The Avos rectifying time through tefillah

במדרש יודע ה' ימי תמימים כו'.

In the Midrash: "Hashem knows the days of the wholesome (temimim)," etc.

The Midrash links this pasuk from Tehillim, about the "days" of the righteous, to Sarah and the Avos.

דעיקר כח האבות היה לתקן הזמן שהוא תחת הטבע וזהו השלשה תפלות שתקנו לפי שינוי הזמנים.

For the essential power of the Avos was to rectify time, which is under [the domain of] nature; and this is the three tefillos that they established according to the changes of the times (of day).

The Avos' mission was to elevate and repair time itself; the three daily prayers they instituted — Shacharis, Minchah, Maariv — correspond to the shifting times of day and infuse them with holiness.

דאיתא תורה נק' חיי עולם ותפלה חיי שעה שהתורה עצם עץ החיים.

For it is brought that Torah is called "eternal life (chayei olam)" and tefillah "life of the hour (chayei sha'ah)," because the Torah is the very essence of the Tree of Life.

Torah is "eternal life" because it is the Eitz Chaim itself — timeless and unchanging.

ותפלה חיי שעה.

And tefillah is "life of the hour."

Tefillah, by contrast, is "life of the hour" — it draws divine vitality into specific moments of time.

שיש עתים וזמנים שהחיות מתגלה גם בעוה"ז כמ"ש לכל זמן ועת לכל חפץ תחת השמים.

For there are seasons and times when the vitality (chiyus) is revealed even in this world, as it is written "for everything there is a season, and a time for every desire under the heavens."

At certain appointed times the divine life-force shines into this lower world, as Koheles teaches that each matter has its proper time.

ובאמת זה החיות מתעורר רק ע"י תשוקות התחתונים.

And in truth this vitality is awakened only through the longings of those below.

That revealed life-force is aroused specifically by the yearning of people here in this world.

לכן נק' חיי שעה מלשון רצון ותשוקה.

Therefore it is called "chayei sha'ah" — from the language of will and longing.

The Sefas Emes reads "sha'ah" as related to turning toward, will, and desire — for tefillah depends on a person's longing in the moment.

וכ"כ לכל חפץ תחת השמים וזה מרוב הרצון ותשוקת האבות במס"נ.

And so it is written "for every desire (chefetz) under the heavens" — and this was through the abundant will and longing of the Avos, with mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice).

The "desire under the heavens" was awakened by the Avos' intense yearning and willingness to give themselves over completely to Hashem.

מצאו גם תחת השמים אלה התיקונים והוא תיקון חטא האדם.

They found even "under the heavens" these rectifications (tikkunim) — and this is the repair of the sin of Adam.

Through their longing the Avos brought rectification even into this lower world, mending the damage of Adam's sin.

וז"ש מתחלה אלקי השמים ועתה אלקי הארץ.

And this is the meaning of "at first the God of heaven," and "now the God of the earth."

Avraham first spoke of Hashem only as "God of heaven," but later as "God of the earth" as well — reflecting his achievement.

שהמשיכו חלק אלקות גם בארץ.

For they drew a portion of Godliness (Elokus) down into the earth as well.

The Avos succeeded in bringing the awareness and presence of Hashem down into the earthly realm.

וקבעו זמנים למצוא החיות כמ"ש ונחלתם לעולם תהי':

And they fixed times to find the vitality, as it is written "and their inheritance shall be forever."

By establishing fixed times of prayer through which the divine vitality can be accessed, the Avos secured an enduring inheritance for all generations.

Summary: The essential power of the Avos was to rectify time, which lies under the domain of nature; through the three daily tefillos — "life of the hour," awakened by longing and mesirus nefesh — they drew the divine life-force into appointed moments of this lower world, repaired the sin of Adam, and brought Hashem from "God of heaven" alone to "God of the earth," leaving an everlasting inheritance.