For No Reason at All1 min read

“And Yitzchak went out to converse in the fields toward evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold – camels were approaching.”

Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchov zy”a teaches that while both Ma’ariv and Shacharis are founded, respectively, upon asking Hashem to guard our soul when we sleep (“V’emunah kol zos”) and thanking Him for returning it to us faithfully (“Emes v’yatziv”), the afternoon prayer of Mincha seems not to be compelled by any specific request or expression of gratitude. Indeed, this prayer demonstrates that a Jew doesn’t need a specific agenda in order to contact His Creator. Even in the middle of our busy day, we have the glorious opportunity to turn our eyes heavenward and express our gratitude to the Master of the world for no reason at all; a gift, a tribute to our Beloved. Mincha, which means “tribute”, represents the ability for us to gift Hashem with a pure expression of love and gratitude, thanking Him for the natural, ordinary, and even seemingly negative circumstances of life. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov once said, “If a Jew thanks Hashem for everything, even the negative circumstances of life, Hashem says, “He thinks this is good? I will show him what true goodness looks like!” When we express our gratitude to Hashem for all of life, we will see incredible blessing and salvation flow into our lives.

This is the deeper meaning of our verse: “Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasucah basadeh lifnos erev”: When a Jew “davens Mincha,” contacting his Creator with a tribute of thanks for all of life’s circumstances, “vayisa einav vaya’ar, v’hinei gemlim ba’im”: Hashem responds by showering him with goodness, salvation, and blessing (“gemul” – reward).