You don't absolutely need to soak the rice before cooking it, and I will show you how you can make great rice without rinsing or soaking. That said there are many benefits to soaking the rice: soaked rice will yield rice grains that are longer and slender and more attractive. You will also nearly halve the cooking time. The shorter cooking time also preserves the aroma of the rice, which dissipates the longer you cook it. Rinsing the rice will also yield a longer grain rice, although the result won't be as good as the soaked rice.