Shacharis and Maariv were named for the time of day they are said. (מעריב means when the sun sets in the west, and שחרית means morning.) But why is the afternoon tefillah called Minchah? A korban minchah is a flour offering. A minchah was indeed brought in the afternoon, together with the afternoon tamid, but a minchah was also brought every morning, together with the morning tamid. So why is the afternoon tefillah named for the Minchah?
The Sefer HaChaim (written by the brother of the Maharal) explains that Yitzchak was offered on the mizbeiach. He was like a korban olah. But a korban olah needs a minchah, and Avraham didn't sacrifice a minchah. When Yitzchak davened, he completed the minchah part of his korban. Therefore, his tefillah is called Minchah.
The Baal HaTanya offers another explanation on why this tefillah is called Minchah. The Gemara (Menachos 104:) teaches that a korban minchah is a korban with mesirus nefesh, self-sacrifice. Because who brings a korban minchah, which consists of flour and oil? Only the poorest and destitute. The wealthy bring calves, goats, and sheep to the Beis HaMikdash, the middle-class Yidden sacrifice birds, but the poor can't afford those korbanos, so they bring flour and oil. It seems inexpensive, but for a poor person, it is expensive, and offering such a korban requires self-sacrifice.
This is why the word נפש, soul, is written only in reference to the korban minchah. As it states (Vayikra 2:1), 'לה מנחה תקריב כי ונפש, "If a soul brings a korban minchah for Hashem." Hashem says, "I consider it like you sacrificed your soul before Me," because it is a korban brought with self-sacrifice.
As we explained, the most challenging tefillah of the day is Minchah because it is in the middle of the day, in the middle of our business dealings. It is a tefillah with mesirus nefesh. Therefore, it is named Minchah, the name of the korban that is brought with mesirus nefesh.
The Importance of Minchah
The Tur (232) writes, "One must be very cautious with Minchah because Eliyahu's tefillos were answered during Minchah time.... The time for Shacharis is known. When one wakes up in the morning, he davens right away before he becomes busy with other things. The time for Maariv is also known. When he comes home after work, he davens Maariv. But Minchah is in the middle of the day when he is still busy at work. One must pay attention (so that he doesn’t miss the time) and has to leave his work to daven. If he does so, his reward is very great."
The Trisker Magid (Magen Avraham, Balak) zt'l writes, "I heard from my father (Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl zt'l) in the name of the Baal Shem Tov zt'l that when a person is busy with his work all day long – in the market and on the streets – and he almost forgets that there's a Creator, and then he remembers that it is time to daven Minchah, and he moans in his heart, thinking how the day passed with foolishness, and he runs to a side street and davens Minchah, although he doesn't know what he is saying, ברוך הבורא לפני מאד ויקר חשוב הוא, his tefillah is very precious before the Creator, רקיעים בוקע שלו והאנחה, and his moan pierces the heavens."
Reb Yonason Eibshitz zt'l (Tiferes Yonason, ה"ד ויחר) quotes the Gemara (Shabbos 89b) that in the future, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will say to Avraham Avinu, לי חטאו בניך, "Your children sinned against Me." Avraham will reply, ימחו שמך קדושת על, "They should be erased, for the honor of Hashem's name." Then Hashem will go to Yaakov Avinu, to tell him that his children, the Jewish people, sinned. Like Avraham, Yaakov will say, שמך קדושת על ימחו, that they should be erased, for the honor of Hashem's name.
By the machlokes of Korach, Moshe davened (Bamidbar 16:15), מנחתם אל תפן אל, "Hashem shouldn’t accept their Minchah sacrifice." It seems strange that Moshe had to say this prayer. Why would Hashem listen to the prayers and accept the sacrifice of resha'im? The answer is that it was a minchah sacrifice, and by Minchah, even the resha'im's prayers are answered (Reb Yonason Eibshitz).
We can also explain that Yitzchak loved Eisav, although Eisav was a rasha, because he wanted to show that even a child who is a rasha like Eisav is also a child, and therefore, Hashem should love us, regardless of what we did, and the level we are on. (Reb Yonason Eibshitz zt"l).
Hashem will then go to Yitzchak and tell him, לי חטאו בניך, "Your children sinned against Me." Yitzchak will reply, "Are they my children and not Your children?" Yitzchak Avinu will plead for the Jewish nation. He will say that he was moser nefesh and was placed on the mizbeiach. That merit should protect the Jewish nation. About this time, the Navi (Yeshayahu 63:16) said (alluding to Yitzchak), יַכִּיר ָנוּ לֹא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יְדָע ָנוּ לֹא א ַבְרָהָם כִּי אָבִינוּ אַת ָּה כִּי, "For you are our father, for Avraham did not know us, neither did Yisrael recognize us..."
Although the depths of this Gemara are beyond us, we understand that Yitzchak will be the one who will plead for our benefit. His claim is בניך ולא בני, "Are they my children and not Your children?" Behold, every Jew is Hashem's child, as it states (Devarim 14:1) בָּנִים אלקיכם 'לַה אַת ֶּם, "You are children of Hashem, your G-d." Chazal (Kiddushin 36a) say, even if they sin, they are still called Hashem's children. When Yitzchak will keviyachol remind Heaven of this love, this will save Klal Yisrael.
