Prayer is one of the most important and fundamental Jewish ideas. Its no surprise that in Pirkei Avot Chapter 2 Mishna 18 we see Rabbi Shimon describe how one must be careful in their prayer. It is clear from his words that this meticulous and cautious attitude to prayer reflects just how important and powerful prayer can be. In fact, the 11th Century Poet Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi describes the greatness of prayer in his seminal work, “The Kuzari” (3:5):
A pious man does not pray by rote…The time he sets aside for prayer is the most important time of the day. The other hours are auxiliary, and only lead up to it. In effect, the fruition of his day and night are three periods of prayer. Prayer is as vital for the soul as material food is for the body, for the soul’s sustenance is prayer. The positive effect of one prayer accompanies him until the next prayer, just as one meal fortifies the body until the next. As time passes since the last time he prayed, his soul begins to feel darkness and melancholy because of its encounters with the materialistic world. During prayer, the soul becomes purified from these contacts and prepares itself for the stretch of time until the next prayer.
The picture that Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi paints is one in which our daily prayers serve as the spiritual anchors tying us as Jews to the Ribono Shel Olam, G-d, Himself.
What is perhaps most interesting about Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi’s comments, however, is that he takes for granted the notion that there are in fact three fixed periods of prayer. As we know, praying three times a day, Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv, is one of the most basic Jewish ideas. However, the Gemara in Brachot (26b) brings down a dispute about the nature of this daily obligation of prayer. On the one hand, Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Chanina explains that Tefillot Avot Tiknum, that our forefathers instituted our daily prayers. In other words, we pray Shacharit in the morning, because we see that Avraham woke up early in the morning to pray for Sedom. We pray Mincha in the afternoon because the Torah tells us the Yitzchak went out Lasuach BaSade, to meditate in the field before meeting his future wife Rivka. And finally, we pray the Maariv prayer because Vayifga Bamakom, because Yaakov prayed in the evening after running away from his brother Esav. Our daily prayers, therefore, correspond to the prayers made by our forefathers.
On the other hand we find the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, that Tefillot Kineged Timidin Tiknum, that we pray three times a day to replace the daily sacrifices brought in the Temple. A world with no Temple means that we have no way to offer sacrifices to G-d each day, and as such must pray. Instead of the Tamid Shel Shacharit, the morning sacrifice, we pray Shacharit. Instead of the Tamid Shel Bein HaArbaim, the afternoon sacrifice we pray Mincha. Finally, we pray the Maariv prayer to correspond to the burning of the Eimurim, the sacrificial limbs and fats that were burnt in the evening.
On a surface level, there really is not much to the debate between Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. One holds that we pray three times a day because of the Avot, our forefathers, while the other holds that we pray three times a day because of the Korbanot, the sacrifices. However, if we take a step back for a moment, it seems very strange that such a debate even exists. From a number of different sources throughout the Gemara, it is clear that we hold like the opinion that we pray three times a day to correspond to the Korbanot, the daily sacrifices. What is this argument even about? For example, the Gemara in Brachot continues on to debate whether or not the Maariv prayer is in fact a Reshut or not, whether is it obligatory or not. To suggest that Maariv would have a lesser legal standing compared to the other prayers doesn’t make any sense if we learn the idea of daily prayer from the forefathers. What would make Yaakov, who created the Maariv prayer, any less important than Avraham or Yitzchak? On the other hand, if the Maariv prayer corresponds to the burning of the sacrificial limbs and fats, a non-essential component of the Temple service, it would be easy to understand how Maariv could perhaps be considered non-obligatory.
That being said, perhaps the most obvious proof that we hold like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi that we pray because of the daily sacrifices can be seen when we think about the Mussaf prayer. On Shabbat and holidays, in addition to our thrice daily prayers, we also pray Mussaf. The Mussaf prayer corresponds to the Mussaf sacrifice brought in the Temple, however, there is no forefather for us to attribute the Mussaf prayer to! So how can Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Chanina even suggest that we pray because of the Avot, our forefathers! Obviously we don’t! What are they even arguing about in the Gemara in Brachot?
We find a related argument between Rambam (Maimonides) and Ramban (Nachmanides) as to whether or not Tefillah, prayer, is Min Hatorah, a Biblical commandment, or MiDirabanan, a Rabbinic commandment. Rambam in his Sefer Hamitzvot (Mitzvot Aseh 5) clearly articulates prayer as being Biblical in origin. On the other hand, Ramban (Sefer HaMitzvot) rejects this opinion suggesting instead that “the entire matter of Tefillah is not a [biblical] obligation at all,” and instead our daily prayers fulfill only a Rabbinic obligation. Yet, despite their famous argument, as it pertains to our discussion, if prayer is learned from the Avot, how could Ramban suggest that it is Rabbinic in nature? How could there be a non-Biblical aspect to prayer if prayer is derived from the forefathers and their actions?!
