Tefila

Shavua tov, Whats the minimum required daily tefilot for an Ashkenazi woman?

Shalom u'vracha, The Mishna Berura wrote that women have an obligation to daven shacharit and mincha (106:4). However, Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurebach (Halichot Shlomo, tefilla, (2:3, comment 5) wrote that the minhag is not according to the view of the Mishna Berura, and many women do not daven shacharit and mincha. According to Rav Shlomo Zalman, It is enough for women to say a single prayer a day. (this is also the opinion of Harav Moshe Feinstein (Orach Chaim, 4:102) This single prayer must include three parts: a 'shevach' (a praise to Hashem) , a 'bakasha' (a request), and a 'hodaya' (thanking Hashem). By merely reciting the 'modah ani' upon awakening, she already has said a 'shevach' and a 'hodaya'. Therefore, she should fulfill the obligation by saying at least one 'request' or bakasha (Halichot Shlomo, tefilla, (2:30). Harav Ovadya Yosef added that since these three parts of davening are required, a woman should daven the shemoneh esrei, at least once a day, to cover all of these three. In addition, the shemoneh esrei is a very holy davening in which each word has deep secrets included in it (Yabia Omer 6:17, Yechave Daat: 3,7). This is the minimum required but if one has the time, it is meritorious and proper to daven twice a day. Summary: The minimum required is any simple davening with the three parts mentioned. However, it is better to say at least one shemoneh esrei during the day. Finally, it is considered even better to daven twice a day.