Daily prayer
Prayer, the moment when man turns to his Creator, is an integral part of Jewish life. And as such, it is an integral part of a Jewish woman’s life.
Any time you have a free moment, you may turn to your Father in Heaven and speak to Him from your heart. It is even one of the Torah’s primary commandments.
For more explanation of the nature of prayer, details of prayer and the synagogue see The Synagogue and Prayer.
Regarding the three daily prayers: Shacharit, Mincha and Arvit: You are not obligated to pray all of these prayers, nor are you obligated to pray the complete text of in each prayer.
- If you wash your hands before you pray, remember to first remove your rings. The rings will constitute a barrier between your hands and the water, and they will nullify the ritual. Accidentally washed with your rings on? It’s best to take them off and wash again. Just don’t forget them at the sink afterwards…
If you wish, you may, of course, pray all three prayers, including their complete text. But there are some passages which you must recite, and they should not be skipped.
In the Shacharit prayer
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- The Daily Sacrifice – a text in the morning prayer which describes God’s commandment to offer a daily sacrifice in the Temple.
- A woman is obligated to recite this text because today, when the Temple no longer stands, our prayers represent a replacement for the sacrifices. Therefore, just as the daily sacrifice was offered on behalf of women as well as men, the prayer that replaces it must be recited by women and men alike.
- The daily sacrifice was offered twice each day: in the morning and afternoon. During morning prayers, we recite “The Daily Sacrifice” in memory of the morning sacrifice.
- The Shema – a series of verses from the Torah which express that we accept God as our king, and we accept the burden of his commandments.
- A woman is obligated to recite these texts because she too is obligated to accept God’s sovereignty and commandments.
- The Final Blessing of Shema – this blessing begins with the words “true and firm… is our faith,” and serves as a link between the Shema and the Amida (the central text of each daily prayer). The blessing was established because when we conclude the Shema we mention the exodus from Egypt, this fulfilling the mitzvah to recall the historic exodus. Since the mitzvah to recall the exodus is constant rather than time-dependent, women are obligated as well as men. Therefore, women must recite the blessing as well.
- Amida – the central text of each daily prayer which consists mainly of requests that God have mercy on man and fulfill his needs.
- And what can we do, women also have what to ask for…
In the evening prayers
Women are not obligated to recite the evening prayer but may do so if they wish. After the Shema of the evening prayers, as after the Shema in the morning, we recite a blessing to fulfill the commandment to recall the exodus from Egypt. In the evening, this blessing begins with the words “emet v’emunah – true and faithful. Since women are exempt from evening prayers, they may say this blessing after they recite the Shema when going to sleep at night.
- There is no need to change words from the masculine to the feminine form in prayers or blessings.
The Women’s Sanctuary in the Synagogue
In the synagogue, you will find the Women’s Sanctuary which is set aside as a place especially for women to pray. The name is taken from an area in the Temple that shared the same name. this section may on another floor or alongside the men’s prayer area with a partition between the two.
Separation between the genders is a necessary requirement to fulfill the laws of prayer.
