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Why is Mincha called Avrohom's prayer when Yitzchok instituted it? The shiur explains that Yitzchok became an Av during Avrohom's lifetime at age 40, making Avus an achieved status rather than an inherited position. Avrohom's subsequent davening of Mincha demonstrated his acceptance of Yitzchok's new takkanah, thereby establishing Yitzchok's authority as the new Av for all generations.
The shiur addresses Tosafos (תוספות)'s question regarding a seeming contradiction in the Gemara (גמרא): Berachos states that Yitzchok instituted Mincha, while Yoma attributes Mincha to Avrohom Avinu. The Rambam (רמב"ם) resolves this by distinguishing between two different Minchas: Mincha Ketanah (the later Mincha), which Yitzchok instituted as obligatory, and Mincha Gedolah (the earlier Mincha), which Avrohom davened voluntarily. Tosafos offers a different approach, arguing that once Yitzchok instituted Mincha, Avrohom also davened it. This raises two fundamental questions: What is the significance of this fact, and why is Mincha Gedolah still called "the prayer of Avrohom Avinu" if Yitzchok was the one who instituted it?
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Why does the Torah open with "Bereishis bara Elokim" rather than using God's name of mercy? The shiur develops a yesod that God created the concept of divine kingship to solve a paradox: humans need independence to have a real relationship with God, but independence requires the ability to genuinely serve rather than just receive gifts. This framework makes mitzvos authentic service that actually affects God rather than mere rule-following.
