by Rabbi Yehuda Schnall

There is a well-known disagreement over the source and status of our obligation to pray. The two main figures in the debate are the Rambam and the Ramban. (See the Rambam’s Sefer Hamitzvot, Positive Commandment #5, and the Ramban’s comments thereon.) According to the Rambam, there is a Biblical obligation (De’Oraita) to pray at least once a day. The Rabbis formalized and expanded this obligation so that we now are required (De’Rabbanan) to pray in a specific way three times a day. But according to the Ramban, there is no Biblical commandment to pray daily; the only Biblical requirement to pray is in time of trouble. The Rabbinic obligation to pray as we do three times a day is, for the Ramban, not a formalization and expansion of Biblically required daily prayer, but an original Rabbinic institution.

The author of the Aruch Hashulchan finds it incredible that the Ramban (or anyone with sensitivity to the issue) should say that there is no Biblical requirement of regular prayer. For it seems that on this view as far as the Torah is concerned (prior to the Rabbinic institution of thrice daily prayer), it would be perfectly all right if a person never in his entire life prayed to Hashem. As long as he is not in trouble, the Torah does not require him to pray, ever. But the author of the Aruch Hashulchan says that prayer is such an essential and fundamental part of our religious lives that a person’s never praying cannot be a real possibility according to the Torah. He proceeds to explain what he takes to be the Ramban’s position so that it does not entail this implausible consequence. He says that the Ramban did not deny that we have a Biblical obligation to pray daily. He denied only that daily prayer is one of the 613 commandments. It is in fact, on a higher level than any individual commandment, serving as a kind of backbone supporting all of the commandments, and therefore not to be counted as one of them.

Without going further into the explanation of the Aruch Hashulchan, I would like to suggest another approach to resolving his difficulty: Prayer is service of Hashem, praising Him for His greatness, thanking Him for what He does for us, and turning to Him for what we need and want. It is, thus, an expression of our recognition and appreciation of who Hashem is, what He does for us, and our dependence on Him. Such expression of appreciation is much more valuable if it comes from us, unsolicited, than if it comes in response to a command. Commanded, or demanded, expressions of appreciation, even if sincerely felt, are not as meaningful as those that are spontaneous and freely offered. By not commanding us to pray regularly, Hashem allowed us to freely offer Him our praise, our thanks, and our acknowledgment of our dependence on Him.

Of course, when a Jew prays three times a day, he does not do so spontaneously; it is not his own idea to pray. He is fulfilling a Rabbinic commandment. What I am suggesting is that Klal Yisrael as a whole, represented by our Rabbis of blessed memory (Chazal), on its own initiative, freely offered to express appreciation of Hashem’s greatness and beneficence by having every Jew pray three times a day. Thus, by obeying the Rabbinic commandment of prayer, each of us participates in Klal Yisrael’s freewill offering to Hashem. We do our part in giving expression to the awe and love of Hashem that form part of the special relationship between Klal Yisrael and Hashem.

Thus, in response to the difficulty raised by the Aruch Hashulchan, we can say that indeed it would not be all right, from Hashem’s or the Torah’s perspective, if Jews did not pray. Hashem wants us to pray. But (according to the Ramban) He did not command us in the Torah to pray regularly. And by not making it a command, He allowed us to come up with the idea ourselves – “us” meaning Chazal, representing Klal Yisrael. As a result, our prayers are a more meaningful form of worship.

We are told that one who is commanded and does Hashem’s will is greater than one who is not commanded and does Hashem’s will. But though this is true generally, there are some areas of activity, such as expressions of appreciation and love, where self-motivated acts are more meaningful than externally imposed acts. We participate in Klal Yisrael’s self-motivated worship when we pray. (And perhaps, as individuals, each of us is also considered as being on the level of “commanded and doing,” since we are obeying the Rabbinic commandment to pray.) In addition, as individuals, it may be appropriate for us to look for, and take advantage of, opportunities to do even more for Hashem than is strictly required of us, and thereby exhibit and develop ever greater love of Hashem. For His love for us is endless.