Women: Minimum to Pray

The minimum amount of prayer that women and girls 12 years old and up must say varies according to several opinions:
  • Opinion that RMH approves of:
    • Birchot ha'shachar (from al netilat yadaim--to u'maflee la'asot)
    • Birchot haTorah (from la'asok b'divrei Torah--to notein haTorah)
    • Yevarechecha/Eilu divarim she'ein/Eilu divarim she'adam
    • Elohai neshama
    • Asher natan 'sechvi... gomel chasadim tovim l'amo Yisrael
    • Shema (first line of shema plus Baruch shem kevod malchuto l'olam va'ed)
    • If they choose to say the morning amida, they should precede it with emet, v'yatziv until ga'al yisrael.
  • Ramban: Women should say at least the amida of shacharit and of mincha.
  • Another opinion: Women must say some prayer every day (but it may be any type of prayer, not only the fixed prayer services).
  • Another opinion: Women do not need to say the amida and emet v'yatziv on Shabbat and Jewish festivals (that is, whenever we are not asking for anything). 
  • Women who have small children who require the mother's constant attention should not say any prayers except for birchot ha'shachar and birchot haTorah.
For more on women and the shema, see Women and Shema in Shacharit.
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