פרשת חיי שרה

(63) And Isaac went out walking in the field toward evening and, looking up, he saw camels approaching.

Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated: “And Isaac went out to converse [lasuaḥ] in the field toward evening” (Genesis 24:63), and conversation means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint [siḥo] before the Lord” (Psalms 102:1). Obviously, Isaac was the first to pray as evening approached, at the time of the afternoon prayer.

(1) ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה, the word לשוח is basically the same as שיח השדה, “the plants that grow in the field,” (Genesis 2,5). Yitzchok went out to plant useful vegetation, trees, etc., and to check the work of his employees. While he was thus occupied he happened to espy גמלים באים, camels approaching. He came closer to see if per chance they were the camels belonging to his father which the servant Eliezer had been leading.

(5) when no shrub of the field was yet on earth and no grasses of the field had yet sprouted, because the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil

(2) כי לא המטיר BECAUSE GOD HAD NOT CAUSED IT TO RAIN — And what is the reason that God had not caused it to rain? כי אדם אין לעבוד את האדמה BECAUSE THERE WAS NO MAN TO TILL THE GROUND, and there was, therefore, no one to recognize the utility of rain. When Adam came (was created), however, and he realised that it was necessary for the world, he prayed for it and it fell, so that trees and verdure sprang forth.

And on the topic of prayer, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One may only pray in a house with windows, as then he can see the heavens and focus his heart, as it is stated with regard to Daniel’s prayer: “In his attic there were open windows facing Jerusalem” (Daniel 6:11).

(1) The apparent meaning of this verse relates to the field as the source of sustenance for the world. As it says in Kohelet (5:8) "Even the King is subservient to the field," meaning even the king worries about the produce of the field. According to this explanation, we don't understand the message of the verse. But there is a deeper meaning to the word siach (bushes) based on the gemara Avoda Zara(7b), "Siach means prayer as the Torah says (Bereshit 24:63) 'And Isaac went forth to pray (lasuach) in the field'". Tosafot adds that it means fixed prayer also known as avoda shebalev (service of the heart). From the very start of creation God established that earning one's livelihood in the normal way of the world is involved with entreating God for His Providence by prayer or by sacrifices where possible. Both of these are called avoda (service), more than other mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah. Based on the verse (Mishlei 12:11) "He who tills (oved) his soil will be sated with bread" we may explain that all of man's activities can be performed to earn a livelihood or for some other purpose, but tilling the soil is done only to earn one's livelihood. And such is the difference between the avoda of performing other mitzvot and the avoda of prayer or sacrifices. The reward for observing other mitzvot is given in olam haba (the world to come) and also in olam haze (this world) one may receive rewards of wealth or honor, measure-for-measure. The reward for prayer and sacrifices, however, is primarily livelihood