What is fascinating is that there seems to also be a discrepancy in the opinion of the Rambam as to why we pray three times a day. Despite the Rambam’s opinion that Tefillah is biblical in nature, we see in his Mishna Torah in Hilchot Tefillah (1:5) that he follows the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi that we pray because of the Korbanot, the sacrifices. Yet, in Hilchot Melachim (9:1), the Rambam also clearly outlines that each of the forefathers prayed their respective prayer—Avraham prayed Shacharit, Yitzchak prayed Mincha, and Yaakov prayed Maariv. This is challenging a statement from the Rambam because it would seem to suggest that in fact the Rambam holds like Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Chanina that the Avot established our daily prayers. Unsurprisingly, exactly, what the Rambam holds in regards to this Talmudic debate is a matter of dispute between commentaries.
Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk in his commentary on the Mishneh Torah called the Ohr Sameach suggests a novel approach to understanding the Rambam’s position. The Ohr Sameach writes in Hilchot Tefillah (3:9) that the Rambam in fact holds like both opinions stated in the Gemara in Brachot. The Gemara provides strong proof to both opinions, and as such the Rambam supports both Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. In practice, the Ohr Sameach explains that precisely because the Rambam holds like both opinions, Jewish law is able to accommodate different ‘scenarios’ in regards to prayer such as a case of ‘making up a missed or forgotten prayer.’ What we see is that both opinions that we pray because of the Avot and because of the Korbanot are not mutually exclusive and instead help us mediate difficult situations in the laws of prayer.
Perhaps we can take this idea of the Ohr Sameach and apply it directly to our Gemara in Brachot. The Gemara is not asking a question and holding a debate about the history of prayer. After all, it is clear that from a historical perspective we pray three times a day because of the Korbanot. Instead, the argument in the Gemara Brachot between Rabbi Yossi ben Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi is about one’s attitude and perspective towards prayer. (Similarly, we can suggest that the Machloket, the argument between Rambam and Ramban as to whether prayer is Rabbinic or Biblical is not only halachik, or legal, but rather gets to the root of the meaning and purpose of prayer.)
From this perspective both the Avot and the Korbanot offer us very different perspectives on prayer. The very notion that Tefillot Avot Tiknum, that our forefathers instituted our daily prayer shows us a model of prayer that is spontaneous, creative, and emotional. If we think back to the moments in which the forefathers prayed, these were times of need, sorrow, or uncertainty. The Avot were as such spontaneously moved to pray to G-d. There were no specific words to say, but rather an emotion or a feeling that needed to call out in prayer.
On the other hand, the model of prayer that we can learn from the Korbanot is the exact opposite of that of the Avot. The laws of the sacrifices were incredibly rigid and structured. There was no room for personal freedoms or creativity in the sacrificial service. In fact, the one time in which the Torah describes someone try to deviate and be spontaneous in sacrifices, is the story of the tragic death of Nadav and Avihu. G-d strikes down and kills the sons of Aaron the High Priest, precisely because they didn’t follow the structured rules and regulations of the sacrifices.
What therefore emerges is a Machloket in the Gemara as to which is the proper attitude or model for prayer. Is daily prayer meant to be more spontaneous than rigid like the Avot? Or is daily prayer meant to be more structured than spontaneous like the Korbanot? While at first glance this seems to be a disagreement in the Gemara, the Rambam as interpreted by the Ohr Sameach teaches us that in fact these ideas are not mutually exclusive. When it comes to daily prayer we need both the creative and spontaneous component as well as the rigid structured component.
For us as modern-Jews, this balance certainly resonates deeply. Often times when we engage in daily services in a Synagogue or at home, it feels like our prayers are rote and uninspiring. We pray the same thing every day; We say the same words over and over; How is that helping us connect to G-d?! We beg and want more spontaneity and creativity in our prayers. Yet, we also recognize the challenge of not having a structured prayer. How many people could honestly say that they would pray with regularly if it was left up to an ‘emotional feeling’ or a spontaneous desire to connect to G-d? As Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi writes in his Kuzari, prayer is the food for our soul. It is how we connect to our spirituality and with G-d. It cannot be left only to those moments that we feel the need to pray.
Our challenge, therefore, is to find ways to make our regular structured daily prayers feel new each day. We need to embrace the rigid structure and continue to think about ways to engage with prayer creatively. Perhaps that is precisely what Rabbi Shimon is trying to teach in our Mishna of Pirkei Avot when he says, “When you pray, do not regard your prayers as a fixed obligation, rather they should be the asking for mercy and supplication before G-d.” Daily prayer is fixed. We pray historically because of the Korbanot, the daily sacrifices. However, just because that is why we pray, doesn’t mean that is how we should pray. We must not look at prayer as being only fixed and rigid, but rather as an opportunity for us to speak to G-d one-on-one and create unique, innovative, and personal requests to G-d.