Chayei Sarah: The First Mincha

ByMat Wilson

5784 Source Sheets

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה

בְּרוּךֶ אַתֶה חֲוָיָה שְׁכִינּוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדַשְׁתַנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהֶ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה

בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהָתֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קֵרְבָתְנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה

Blessings for learning and studying Torah

Berakhot 11b:

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah

Nonbinary Hebrew Project:

B’rucheh ateh Khavayah Shekhinu ruach ha’olam asher kidash’tanu b’mitzvotei’he v’tziv’tanu la’asok b’divrei Torah

Feminine God Language:

Brukhah at Ya Elohateinu ruach ha’olam asher keir’vat’nu la’avodatah v’tziv’tavnu la’asok b’divrei Torah

בראשית כ״ד:ס״ג

וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים׃

Genesis 24:63

And Isaac went out walking in the field toward evening and, looking up, he saw camels approaching.

רש"י על בראשית כ״ד:ס״ג:א׳

לשוח. לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה (בראשית רבה), כְּמוֹ יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ (תהילים ק"ב):

Rashi on Genesis 24:63:1

לשוח TO MEDITATE — this means “to pray” (Genesis Rabbah 60:14), as we find (Psalms 102:1) “[A prayer of the afflicted …] when he poureth forth his plaint.

אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ד:ס״ג:א׳

לשוח. ללכת בין השיחים:

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 24:63:1

AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE. The word la-su’ach (to meditate) means to walk among the trees.

ספורנו על בראשית כ״ד:ס״ג:א׳

ויצא יצחק לשוח. נטה מן הדרך על דעת לשפוך שיחו לפני ה' בשדה שלא יפסיקוהו עוברי דרכים אף על פי שכבר התפלל בבאר לחי ראי וקודם שהתפלל נענה על דרך מן היום אשר נתת את לבך להתענות נשמעו דבריך:

Sforno on Genesis 24:63:1

ויצא יצחק לשוח, he had detoured from his regular path to the field in order to pour out his heart to G’d in prayer. He did not want to be interrupted in his devotion by passing travelers whom he would have to greet. This was in spite of the fact that he had already prayed in Beer lachay Ro-i. His prayer had been answered already, in accordance with Daniel 10,12 מן היום אשר נתת את לבך להבין ולהענות...נשמעו דבריך, “for from the first day you set your mind to get understanding, practicing abstinence before your G’d, your prayer was heard and I have come because of your prayer.”

Rabbi Shefa Gold, "Chayei Sarah," https://www.rabbishefagold.com/chayei-sarah/

No matter how rich the blessing is that comes to us through loss, we are still in considerable need of comfort and healing. This portion tells us how to receive the blessing of comfort that will heal us. [...]

This preparation for love is described in Isaac’s meeting with Rebecca. As prelude to that meeting, Isaac goes out into the field to meditate. The word here for meditation is la-su’ach, which refers to the practice of “conversation” with God. The field, a place of spacious natural beauty, is the setting. Here we engage in holy conversation, pouring out our grief, anger and despair, listening deeply for God’s voice.

ברכות כ״ו ב:ו׳

יִצְחָק תִּקֵּן תְּפִלַּת מִנְחָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב״, וְאֵין ״שִׂיחָה״ אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי ה׳ יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ״.

Berakhot 26b:6

Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated: “And Isaac went out to converse [lasuaḥ] in the field toward evening” (Genesis 24:63), and conversation means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint [siḥo] before the Lord” (Psalms 102:1). Obviously, Isaac was the first to pray as evening approached, at the time of the afternoon prayer.

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, "Personal Prayer and the Amidah," https://www.hadar.org/torah-tefillah/resources/personal-prayer-and-amidah

Minhah is a time of blurriness and fading light. Yitzhak is a biblical character who always struggled with seeing and seeing clearly. In fact, in the end of our verse, Yizkhak does not see Rivkah, even though she is before him; he only sees the camels (Rivkah, by contrast, sees Yitzhak, Genesis 24:64). Later, of course, Yitzhak cannot see well enough to distinguish between his two sons, Ya’akov and Esav. This inability to see well coincides with the time of Minhah. How might we also experience the moment of fading light as engendering a different emotional character to our Amidah—even if the words are exactly the same as the morning prayer? We might feel different when the sun is setting; perhaps like Yitzhak felt before he saw Rivkah, when he continued to suffer from the loss of his mother, and at 40 had no prospects for love.