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By: Yehuda Shurpin
Finding time to pray can be particularly challenging for women, given family and other obligations. While women are generally technically exempt from many time-bound mitzvot (shofar, lulav, tefillin, etc.), prayer is an exception. The importance of women’s prayer is emphasized by the Talmud, which derives foundational principles from the prayer of Chana, the mother of the prophet Samuel, who prayed fervently for a child.
Women are obligated to pray, but there are differing views on the specifics of this obligation. Some occasions may allow for only essential prayers, while others may permit a fuller prayer routine. Below, we outline the basic obligations, optional parts, and priorities of women’s prayers.
To understand what women are obligated to pray, we first need some background on the nature of their obligation.
The Nature of Women’s Prayer Obligations
Two Views on Women’s Prayer
First Approach: The core obligation of prayer for men and women is biblical, without fixed times. The Torah commands us to “serve G‑d with all your heart,”1 which the sages interpret as prayer.2 According to this view, fulfilling this commandment can be as simple as making a single daily request to G‑d. When the sages instituted specific times and the text of the Amidah, women were exempt from these additions, as they are from other time-bound commandments.3 Many Jewish women throughout history have followed this approach.4
Second Approach: The Men of the Great Assembly (Anshei Knesset Hagedolah) established the mitzvah of prayer with set times and texts. Although women are generally exempt from time-bound mitzvahs, the sages included them in prayer, as they too must seek Divine mercy. According to this view, women should pray the Amidah of both Shacharit (morning) and Minchah (afternoon), while Maariv (evening prayer) is optional and rarely recited by women.5
Most halachic authorities align with this second opinion, obligating women to pray the Amidah twice daily.6 Nevertheless, at times, they may rely on the first opinion.7
In addition to the Amidah, daily prayers include a range of other sections. Although it is commendable for women to say all these prayers if they have time, they are not strictly obligated to do so. We will run through a general outline of the prayers, highlighting which parts take precedence and which can be skipped if time is limited:
Birchot Hashachar (Morning Blessings): Many opinions hold that women are obligated to recite the morning blessings, as they are not time-bound and express gratitude for daily benefits.8 (Note: Some women traditionally recite the blessing She’asani Kirtzono [“That He made me according to His will”] in place of the blessing that men recite, Shelo Asani Isha [“Who has not made me a woman”]. Among Chabad women, the widespread custom is not to say She’asani Kirtzono and to simply omit the blessing. However, some Chabad women do say She’asani Kirtzono, following their family tradition.)
Birchat Hatorah (Blessings on Torah Learning): Women are obligated to say Birchat Hatorah, as they must learn the mitzvahs that apply to them.9
Korbanot (Daily Offerings): Women are encouraged to recite Parshat Hatamid, the section describing the daily offering in the holy Temple.10
Pesukei Dezimra (Verses of Praise): Optional for women, but encouraged based on their ability and available time. This follows the view of the Shulchan Aruch Harav.11 (There are some authorities, like the Mishnah Berurah,12 that are of the opinion that women are obligated in Pesukei Dezimra).
Birchot Keriat Shema (Blessings before and after Shema): Women are obligated to remember the Exodus daily, as this mitzvah is not time-bound.