With this information, we understand the specialness of tefillas Minchah. Avraham established Shacharis, Yaakov Avinu established Maariv, but Yitzchak set up tefillas Minchah. As it states (Bereishis 24:63) וַיֵּצֵא עָרֶב לִפ ְנוֹת בַּשָּׂדֶה ַלָשׂוּח יִצְחָק, "Yitzchak went out to pray in the field towards evening." Chazal praise tefillas Minchah and say, "A person should always be cautious with Minchah." Minchah is a special tefillah because everyone's tefillah can be answered. Yitzchak revealed that Yidden of all levels are still Hashem's beloved children. Therefore, with this tefillah, there can come salvations for Yidden of all levels – including those who fell to low levels.
The Gemara (Brachos 6b) says, "Always be cautious with tefillas Minchah because Eliyahu was answered specifically during Minchah." The Yidden in Eliyahu's generation were at a low level, and they weren't worthy. They even transgressed the aveirah of avodah zarah. They received their salvation with Minchah, the tefillah established by Yitzchak, who revealed that every Yid is Hashem's child.
Yitzchak represents הדין מדת, the attribute of dinim. The attribute of din generally proclaims that there should be punishment. Reb Yonason Eibshitz explains that Yitzchak established Minchah, which means that at this tefillah, even the attribute of din agrees that the person should receive good.
Shu"t Rashba (vol.5, 1) writes, מנחה שעת כי דע בשנה מרוצים עיתים שיש שאמרו וכמו ,בימים מרוצה עת הכיפורים ויום השנה ראש בין תשובה ימי בעשרת, "Know that Minchah is the desired part of the days, just as the ten days of Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) are the desired days of the year." We see from this source that tefillos said during Minchah can be compared to tefillos said during Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.
The Gemara (Brachos 6b) states, "A person should be very cautious with tefillas Minchah because Eliyahu was answered solely at tefillas Minchah. As it states (Malachim 1, 18:36) ...הַנָּבִיא א ֵלִ יָּהוּ ׁוַיִּגַּש הַמ ִּנְחָה בַּע ֲלוֹת וַיְהִי, ' It was at the time of Minchah that Eliyahu HaNavi came near and said... ע ֲנֵנִי 'ה ע ֲנֵנִי "Answer me Hashem answer me." ע ֲנֵנִי, answer me that the fire should come down from heaven, and ע ֲנֵנִי, answer me, that they shouldn't say that it was witchcraft."
Ben Yehoyada (from the Ben Ish Chai zt'l) asks, why does the Gemara have to add the drashah that he said twice ע ֲנֵנִי, and that it means that fire should come down from heaven and that people shouldn't say it's witchcraft? It would have been sufficient to write that it states א ֵלִ יָּהוּ ׁוַיִּגַּש הַמ ִּנְחָה בַּע ֲלוֹת וַיְהִי, that Eliyahu davened at Minchah time, and at this time, his tefillos were answered. Why does it have to add the actual tefillah that Eliyahu davened at this time?
Ben Yohayada answers, "Chazal (Taanis 8b, Shulchan Aruch ו"ט ו"תקע) tell us that a person shouldn't daven for two things at the same time. So, how did Eliyahu ask for two things: that the fire should come down from heaven and that the people shouldn't say it's witchcraft? It must be that the time of Minchah is so mesugal for tefillos to be answered; therefore, one may ask at this time for two things, at once. This is the reason Chazal bring this drashah of ע ֲנֵנִי, that he asked for two things at this time of Minchah. This is another proof of the greatness of tefillah at this time. One can even ask for two things at once.
Another specialty of tefillas Minchah is that the yeshuah comes immediately. Kli Yakar (Bereishis 24:63) on the pasuk לשוח יצחק ויצא ערב לפנות בשדה, "Yitzchak went out to pray in the field towards evening," writes: "Chazal (Brachos 26b) learn from this pasuk that Yitzchak established the tefillah of Minchah, which is ערב לפנות, near sunset. This supports what Chazal (Brachos 6b) say, 'A person should always be cautious with Minchah, because Eliyahu was answered, only at Minchah. Avraham and Yaakov also established tefillos – Shacharis and Arvis; nevertheless, we don't find that they were answered immediately after their tefillah. But with the tefillah of Minchah, we find that Yitzchak was answered immediately. Probably Yitzchak was davening for his shidduch when Eliezer was traveling for this purpose. As it states (Tehillim 32:6) זֹאת עַל מ ְצֹא לְעֵת אֵל ֶיךָ חָס ִיד כָּל יִתְפ ַּלֵּל, 'For this let every chasid pray at a time of need,' and Chazal (Brachos 8a) say that this means one should daven for a wife. Immediately after Yitzchak said this tefillah, it states גמלים והנה וירא עיניו וישא באים, '[Yitzchak] raised his eyes and behold camels were coming...' and his shidduch, Rivkah, was coming. This is because when he said the tefillah, his eyes were looking down, and as soon as he finished the tefillah, he raised his eyes, and he saw that his tefillos were answered immediately. His kallah was arriving on the approaching camels. Chazal learned from this that a person's tefillos are answered more when they are said at Minchah time."
Summary of the Benefits of Minchah
In review, we have learned the following benefits that come from davening Minchah:
- Even the attribute of din agrees to give good to the person at Minchah; thus, nothing is stopping his tefillos from going up.
- Even resha'im are answered at this time.
- The tefillos are answered immediately.
- One can even daven for two things at the same time.
Based on the above, one understands that he should invest his time and energy in davening Minchah.
