Three Avos, Three Prayers, Three Flocks

בפסוק שלשה עדרי צאן כו'. הם האבות שכל בני ישראל יצחו מהם.

On the verse, "three flocks of sheep," etc. (Bereishis 29:2) — these are the Avos, from whom all of Bnei Yisrael came forth.

The Sefas Emes reads the three flocks at the well as a hint to the three Avos, the source of all Bnei Yisrael.

וזכותם מוכן לעולם לפתוח הבאר מים חיים.

And their merit is ever ready to open the well of mayim chaim (living waters).

The zechus Avos is a perpetual wellspring, always available to draw forth living, holy waters.

אך כ"ז שהסט"א בעולם אין הקדושה מתגלה רק ע"י ונאספו כל העדרים וגללו.

But as long as the sitra achra (the "other side," forces of impurity) is in the world, the kedushah is revealed only by means of "and all the flocks were gathered, and they rolled [the stone]" (Bereishis 29:3).

While impurity holds sway, holiness can only emerge through a collective effort — all the flocks gathering together to roll away the obstructing stone.

וסט"א ערקית כמו בשבת מתגלה השלשה עדרי צאן וזה הג' סעודתא דמהימנותא בש"ק.

And the sitra achra flees, as on Shabbos, when the three flocks of sheep are revealed — and this is the three se'udos d'mehemnusa (meals of faith) on Shabbos Kodesh.

On Shabbos the forces of impurity withdraw and the merit of the three Avos shines openly, corresponding to the three Shabbos meals of emunah.

וכמו כן בכח הג' תפלות שתקנו האבות כמ"ש אברהם תיקן תפלת שחרית כו'.

And similarly through the power of the three tefillos that the Avos instituted, as it is said, "Avraham instituted Shacharis," etc. (Berachos 26b).

The same threefold structure appears in the three daily prayers, each founded by one of the Avos.

והענין הוא כי בכל יום מתגלה הארה חדשה והכין אאע"ה כח לקבל אותו הארה המתחדשת בכל יום.

And the matter is that each day a new radiance is revealed, and Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, prepared the power to receive that radiance which is renewed each day.

Every day brings a fresh spiritual light; Shacharis, established by Avraham, is the means to receive that new daily illumination at its dawn.

ואח"כ צריכין לאחוז בזו ההארה כל היום.

And afterward one must grasp hold of this radiance throughout the entire day.

Having received the morning's light, one must hold onto it as the day continues.

ואז יש לה עלי' אל השורש.

And then it has an ascent to the Root.

Sustaining that light allows it to be elevated back toward its source.

וזה תפלת מנחה שנק' על מנוחה והשבת הנקודה אל השורש.

And this is Minchah, which is named for "menuchah" (rest) and the returning of the inner point to the Root.

Minchah, instituted by Yitzchak, is the avodah of returning the day's holy point back to its source — a settling and restoring.

וזה בכח היראה וסימנך כי אם ביראת ה' כל היום.

And this is through the power of yirah (awe), and your sign is, "but rather in the fear of Hashem all day long" (Mishlei 23:17).

Holding the light through the day and returning it is accomplished by means of yiras Shomayim, sustained "all day long."

ויעקב תיקן ת"ע הוא מדריגה גדולה מזה כמ"ש אני מעיר השחר ואין השחר מעיר אותי והוא למעלה מסדר הנהגה הטבעיות.

And Yaakov instituted Maariv (the evening prayer), which is a level greater than this, as it is said, "I awaken the dawn, and the dawn does not awaken me" (Tehillim 57:9) — and it is above the order of natural conduct.

Maariv, prayed in darkness, reaches a higher rung: serving Hashem when no natural light is present, "awakening the dawn" rather than depending on it — avodah above nature.

וגם נראה כי הג' עדרי צאן הם בחי' מחשבה דיבור ומעשה.

And it also appears that the three flocks of sheep correspond to the aspects of machshavah (thought), dibbur (speech), and ma'aseh (deed).

The three flocks also map onto the three garments of the soul: thought, speech, and action.

ותפלת שחרית כתיב אל המקום אשר עמד. ועמידה הוא בחי' מחשבה ושתיקה כמ"ש עמדו לא ענו כו'.

And regarding Shacharis it is written, "to the place where he had stood" (Bereishis 19:27); and "standing" is the aspect of thought and silence, as it is said, "they stood, they no longer answered," etc. (Iyov 32:16).

Avraham's Shacharis is linked to "standing," which represents silent thought — the inner, contemplative dimension of avodah.

וביצחק כתיב לשוח בשדה בחי' דיבור.

And regarding Yitzchak it is written, "to converse (lasuach) in the field" (Bereishis 24:63) — the aspect of speech.

Yitzchak's Minchah is tied to the word "lasuach," conversation, representing the dimension of dibbur.

וביעקב כתיב ויפגע במעשה והוא בעל הקורה שנכנס בעובי הקורה בירור התערובות וזה תפלת ערבית:

And regarding Yaakov it is written, "and he encountered (vayifga)" (Bereishis 28:11) — the aspect of deed; and he is the "owner of the beam" who enters into the thickness of the beam, the sorting-out of the mixture — and this is Maariv.

Yaakov's Maariv, "vayifga," represents action: like one who shoulders into the thick of a heavy beam, he plunges into the darkness to perform the birur — separating good from the admixture of evil — the hardest, deepest avodah.

Summary: The three flocks at the well allude to the three Avos, whose merit is an ever-ready well of living waters. When impurity recedes — as on Shabbos and through the three se'udos — that holiness shines openly. The three Avos also instituted the three daily tefillos: Avraham's Shacharis receives each day's new light, Yitzchak's Minchah (through yirah) returns it to its Root, and Yaakov's Maariv, highest of all, serves Hashem in darkness above nature. The three flocks further correspond to thought, speech, and deed — Shacharis, Minchah, and the demanding birur-avodah of Maariv.