel repulsion. The reason is that I feel this blessing ascribes superiority to the male gender. I personally feel the two genders are equal in importance, even though their roles in life might have some differences. Though the explanation given is to thank Hashem for having more mitzvot one can fulfill, reality is both genders have important mitzvot that in most cases are exclusive to that gender. And the mitzvot of both genders are of equal importance to society. It bothers me that men thank Hashem for not making them a woman, but woman don’t use wording thanking Hashem for not having made them a man. It sounds as if a person is extra special in the eyes of Hashem for not being a woman. The Torah was given to both genders, not just men.