258. How We Used to Pray

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 1:2

Women and slaves are obligated in the mitzvah to pray because it is not a time-bound commandment. Rather, this mitzvah requires each person to pray each day - to praise God, to ask for one’s needs, and to thank God for all the goodness that He has granted. Each person should do this according to his own ability.

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 1:3

Formerly, one who was more eloquent would offer many prayers, while one who was less gifted with words would do his best. Similarly, some people would pray once a day, while others would pray several times. Everyone would pray facing the direction of Temple from his own location. This was the way things were from the time of Moses until that of Ezra.