Daily Mitzvah (Rambam)

The 10th mitzvah is that we are commanded to recite the Shema1 daily, both in the evening and in the morning.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house [and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise.]"

The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the tractate Berachos. There3 it is explained that reciting Shema is a Biblical requirement.4

The Tosefta5 explains [regarding the mitzvah of prayer]: "Just as the Torah established the time for reciting Shema, so our Sages established a time for prayer." The meaning of this statement is as follows: Although prayer itself is ordained by the Torah, as explained above,6 the set times for prayer are not. The Sages established the times for prayer. This is also the meaning of the statement,7 "The prayers were established to correspond to the tamid sacrifices."8 This means that the Sages established the times of prayer to correspond to the times of the sacrifices.9

Women are not obligated in this mitzvah.

Footnotes

1.

Deut. 6:4.

2.

Deut. 6:7.

3.

Berachos 21a.

4.

The Rambam brings this to prove that this mitzvah, since it is Biblical in origin, counts among the 613.

5.

Berachos, beginning of Ch. 3.

6.

P5.

7.

Berachos 26a.

8.

See P39.

9.

These passages prove that not only is the recital of Shema itself ordained by the Torah, but that the times are also ordained by the Torah. This makes reciting Shema a mitzvah she'ha'zman groma — a mitzvah connected with a set time — from which women are exempt. See Yad HaLevi on Sefer Hamitzvos, P10, note 1.

The 5th mitzvah is that we are commanded to serve G‑d (blessed be He). This commandment is repeated many times: And you shall serve G‑d, your L‑rd";1 "And you shall serve Him";2 "And to serve Him."3

Although this commandment is of a general nature,4 as explained in the Fourth Principle,5 [and apparently should not be included in the count of the 613 mitzvos,] nevertheless it has a specific quality, since it is the commandment to pray.

[We see that "service" is not just a general command from the following statements:] The Sifri6 says, "The verse, 'And to serve Him' means prayer." The Sages also said, "The verse, 'And to serve Him' means Torah study.

In the Mishnah of Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Rabbi Yosi HaG'lili,7 the Sages said, "What is the biblical source to include prayer among the mitzvos? From the verse, 'You shall fear G‑d, your L‑rd, and you shall serve Him.' "8

They also said,9 "Serve Him through His Torah; serve Him in His Temple." This [statement, 'serve Him in His Temple,'] means that one's goal should be to pray in the Temple or in the direction of the Temple, as King Solomon explained.10

Footnotes

1.

Ex. 23:25.

2.

Deut. 13:5. Some versions of Sefer Hamitzvos include here Deut. 6:13, "And you shall serve Him."

3.

Deut. 11:13.

4.

I.e., "serving" G‑d includes performance of all the mitzvos, rather than a specific act.

5.

In the Introductory section of Sefer Hamitzvos. This Principle states that a mitzvah must be of a specific nature in order to be counted among the 613 mitzvos.

6.

Deut 11:13.

7.

Also quoted in Migdal Oz, beginning of Hilchos Tefilah.

8.

Deut. 10:20.

9.

Sifri Medrash Tenaim.

10.

Kings I, 8:23,35. Chronicles II, 6:32.