What are the connotations of "la'Su'ach ba'Sadeh"?
Rashi, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It is an expression of Tefilah 1 - She went into the field to Daven.
Rashbam: Yitzchak went into the field to plant trees and to tend to his servants (who were working there). In fact "la'Su'ach" means ?to see to his plants? - from the word "Si'ach" (vegetation).
Ha'amek Davar: He went to Daven, but not literally in the field, since it is forbidden to Daven in an open area. Rather, he stood under a tree, and turned his eyes and his heart towards Har ha'Moriyah.
Rashi: As in Tehilim, 102a?Yishpoch Siycho?. The Gemara in B?rachos 26b) learns from here that Yitzchak instituted Tefilas Minchah. Refer also to 24:63:1.3:1 and note.
Why did Yitzchak go into the field to Daven?
Seforno: So that passers-by should not interrupt him, even though he had already Davened by the well of Lachai Ro'i. 1
Rashi (in Yeshayah 2:3): The field mentioned here refers to Har ha'Moriyah, where the Akeidah took place, and which was the ideal place for him to pray. 2
Refer to 24:62:1:2. Seforno: And he now went into the field in order to reinforce his initial Tefilah - not knowing that it had already been answered. See Daniel, 10:20.
As the Gemara states in Pesachim 88a - Avraham called it 'Har' (in 22:14), Yitzchak called it 'Sadeh,' and Ya?akov called it 'Bayis' (in 28:19).
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'La'Su'ach ba'Sadeh' - This is an expression of prayer, as in the verse, 'He shall pour out his prayer (Yishpoch Sicho)' (Tehilim 102:1)." Rashi's source is Berachos 26b. Tosfos (loc. cit.) asks that elsewhere, the Gemara (Avodah Zarah 7b) makes a derivation in the opposite direction - i.e. that we learn that the verse in Tehilim means prayer, from our verse. This seems to be a circular argument!
Gur Aryeh: In our verse, we could have mistakenly translated "la'Su'ach ba'Sadeh" as, 'to go under one of the bushes (Sichim)' 1 - but that translation would not fit in Tehilim. Likewise, we could have translated the verse in Tehilim as, 'he shall pour out his speech,' but that would not fit into our verse. It emerges that in both verses, 'Sicha' means prayer. 2
Rashi writes: "'La'Su'ach ba'Sadeh' - This is an expression of prayer." According to one opinion in the Gemara (Berachos 26b), our forefathers instituted the three daily prayers [and this verse is the source for Minchah in the afternoon]. Did all the righteous who preceded the Avos, not Daven?!
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Avodah Ch. 3, p. 83): Though prayer, a created being puts his dependence upon his Creator. 1 The entire world was created for the sake of Yisrael, and the forefathers were the beginning of Yisrael. In that sense, the forefathers are the prime creation [i.e. they are creation's purpose and end-goal]. They achieved connection to HaSh-m; and as such it was they who instituted the daily prayers, which are about connection of the created with the Creator.
In Maharal's expression, 'Telos he'Alul Ba'Ilah.' The essence of prayer is not beseeching HaSh-m for one's needs, but rather in showing our dependency upon Him. See Maharal (Nesiv ha'Avodah Ch. 1, p. 79; Ch. 2, p. 81).
Rashi writes: "This is an expression of prayer." Why did Yitzchak institute the Minchah prayer specifically?
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Avodah Ch. 3, p. 83): Each of the Avos instituted the prayer according to the particular trait he excelled in. Minchah is at the last rays of sunlight, the completion of the day, just as HaSh-m is the completion of the world. 1
This corresponds to Yitzchak and Midas ha'Din - i.e. self negation and return to HaSh-m; see Maharal further.
