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Why does the Gemara (גמרא) call Mincha "Tzlusa D'Avrohom" when Yitzchok instituted it? Tosafos (תוספות) in Berachos and Yoma presents a puzzle: Yitzchok instituted Mincha, yet it's named after Avrohom. The resolution reveals that leadership of Klal Yisroel transferred from Avrohom to Yitzchok during Avrohom's lifetime—at age 140 when Yitzchok was 40—making Yitzchok the Av with authority to institute mitzvos while Avrohom still lived.
Rabbi Zweig explores a fundamental question about the institution of the three daily prayers and what it reveals about the transfer of leadership among the Avos. The starting point is the pasuk in Parshas Chayei Sarah (24:63) describing Yitzchok going "lasuach basadeh," which Chazal interpret as referring to prayer. Rashi (רש"י) brings that this is where Yitzchok instituted Tefillas Mincha, just as Avrohom instituted Shacharis and Yaakov instituted Maariv. Tosafos (תוספות) in Berachos raises a striking contradiction. In our sugya, the Gemara (גמרא) states that Yitzchok instituted Mincha. However, the Gemara in Yoma refers to this same prayer as "Tzlusa D'Avrohom"—the prayer of Avrohom. The Gemara in Yoma describes the timing of this prayer as when the sun begins to cast a shadow on the wall, which is clearly Mincha time, not Shacharis. How can the same prayer be attributed to both Yitzchok (who instituted it) and Avrohom?
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Bereishis 24:63
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