RAV KOOK ON Chayei Sarah Part 1: Isaac's Afternoon Prayer

“Isaac went out to meditate (lasu'ach) in the field toward evening.” (Gen. 24:63) The meaning of the word lasu'ach is unclear, and is the subject of a dispute among the Biblical commentators. The Rashbam (Rabbi Samuel ben Meir, twelfth century scholar) wrote that it comes from the word si'ach, meaning ‘plant.’ According to this interpretation, Isaac went to oversee his orchards and fields. His grandfather Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040–1105), however, explained that lasuach comes from the word sichah, meaning ’speech.’ Isaac went to meditate in the field, thus establishing the afternoon prayer. Why doesn’t the Torah use the usual Hebrew word for prayer? And is there a special significance to the fact that Isaac meditated in the afternoon?