Why Does G-d Need to Be Buttered Up?

It was stated: Rabbi Yosi b. Rabbi Hanina said: The Patriarch instituted the Tefillah Rabbi Yehoshua b. Levi said: prayer was instituted corresponding to the daily sacrifices. It was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yosi b. Rabbi Hanina, and it was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua b. Levi. It was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yosi b. Rabbi Hanina: Abraham instituted the morning prayer, as it says, (Genesis 19:27)"Next morning, Abraham hurried to the place where he had stood before the Lord." And "standing" is prayer, as it is said, (Psalms 106:30) "Pinhas stood and prayed." Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is said, (Genesis 24:63) "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening..." And "mediation" is prayer, as it is said, (Psalms 102:1) "A prayer of the lowly man when he is faint and pours forth his plea before the lord." Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is said, (Genesis 28:11) "He encountered a certain place and stopped there..." and "encountered" is prayer, as it is said, (Jeremiah 7:16) "As for you, do not pray for this people, do not raise a cry of prayer on their behalf, do not plead with Me; for I will not listen to you." It was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua b. Levi: For what reason did they say that the morning prayer is until midday? Because the daily morning offering was offered until midday. And Rabbi Yehudah said: Until the fourth hour, because the daily morning offering was offered until the fourth hour. And for what reason did they say that the afternoon prayer is until the evening? Because the afternoon daily offering was offered until the evening. And Rabbi Yehudah said: Until mid-afternoon, because the daily afternoon offering was offered until mid-afternoon. And for what reason did they say that the evening prayer has no fixed time? Because the limbs and and the fat that were not burned up by the evening were offered all night long.

A certain [reader] went down in the presence of R. Hanina and said, O God, the great, mighty, terrible, majestic, powerful, awful, strong, fearless, sure and honoured. He waited till he had finished, and when he had finished he said to him, Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why do we want all this? Even with these three that we do say,²³ had not Moses our Master mentioned them in the Law²⁴ and had not the Men of the Great Synagogue come and inserted them in the Tefillah, we should not have been able to mention them, and you say all these and still go on! It is as if an earthly king had a million denarii of gold, and someone praised him as possessing silver ones. Would it not be an insult to him?

The first (three) are like a servant who presents his master's praises; the middle ones are like a servant who asks for a prize from his master; the last ones are like a servant who has received a prize from his master and is taking his leave and going.

(2) When he [continues] to reflect on these same matters, he will immediately recoil in awe and fear, appreciating how he is a tiny, lowly, and dark creature, standing with his flimsy, limited, wisdom before He who is of perfect knowledge, as David stated: "When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers... [I wonder] what is man that You should recall Him" [Psalms 8:4-5]. Based on these concepts, I will explain important principles regarding the deeds of the Master of the worlds to provide a foothold for a person of understanding to [develop] love for God, as our Sages said regarding love: "In this manner, you will recognize He who spoke and [thus,] brought the world into being.

(2) Therefore, women and slaves are obligated in prayer because it is a positive commandment lacking a fixed time, but the obligation of this commandment is as follows: a person should supplicate and pray every day and relate the praise of God, and afterwards ask for their needs as a request and a supplication, and afterwards give praise and thanks to God for the good that has been bestowed upon them, each person according to their ability.