bright light.3 Odom HaRishon sinned in vides the day into chessed and din. The the tenth hour of the day, towards eve- Beis HaMikdash was destroyed and the The Inner Track ning. The verse4 describes the time of day Heichal was burned in the afternoon, the We are the descendants of Avraham, as –‘li’ruach hayom’, which the targum time of din. Therefore, a person should be Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Hashem’s chosen translates ‘limnach yoma’ – the resting part careful when praying Mincha, for it is a people. We are called His favorite child, of the day.5 Its time begins when the sun time of din.16 All of a person’s tefillos must as the verse states, “My favorite son, passes the halfway point of its daily jour- be prayed with kavannah (intention), Efraim” (Yirmiyahu 31:19). The Targum ney, entering the western sky and begin- however, Mincha needs extra kavannah translates Efraim as Yisrael (the Jewish ning its descent towards the menucha (rest- because din holds sway in the world. The people). Why then, do our enemies over- ing place) where it will bow down to its Tur and the Levush exhort us to be ex- come us? What gives them the power to Creator in the evening. The sun itself is a tremely careful with Mincha, for Eliyahu’s defeat Hashem’s favorite child? The an- korbon Mincha (afternoon sacrifice) to its was answered only then. The time swer is found in Rashi’s explanation of Owner. From the sun, we take example of Shacharis is easy to recognize, for it is at Yitzchak’s blessing to Eisav. for ourselves – to sacrifice our bodies and the beginning of the day, before a man souls to Shomayim (Heaven).”6 begins his undertakings. Similarly, the time “On your sword you shall live, but “How beautiful, Abba.” of the prayer is easy to identify, for your brother (Yaakov) you shall serve” it is at the beginning of the night. How- (Bereshis 27:40). The Targum Unkelos “Indeed, Avi. Mincha is a very special ever, Mincha is in the middle of the day, translates the rest of the verse as follows, and powerful tefillah. Many of our proph- when a man is busy with his affairs. He “When My children violate the teachings ets offered up their specifically at must take the time to stop what he is do- of the Torah, they cast off the yoke from this time of day and were answered. Rav ing and turn his heart to his Father in their necks.” Rashi explains that the sins Huna7 warns us to be careful when pray- Heaven. If he does so, he will have im- of the Jewish people give Eisav an open- ing Mincha for Eliyahu’s prayer was only mense reward. ing. He seizes the opportunity and is answered at Mincha. ‘And it was at the “Therefore, Avi, let us wash our hands, given the power to rise up against Yaakov time of the afternoon-offering; Eliyahu and join the for the prayer of and cause him tsar (distress). However, HaNovi approached and said, “…Answer followed by and the Ami- when we are strong in our Torah obser- me, Hashem, answer me!”… A fire of dah of Mincha.” vance, Eisav remains subservient to us. Hashem descended and consumed the “May this and all of our tefillos find favor We bear Hashem’s yoke, therefore He (korbon) olah… The entire people saw, in Hashem’s eyes, and may He fulfill all of protects us. Eisav cannot touch us because fell on their faces, and exclaimed, our requests in a good way!” we have the “inner track” with Hashem. “Hashem – He is the G-d! Hashem – He is “!” the G-d!”’8 Dovid HaMelech was also Kinderlach . . . answered at this time when he said, ‘Let Kinderlach . . . Imagine that the teacher had a special er- my prayer stand as ketores (incense) before All of our tefillos are dear to Hashem, but rand to do. It was not easy, so he picked You; the lifting of my hands as a Mincha’.9 one is especially precious – tefillas Mincha. the best boy in the class. He gave him spe- ‘My Master, when the Beis HaMikdash Our prophets recognized the uniqueness of cial instructions and a bit of training. Then was standing, we would burn ketores to this prayer, and offered up their heartfelt he sent him off. It was not easy. The boy You. Now we have neither a mizbeach nor supplications specifically at this time of day. ran into some rough characters. When he a Kohen Godol. Accept my prayer – tear The sun begins its descent in the western followed the instructions, no one could the heavens asunder and let my tefillah sky, towards its menucha (rest) at night, touch him. When he tried to do it his own come in!’10 There is nothing more cher- and middos hadin hold sway in the world. way, the evil characters had a way of ished (to Hashem) than tefillas Mincha. We One’s tefillah needs to be strong to over- catching him - oy va voy. We are that best see this with Doniel11 who made a cam- come the middos hadin and bring down boy. The mission is to serve Hashem, and paign of prayers for 120 days, and was rachamim. Therefore, a proper Mincha has the instructions are the Torah. Follow the answered only at Mincha. Yitzchak Avinu great power and will be answered. It is also instructions. No one can touch you. realized the dearness of this tefillah and the middle of the day, when a person is specifically went out to pray at the time of busy with his affairs. He stops, takes the Mincha, as the verse12 states, ‘Yitzchak time to address himself to his Creator, and Mincha went out to pray in the field towards eve- offer up his body and soul to Shomayim. ning’.13 He was the one who fixed the Yitzchak Avinu, Dovid HaMelech, Eliyahu tefillas Mincha. The main battle against the HaNovi, Doniel, and were all careful “Abba, we are saying ‘Ashrei yoshvay avodah zara of the sun was at that time of to pray at this time. Kinderlach, let us too vaysecha’ again.” day. When it was going down, its wor- put our maximum efforts into our Mincha “Yes, Avi. We are striving to fulfill the prayers, and may they be received before 1 shippers bid it goodbye. Precisely then words of the Gemora which states that Yitzchak fixed Mincha to make known to the Almighty with favor and be fulfilled all who say ‘Tehillah Li’Dovid’ three times the world that the sun is not a deity; rather beneficially. each day are assured of a place in Olam it is a creation of the Holy One, blessed be Habo. The Gemora gives two reasons. He.14 Ezra (chapter 9:4,5) also offered up 1 Brochos 4b Firstly, the first letters of the verses in the his heartfelt supplications specifically at the 2 Zohar Parashas Pinchas mizmor follow the aleph-beis. Secondly, it 3 Ramban on Shemos 12:6 time of Mincha.” contains the verse, ‘You open Your hand, 4 Bereshis 3:8 and satisfy the desire of every living 5 ow awesome! Why is the time of Abudarham thing.’ The mystical sources2 entreat us to “H 6 Mincha so special, Abba?” Besamim Rosh as cited in Otzer HaTefillos focus intently on the provision of our 7 “The Seder HaYom15 relates that Eliyahu Brachos 6b food and the food of all Klal Yisrael when 8 purposely waited for that hour to pray, Melachim Aleph 18:36-39 we say this verse.” 9 because in the afternoon middos hadin Tehillim 141:2 “That is fascinating, Abba.” 10 (strict judgment) begin to rule in the Medrash Shochar Tov “We have reached our third recitation of 11 world. One who can pray at such a time Doniel 9:21 the day, Avi, before tefillas Mincha (the 12 to arouse the middos harachamim (merci- Bereshis 24:63 afternoon prayers).” 13 Agadas Bereshis Chapter 77 as cited in “Why is the prayer called Mincha, Abba?” ful judgment) has great strength. He causes the Heavenly Will to flow downward and Shaar HaRachamim “The word Mincha is taken from the word 14 arouse mercy at the time of din. Therefore, Abarbanel as cited in Iyun Tefillah menucha – to rest, Avi. It refers to the rest- 15 all of his requests will be answered and cited in Shaar HaRachamim ing of the sun and the dimming of its 16 fulfilled. The Shaar HaRachamim also di- Zohar Chayei Sara

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