Post by Rabbi Neil on Jul 13, 2018 20:46:28 GMT
Last Shabbat, as we reached the second paragraph of T’fillah, I started thinking about the phrase morid hatal. Why, at the start of the monsoon season, are we praying for dew? Why not pray for rain? Why would we not pray mashiv haruach umorid hagashem, You cause the wind to shift and the rain to fall? Now, more than ever, should be the time we pray for rain. So, I almost stopped the service to say that we should pray for geshem, rain, instead of tal, dew. Had I done so, at least some people might have been impressed at how I brought about the monsoon season. Probably not many, though! I decided not to stop the service because I didn’t want to go into a long excursus about prayers for rain, so instead I’m explaining it in my sermon now!
The High Priest used to include a prayer for rain on Yom Kippur, and that prayer was fixed, though. Talmud (Yoma 53b) tells us that he would say, “May it be Your will, Eternal one our God, that this year be fully of heavy rains, and hot.” It then asks, ‘but is a hot year an advantage?’ to which it replies that this means, ‘If it be a hot year, let it also be rich in rain.’ Otherwise, the date and timing of the prayer for rain seemed to be rather dependent on the weather itself.
The very beginning of Mishnah Ta’anit (1:1) asks, “From when do we begin to mention the power of rain? R. Eliezer says: From the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot]. R. Yehoshua says: On the last day of the Festival. R. Yehoshua said to [R. Eliezer]: Inasmuch as rain on the Festival is a sign of a curse during the Festival, why mention it [before the last day]? R. Eliezer said to [R. Yehoshua]: I did not say to request it but rather to make mention of “Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall in its due season.” [R. Yehoshua] said to [R. Eliezer]: If that is so, one should always mention it…” It’s a rather lovely discussion. One Rabbi says that we should mention rain in our prayers from the start of Succot but the other replies that would be a curse, since who wants to sit out in a Succah while it’s raining? Trust me, as an Englishman, I can attest that that’s not much fun. So the first reply says, “I didn’t say pray for rain, I said mention rain.” That’s a smart answer. He’s saying that we can never actually pray for rain because our prayers don’t actually change the weather, but we should at least mention rain in our prayers, especially around the time when it’s likely to rain. His colleague responds, though, by saying, if we’re not praying for rain but merely mentioning it, then we should always mention it, basically since rain is a sign of a blessing. He’s got a point. So, in a place like Santa Fe, where we desperately need rain, shouldn’t we always mention it in our prayers? Well, the Mishnah concludes with important words – “WE PRAY FOR RAIN ONLY CLOSE TO THE RAINY SEASON.” There’s no point praying for rain when we know meteorologically that it’s extremely unlikely. We wouldn’t want to recite a bracha l’vatalah, a vain prayer.
The tradition became to say the prayer from rain, tfillat hageshem, from Simchat Torah until Pesach, although it seems that differing communities had differing customs, sometimes moving the prayer later. This was based on when their pilgrims were likely to be able to get home. That is, if a pilgrim has travelled to Jerusalem for the festival of Succot, the last thing they need is rain on their journey all the way home! What we learn from this is that the prayer for rain isn’t asking for rain but is mentioning it at the appropriate time, and the date of reciting that prayer is somewhat fluid, if you pardon the pun. We do have to be aware that there are differing prayers for rain, as well. One is the insertion into the Amidah, the other is a more spontaneous prayer. So, when do we say that prayer, a question that Rabbi Abbahu asks later in Tractate Ta’anit? The answer given is “When the bridegroom goes forth to meet the bride.” This is all metaphor. What it means is that when enough rain has fallen that accumulated water rebounds to meet other raindrops coming down. That’s quite a heavy rain! And what is the prayer that’s to be recited in that case? According to Rav Jehudah in the name of Rav, “We give thanks unto You, Eternal One, our God for every single drop which you have caused to fall upon us” (Ta’anit 6b). Not every Rabbi in Talmud was fond of rain, though. Thus, “Rabbah b. Shila … said: The day when rain falls is as hard [to bear] as a day of Judgment,” and “Amemar said: Were it not that mankind must have rain we would pray and have it cease.” (Ta’anit 8b).
When we look around the world today, we see that rain can sometimes be devastating. In Japan at the moment, over 200 people have died as a result of flooding and landslides caused by rains. This reminds us that everything, even rain, can be a blessing or a curse, something brought out clearly by the narrative of Choni the Circle Drawer, also from Ta’anit (19a).
