How to Fulfill the Mitzvah of Prayer?

We are taught that the Rambam is precise and meticulous with every word that he penned. There are no "idle words" for the sake of rhetoric. When studying the Rambam's halacha, one must be as exacting and detailed as he is, striving to understand the intent of each and every word.

In the title of the Laws of Prayer (Chapter 1), Rambam writes, "There are two positive commandments within them, one to serve Hashem through prayer." Yet, in the first halacha, he writes, "A positive commandment to pray every day." Why does Rambam use the term "to serve" in one instance and "to pray" in another?

Rambam[1] has a unique system for the enumeration of mitzvot or, more precisely, for the definition of mitzvot. According to this system, two types of mitzvot exist: those where the observance of the mitzvah and the act of the mitzvah are the same, such as the mitzvah of lulav. The Torah states "and you shall take," and in taking the lulav, you are performing the act of taking and also fulfilling the mitzvah. The same applies, for instance, to the mitzvah of Pesach and Counting the Omer.

However, there are mitzvot where the act of the mitzvah and its observance are not identical. For example, Kriyat Shema - the act of the mitzvah is the recitation of the passages of Kriyat Shema, that is, verbal expression. But the observance of the mitzvah is the acceptance of the divine sovereignty. In such mitzvot, Rambam consistently teaches that in any place discussing a mitzvah with internal observance and external action, he specifically divides them: In the halachot, he speaks about the act of the mitzvah, while in the heading, where the definition and introduction to the laws are presented, he speaks about the observance of the mitzvah in all its fuller meaning.

Notable example in prayer - the observance of the mitzvah of prayer spans the whole world, meaning: a personal encounter with the Lord of the universe, akin to "face to face I will speak with him." This sublime description of dialogue with Hashem, as said about Moshe, can and must be carried out by a Jew every day, three times a day. The observance of the mitzvah appears in the heading of the Laws of Prayer, where Rambam precisely states "to serve Hashem through prayer every day." Here he does not use the terminology found in the laws themselves, "a positive commandment to pray" (referring to the act of prayer), but rather another term "to serve Hashem," a term describing the observance of the commandment related to the service of the heart.

Rambam in the Laws of Prayer (Chapter 1) writes that there is a positive commandment from the Torah to pray every day. According to the Torah, there is no fixed text for prayer and no obligation for a specific number of prayers per day, but each Jew should pray according to their heart. The mitzvah involves a person pleading and praying daily by offering praise to Hashem, then asking for their needs, desires, and finally giving thanks to Hashem for the goodness bestowed upon them, each according to their ability. Such was the practice of prayer from Moshe Rabbeinu until Ezra the Scribe.

When the people of Israel returned from the First Temple's exile, the children born in exile did not know how to speak the holy language; their language was mixed with different languages like the prayer of the stammerers. Therefore, Ezra and his court established eighteen blessings in eloquent language that contain all personal and communal requests. They also established the number of prayers to match the number of sacrifices: two daily prayers corresponding to the two daily offerings and the evening prayer corresponding to the parts of the evening offering consumed on the altar throughout the night. Additional prayers are said on days with an extra offering (Rosh Chodesh, Shabbat, holidays).

When a Jew awakens in the morning and sees the world set and ready, awaiting the crown of creation, their heart stirs to praise the Creator with the morning blessings, which are praises to the Creator for the order of the world and His governance, such as "My God, the soul," who gives the rooster understanding, who spreads the earth upon the waters, etc. Additional blessings are also made for personal pleasures (according to the Rosh and Tosafot) such as dressing the naked, girding Israel with strength, crowning Israel with glory, and more. Hashem bestows kindness every morning by awakening us from sleep and renewing our strength from the toil of the previous day, as it says in the Midrash "New every morning, great is Your faithfulness," and so writes Kolbo, giving thanks to Hashem for the rest and repose granted to man from his toil through sleep, and for the benefit achieved through sleep in digesting food, for which we bless the removal of sleep from the eyes, with the blessing concluding as bestowing good kindnesses on His people Israel.

Similarly, the blessing "who gives weariness strength" was instituted for a person who entrusts their weary soul to Hashem's hand in the evening after the day's hard work, and Hashem returns it to them in the morning calm and peaceful, as the Midrash states "New every morning, great is Your faithfulness." A human might entrust a deposit to a friend, and the friend returns it worn or spoiled, but every evening a person entrusts their soul to Hashem when it is weary, and Hashem returns it anew and at peace.

(From my book "Prayer of Jacob")