Mincha is the third prayer of the Jewish day. It can be recited from just after midday until the sun sinks beneath the horizon. Instituted by our forefather Issac, Mincha has been the prayer associated with great moments in Jewish history.
Over the years, I’ve heard of many stories connected with Mincha. These have been stories of great poignancy or hilarity or magical or miraculousness. Or all of the above! All have highlighted the role of Mincha in our lives. Sadly, I didn’t write them down; but that doesn’t mean that those stories aren’t still out there! They are! Knowing how much these stories will refresh and educate about this beautiful prayer, I’m posting them here for all to enjoy.
BUT I NEED YOUR HELP!
If you have a Mincha story let me know! Of if you know someone with a story, tell them to contact me (drjoshmark@gmail.com or +972506386240). If you feel that the story can be made public, I’ll post it here with or without your name.
Mincha Story 001
Whenever I pray mincha the phone rings.. Call it irony or whatever. Anyway yesterday missed a call. Called back and it was the biggest client deal ever. When I answered they said “when you didn’t answer we got so nervous! You’re probably too busy with other deals” who was I to argue with them..
From Devora
Mincha Story 002
Jet Blue Mincha (as can only be told by a Lubavitcher shaliach who operates next to a launch pad!)
Thanks to Monte Rosenzweig
Mincha Story 003
For part of the year after my father past away, I was assigned to work at a US Naval Lab that had an afternoon minyan, which welcomed me by designating a small stairwell as a mechitsa in the gym where they met. For my last kaddish, I surprised the other members by making a siyyum…Being a part of the minyan helped ease my year of aveiluth. All I (and any of my guests) had to do was cross the street at 1pm and take 15 minutes out of lunch. Having such easy access to a minyan lessened my stress because I did not need to negotiate an evening minyan where I could recite a daily kaddish for my father, Dov ben Moshe Chaim, of blessed memory.
–Malka Chana bas Dov
Mincha Story 005
In the Morrocan tradition, women also try to daven Mincha with a minyan. One day, finding a tenth man proved elusive. The men folk at the Jerusalem synagogue sheepishly asked passersby to help them out. There efforts went unrewarded until one of the women took matters into her own hands. She barged into a business meeting and ordered the two men to come to make the minyan.
Mission accomplished.
Mincha Story 006
A complex real estate transaction was finally ready for closing. The two sides met with together with their lawyers at the law offices representing the sellers. Things didn’t go smoothly. Nevertheless, everyone put down their pens and pads to join in the daily Mincha minyan held in the law office. That was until a fast day interrupted the daily ritual. All of the sudden the lawyers hopped into their cars leaving the visiting team wondering what was going on. A home team lawyer explained that they didn’t have a Torah scroll (the Torah is read at Mincha on fast days) so they had to head over to a synagogue where they could hear the Torah reading. A few months after the closing, one of the home team lawyers received an unexpected invitation from the senior partner of the other side to come by his home. Despite his wariness of this odd request, he acquiesced. When he arrived at his former adversary’s home, he was shocked to be presented with a Torah scroll for the office Mincha minyan. ‘You guys were so devoted to Mincha that I couldn’t bear the thought that you wouldn’t have a minyan without a Torah scroll. So here you are!’