  5 minutes any time of day |
 Tefilla/ |
 Pray everyday to G-d. The mitzvah of Tefilla is best accomplished through praising G-d, asking Him to fulfill our
needs and thanking Him for all He does for us. These concepts are encapsulated in the Shmoneh Esrai prayer, which can be found in
the prayer book. You can start by saying at least the first paragraph of the Shmoneh Esrai, which can be said in any language you
understand. You can also add your own personal tefillos to the Shmoneh Esrai.
 “Him shall you serve.”, Deuteronomy 6:13; Talmud Bavli, Taanis, 2A
 Our prayers are said to have been established by the forefathers.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are credited with the morning,
afternoon, and evening prayers, respectively. However, the prayer book and its laws were comprised by our sages to
parallel the laws of offerings that were brought in the Temple in
Jerusalem before its destruction. The sages of the Great Assemby, over 2000 years ago, composed and established the 19 prayers of the silent Shmoneh Esrai (Amidah) which comprise the heart of all the prayer services. The concept of this prayer is also established by the story of Chana in the Book of Samuel who is observed in the Temple by the High Priest Eli Hacohen to be praying quietly to G-d for children.
Hashem wants to hear the prayers of man, and
immediately responds with His mercy to those who petition
Him with sincerity.
Prayer uttered in the proper spirit will be the source from which
you will derive the strength and Divine aid that you need in all
of your efforts at self-liberation from evil. – S.R. Hirsch
 The obligation Jewish men have to pray three times a day in a
minyan (a quorum of ten) speaks to the power of communal
prayer. The daily endeavor of meeting together to pray the
three tefilos (Shacharis–morning, Mincha–afternoon, and
Maariv–evening) is a cornerstone of the Jewish community.
Jewish men above the age of Bar Mitzvah have a rabbinic
obligation to pray these three services every day. It is best to
learn the prayers in Hebrew, but one still fulfills his obligation
praying in any language he understands. Women have an
obligation to pray as well but are exempt from the obligation of
praying with a minyan.
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