The Talmud in Massekhet Berakhot (26b) explains that the Avot - the Patriarchs - established that one should pray three times a day. Avraham instituted Shacharit, Yitzchak established Minchah and Yaakov created Maariv.
The Talmud derives the fact that Yitzchak established Minchah from this week's parashah, Parashat Chayei Sarah. When Eliezer is returning with Rivka to marry Yitzchak, the Torah says, "Vayetze Yitzchak Lasu'ach Bashadeh Lifnot Arev - Yitzchak went out to supplicate in the field toward evening." This description of Yitzchak praying before nightfall, proves, according to tradition, that he instituted Minchah, the afternoon prayer.
Halakhic authorities struggle, however, to explain why this afternoon prayer is called Minchah (see Magen Avraham to Orach Chaim 232). The morning prayer is called Shacharit because the word "Shachar" means "dawn" and the evening prayer is called Maariv because "Erev" means "night." But the word Minchah is not related to a time of the day. So what does it mean?
Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein, in Tosefet Bracha, relates the word Minchah to the "Korban Minchah - a flour offering." The Torah (Vayikra 2:1) introduces this offering in a unique way. It says, "Venefesh Ki Takriv Minchah" which literally means, "When a soul sacrifices a Minchah offering." All other sacrifices are introduced with the words "When a man sacrifices" or "when a person sacrifices," but regarding the Minchah offering, it says, "When a soul sacrifices." The rabbis (Menachot 104b) explain that a Minchah offering was sacrified by someone who was poor, and the Torah uses the phrase "when a soul sacrifices" to mean that when a poor person offers a Minchah, Hashem considers it as if they had sacrificed their soul. That, says the Tosefet Bracha, is the secret of the word Minchah. When a person davens Shacharit, it is at a fixed time - when they wake up in the morning, and before they start their daily activities. And a person davens Maariv at a fixed time - when they are at home free from the obligations of the day. But Minchah must be said in the midst of the day, when a person is busy making a livelihood and is distracted from the spiritual. In order to daven Minchah, a person must free themselves from all that is going on around them and focus on praying (Tur, Orach Chaim 232). The Tosefet Bracha says that when a person is able to accomplish this difficult feat, it is considered, like in the case of the Minchah offering, as if a person has sacrified their soul to Hashem. Therefore, the afternoon prayer is called "Minchah."
The Tosefet Bracha's explanation offers a meaningful paradigm for the stages of life. Childhood and Adolescence are like Shachrit - the morning prayer which is recited at a specific time. For the most part, what we must do and what our obligations must be are dictated, or fixed, by our parents. There is a time-slot for almost everything. Old Age, on the other hand, is comparable to Maariv - the evening prayer which is also recited at a fixed time. Released from the time-consuming jobs of making a living and raising a family, we are free to fulfill our obligations to Hashem. But most of life is Minchah - we are busy trying to get on our feet, making a livelihood, raising our family, caring for our parents and worrying about the present and the future. During the Summer, the long days leave plenty of time to daven Minchah; during the winter, however, the long, dark nights leave very little time for our afternoon prayers. But in either case, the Torah expects us to set aside a few minutes for Minchah. And the Torah expects us -- yes, during the middle of our busy lives -- to free ourselves from all distractions and to focus on fulfilling our obligations to Hashem - davening, learning Torah and performing mitzvot. It can be difficult, but when a person is able to accomplish this feat, it is consider as if they had sacrified their soul to Hashem.
It is interesting that in this week's parashah, when it is reported that Yitzchak davens Minchah, it says, "Vayetze Yitzchak Lasu'ach Bashadeh - Yitzchak went out to supplicate in the field." He left behind all of his worries, and put everything aside so that he could focus on Hashem. And we must do the same -- not only every day, to daven Minchah – but throughout our busy busy lives. We must find the time to leave our worldly cares behind, and venture out into the fields where we will encounter Hashem.
Rabbi
Mordechai Friedfertig
Congregation B'nai Shalom
Williamsville,
New York
Email: mordechai at utj.org
Copyright 2001-2003 by Mordechai Friedfertig