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Why did Yaakov, the greatest of the Avos, institute only the optional Maariv prayer while Avrohom and Yitzchok instituted obligatory prayers? The answer reframes what tefillas avos tiknu actually means: the Avos didn't merely establish prayer times—they obligated Hashem (ה׳) to make Himself available. Yaakov's achievement was precisely that he could obligate Hashem to be present even when His children might not show up.
The shiur addresses a fundamental question about the institution of the three daily prayers by the Avos. The Gemara (גמרא) in Berachos teaches that Avrohom instituted Shacharis, Yitzchok instituted Mincha, and Yaakov instituted Maariv. Tosafos (תוספות) explains that Maariv is considered "reshus" (optional), meaning that while one should daven Maariv in the ordinary course of events, if one has a compelling mitzvah (מצוה) or other obligation, Maariv does not have the same level of obligation as Shacharis and Mincha. This creates a profound difficulty: Yaakov is identified as the "bechir sha'avos"—the greatest of the patriarchs. How can it be that the most elevated of the Avos was only able to create the least obligatory prayer? Logic would suggest that he should have created a prayer with greater, not lesser, obligation.
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Berachos
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