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Does women's obligation in prayer stem from Torah (תורה) or rabbinic law? The shiur analyzes the Rambam (רמב"ם)-Ramban (רמב"ן) debate and shows how the Shulchan Aruch's ruling that women must pray creates practical flexibility. Women can fulfill their obligation with one daily Shemoneh Esrei at any time, or use the abbreviated Tefilah Ketzarah during genuine time constraints.
This shiur provides an in-depth examination of the fundamental question regarding the nature of the obligation for daily prayer, specifically addressing women's obligations in tefilah. The lecture begins with the core debate between Rambam (רמב"ם) (Maimonides) and Ramban (רמב"ן) (Nachmanides) over whether prayer constitutes a Torah (תורה) obligation or merely a rabbinic one. According to Rambam, there exists a daily Torah obligation to pray following a specific three-part format: praise of Hashem (ה׳), requests for personal needs, and concluding with thankful praise. This structure derives from Moshe Rabbeinu's prayer to enter Eretz Yisrael in Parshat Va'etchanan, as discussed in Tractate Berakhot 32a. The Rambam's position establishes that while the obligation and format are biblical, our current text of Shemoneh Esrei is rabbinic in origin. The Magen Avrohom provides a significant leniency, stating that many women fulfill their obligation through a simple request made while washing hands in the morning, suggesting the rabbis may not have required more extensive prayer from women. This opinion reflects the practical reality that women often face time constraints due to household responsibilities. The shiur notes that according to Rambam's view, there may be no maximum limit to prayer, potentially explaining why no blessing is recited before tefilah, similar to the mitzvah (מצוה) of recounting the Exodus on Pesach (פסח) night.
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Hilchos Tefilah Chapter 1:1-2, Berakhot 32a, Shulchan Aruch 106:1
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