(א) דַּע, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּמְסַיְּעִין לוֹ, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה, בְּחִינַת (בראשית ב): שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה נוֹתְנִין כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ.
(ב) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם כד): וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁתְּפִלָּתוֹ הָיְתָה עִם סִיּוּעַ וְכֹחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל עִשְׂבֵי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתְנוּ כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
(ד) כִּי אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, נוֹתְנִים גַם־כֵּן יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ סִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ כָּל מַה שֶּׁסָּמוּךְ אֶל הָאָדָם, כְּגוֹן אֲכִילָתוֹ וּשְׁתִיָּתוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא, רַק כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁאֲזַי סָמוּךְ לָהֶם בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים וְכָל יְבוּל הָאֲדָמָה נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל.
(ה) וְזֶה יְבוּל – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁכָּל יְבוּל הַשָּׂדֶה הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עִמּוֹ, כַּנַּ"ל:
(1) Know! when a person prays in the fields, all the flora enters into the prayer, helping him and strengthening his prayer. This is the reason prayer is called SiChah (conversation), the concept of “SiaCh (shrub) of the field” (Genesis 2:5). All the shrubs of the field empower and assist his prayer.
(2) This is the concept of “And Yitzchak went out laSuaCh (to converse) in the field” (ibid. 24:63)—his prayer was with the help and power of the field. All the flora of the field empowered and assisted his prayer, on account of which prayer is called SiChah.
(4) Now, even when a person does not pray in the fields, the earth’s produce—i.e., whatever is near the person, such as his food and drink and the like—aids his prayer. But when he is in the field, because he is particularly close to these things, all the flora and all the soil’s yevul (produce) empower his prayer.
(5) And this is YeVUL—the first letters of Vayeitzei Yitzchak Lasuach Basadeh (“And Yitzchak went out to converse in the field”). All the produce of the field prayed together with him.
by: Naomi Shemer
https://gani.piyut.org.il/page/32890/0?lang=he
ברכות כו:
יִצְחָק תִּקֵּן תְּפִלַּת מִנְחָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב״, וְאֵין ״שִׂיחָה״ אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי ה׳ יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ״.
Berachot 26B
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.
- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
– Socrates
- Abraham J. Heschel
—Abraham Joshua Heschel