Biblical Origin of Prayer
It is incumbent upon every Israelite to pray, as the Torah states:
Deuteronomy 11:13
לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם.
“To love YHWH your God, and to worship him with all your hearts.”
The term “worship” here refers to both prayer and the Temple service. One might wonder whether it really includes prayer. We find a clear indication from the story of Daniel, who was exiled in Babylonia that its meaning must include prayer:
Daniel 6:17
עָנֵה מַלְכָּא, וְאָמַר לְדָנִיֵּאל: אֱלָהָךְ דִּי אַנְתְּ פָּלַח לֵהּ בִּתְדִירָא…
“The king responded and said to Daniel: ‘Your God whom you constantly worship…’”
Since there was no Temple in Babylonia, the king’s use of the word “worship” must refer to Daniel’s regular prayer. This is confirmed by the verse:
Daniel 6:11
וְדָנִיֵּאל — כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ — וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם; וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל בִּרְכוֹהִי, וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ, כָּל קֳבֵל דִּי הֲוָא עָבֵד מִן קַדְמַת דְּנָה.
“And Daniel — when he learned the document was signed — went home, where his upstairs windows were open towards Jerusalem; And three times a day he kneeled on his knees, and would pray and give thanks before his God, as such that he used do from before that.”
From this we learn that Daniel always prayed three times a day, continuing the practice “that he used do from before that”, meaning he had observed even before being taken captive to Babylonia.
These three prayer times were not consecutive, but were deliberately spread out across noticably distinct points of the day, as it says:
Psalms 55:17-18
אֲנִי אֶל אֱלֹהִים אֶקְרָא: וַיהוָה יוֹשִׁיעֵנִי. עֶרֶב, וָבֹקֶר, וְצָהֳרַיִם, אָשִׂיחָה וְאֶהֱמֶה; וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי.
“I would call to God: And YHWH save me! Evening, and morning, and afternoon, I would speak and cry out; And he heard my voice.”
Prayer & Temple Service
Prayer was also understood to be similar to the Temple service, as the Psalmist expresses:
Psalms 141:2
תִּכּוֹן תְּפִלָּתִי קְטֹרֶת לְפָנֶיךָ; מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי מִנְחַת עָרֶב.
“Establish my prayer [like] incense before you; the raising of my palms [like] the evening grain offering.”
Indeed, prayer even took place within the Temple itself alongside the sacrifices. We see this clearly in the account of King Solomon:
Kings I 8:22-23
וַיַּעֲמֹד שְׁלֹמֹה לִפְנֵי מִזְבַּח יְהוָה, נֶגֶד כָּל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו הַשָּׁמָיִם. וַיֹּאמַר: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵין כָּמוֹךָ אֱלֹהִים, בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת… וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל יְהוָה אֵת כָּל הַתְּפִלָּה וְהַתְּחִנָּה הַזֹּאת; קָם מִלִּפְנֵי מִזְבַּח יְהוָה מִכְּרֹעַ עַל בִּרְכָּיו וְכַפָּיו פְּרֻשׂוֹת הַשָּׁמָיִם.
“And Shlomo (Solomon) stood before YHWH's alter, in the presence of all the congregation of Israel; and he spread his palms [towards] the heaven. And he said: ‘YHWH God of Israel, there is no God like you, [not] in the heavens above and [not] on the earth underneath…’ And when Shlomo completed praying to YHWH this whole prayer and supplication; He arose from before YHWH's alter from kneeling on his knees with his palms spread [towards] the heaven.”
Examples of Daily Prayer
Given that the Jewish people prayed three times a day regardless of their other daily needs and activities, what exactly constituted a constant prayer to be said thrice daily?
Jerusalem Talmud Berachoth 4:1
רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים שֶׁהַיּוֹם מִשְׁתַּנֶּה עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת — בְּשַׁחַר צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר: מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַיי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַיי, שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָנִי מֵאֲפֵילָה לְאוֹרָה. בְּמִנְחָה צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר: מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַיי וֵאלֹהֵיי אֲבוֹתַי, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁזְּכִיתָנִי לִרְאוֹת הַחַמָּה בְמִזְרָח, כַּךְ תְּזַכֵּנִי לִרְאוֹתָהּ בְּמַעֲרָב. בָּעֶרֶב צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר: יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַיי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַיי, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָיִיתִי בָּאֲפֵילָה וְהוֹצֵאתָנִי לְאוֹרָה, כַּךְ תּוֹצִיאֵנִי מֵאֲפֵילָה לְאוֹרָה.
“Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Nachmani said: In accordance with the three times that the day is altered upon the creations — At morning mankind must say: ‘I am thankful before you YHWH my God and the God of my fathers, that you brought me from darkness to light.’ At Mincha mankind must say: ‘I am thankful before you YHWH my God and the God of my fathers, that like I merited to see the sun in the east, so too may I merit to see it in the west.’ At evening it must be said: ‘May it be the will from before you YHWH my God and the God of my fathers, that like I was in darkness and you brought me to light so too bring me from darkness to light.’”
An alternative version states:
Genisis Rabbah 68 (Genesis 28:11)
אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים שֶׁהַיּוֹם מִשְׁתַּנֶּה — בְּעַרְבִית צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר: יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי, שֶׁתּוֹצִיאֵנִי מֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה. בְּשַׁחֲרִית צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר: מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי, שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָנִי מֵאֲפֵילָה לְאוֹרָה. בְּמִנְחָה צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר: יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁזִּכִּיתַנִי לִרְאוֹת חַמָּה בִּזְרִיחָתָהּ כָּךְ תְּזַכֵּנִי לִרְאוֹתָהּ בִּשְׁקִיעָתָהּ.
“Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Nachmani said: In accordance with the three times that the day is altered — At evening mankind must say: May it be the will from before you YHWH my God, that you should bring me from darkness to light. At morning mankind must say: ‘I am thankful before you YHWH my God, that you brought me from darkness to light.’ At Mincha mankind must say: ‘I am thankful before you YHWH my God, that like I merited to see the sun rise, so too may I merit to see it set.’”
What does “at Mincha” mean? The Torah describes the daily offerings as follows:
Numbers 28:4-5
אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר; וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם. וַעֲשִׂירִית הָאֵיפָה סֹלֶת לְמִנְחָה; בְּלוּלָה בְּשֶׁמֶן כָּתִית רְבִיעִת הַהִין.
“One of the lambs you shall perform in the morning; And the second lamb you shall perform between the evenings. And a tenth of an Eifah of fine flower for a grain offering (Mincha); mixed into a quarter-Hin of pressed oil.”
The second lamb was sacrificed “between the evenings,” after which the grain offering — Mincha — was brought. The content of the aforementioned Mincha prayer (“like I merited to see the sun in the east, so too may I merit to see it in the west” / “like I merited to see the sun rise, so too may I merit to see it set”) indicates that “between the evenings” refers to the time around noon, when the sun reaches its zenith, according to Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Nachmani. Therefore, the appropriate time for this prayer is shortly after noon, corresponding to the time when the Mincha (grain) offering was presented in the Temple.
Conclusion
In summary, the Torah obligates every Israelite to pray as an expression of wholehearted love and worship of HaShem. This is exemplified by Daniel’s unwavering practice of praying three times daily — morning, afternoon (Mincha), and evening — even in exile, as described by the Psalmist. These prayers correspond to the natural transitions of the day. The short blessings taught by Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Nachmani beautifully capture gratitude for the daily shift for each of these transitions, reinforcing that we must be constantly grateful for the repeated merits that HaShem bestows upon us.