“IT HAPPENED THAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO HONI THE CIRCLE DRAWER, PRAY FOR RAIN TO FALL…. HE PRAYED AND NO RAIN FELL...WHAT DID HE DO? HE DREW A CIRCLE AND STOOD WITHIN IT AND EXCLAIMED, “RULER OF THE UNIVERSE, YOUR CHILDREN HAVE TURNED TO ME BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE ME TO BE AS A MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD; I SWEAR BY YOUR GREAT NAME THAT I WILL NOT MOVE FROM HERE UNTIL YOU HAVE MERCY UPON YOUR CHILDREN.” RAIN THEN BEGAN TO DRIP, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED: “IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN [TO FILL] CISTERNS, DITCHES AND CAVES.” THE RAIN THEN BEGAN TO COME DOWN WITH GREAT FORCE, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED; “IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN OF BENEVOLENCE, BLESSING AND BOUNTY.” RAIN THEN FELL IN THE NORMAL WAY UNTIL THE ISRAELITES IN JERUSALEM WERE COMPELLED TO GO UP [FOR SHELTER] TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. THEY CAME AND SAID TO HIM: “IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR [THE RAIN] TO FALL PRAY [NOW] FOR THE RAIN TO CEASE.” The story does not end well for Choni, with Shimon ben Shetach saying that he would have excommunicated Choni were it not for the fact that God answers his requests like a parent answers a petulant child.
So, rain can be a blessing or a curse, although generally it was seen as a blessing. Indeed, the reason that the prayer for rain is inserted in the second paragraph of t’fillah is almost certainly because that is the paragraph that traditionally talks about the resurrection of the dead, and as we also learn in Ta’anit (7a), the day when rain falls is greater than the day of the resurrection of the dead, for the resurrection of the dead is merely for the righteous whereas rain falls for all.
But the timing issue still makes me wonder, shouldn’t we pray for rain now here in Santa Fe? Ta’anit again (14b): The inhabitants of Nineveh sent to enquire of Rabbi: How should we who need rain even in the Tammuz cycle act? Are we to consider ourselves individuals and [insert the special prayer for rain] in the prayer that ends ‘Who listens to prayer’ or shall we consider ourselves a community and [insert it] in the ‘Blessing of the Years’? He sent [word] back to them: Consider yourselves individuals and [insert the prayer] in, ‘Who listens to prayer’. An objection was raised [against this]: R. Judah said: When did this order of fasts apply? The answer given was, “Only at such times when the seasons of the year were normal and Israel dwelt in their own land, but to-day all depends upon the years, the countries and the seasons!” This is interesting because it says that the town of Nineveh could not change the tradition during t’fillah, but could add a prayer for rain in a non-traditional time elsewhere in the service during personal prayers. Another reason it is interesting is because the objection suggests that the prayer could only be changed by the entire country, not just one town. But with America being so much larger than ancient Palestine, would it not make sense for that prayer to be state-wide? And since everyone I know in the state of New Mexico wants rain at this time, could we use this as a reference to change our liturgy at this time? Rav Soloveitchik even addressed the prayer for rain in America. He said that in the United States there is no particular rainy season as in Israel and that America therefore always needs rain. He would therefore recite the prayer all year round, similar to the perspective from the Mishnah that I mentioned at the beginning, that asked, “Wouldn’t we always mention it?” Well, yes, we would, suggests Soloveitchik.
But here in Santa Fe we DO have a rainy season. Average rainfall from January to June is between 0.6 and 1.0 inches in Santa Fe. In July and August, it averages 2.5 inches, before then dropping down to around 0.8 inches in December. July and August are the unequivocal rainy months in Santa Fe. This is when we should pray for rain.
So, for the rest of July and August, I am going to add a prayer to our service. We will continue to pray for dew in the traditional place in t’fillah, but we will also add a personal prayer for rain, not because we believe we can magically conjure up rain like Choni the Circle Drawer, but because we want to mention and celebrate the rain. So, based on the prayer mentioned earlier of Rav Yehudah in the name of Rav, and on the traditional prayer, I now add this prayer to our service for the rest of the rainy season: “We give thanks to You, Eternal One, our God for every single drop which you have caused to fall upon us. Grant abundant water, for You are God who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall, for a blessing and not for a curse, for life and not for death, for plenty and not for scarcity, Amen.”
The High Priest used to include a prayer for rain on Yom Kippur, and that prayer was fixed, though. Talmud (Yoma 53b) tells us that he would say, “May it be Your will, Eternal one our God, that this year be fully of heavy rains, and hot.” It then asks, ‘but is a hot year an advantage?’ to which it replies that this means, ‘If it be a hot year, let it also be rich in rain.’ Otherwise, the date and timing of the prayer for rain seemed to be rather dependent on the weather itself.
The very beginning of Mishnah Ta’anit (1:1) asks, “From when do we begin to mention the power of rain? R. Eliezer says: From the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot]. R. Yehoshua says: On the last day of the Festival. R. Yehoshua said to [R. Eliezer]: Inasmuch as rain on the Festival is a sign of a curse during the Festival, why mention it [before the last day]? R. Eliezer said to [R. Yehoshua]: I did not say to request it but rather to make mention of “Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall in its due season.” [R. Yehoshua] said to [R. Eliezer]: If that is so, one should always mention it…” It’s a rather lovely discussion. One Rabbi says that we should mention rain in our prayers from the start of Succot but the other replies that would be a curse, since who wants to sit out in a Succah while it’s raining? Trust me, as an Englishman, I can attest that that’s not much fun. So the first reply says, “I didn’t say pray for rain, I said mention rain.” That’s a smart answer. He’s saying that we can never actually pray for rain because our prayers don’t actually change the weather, but we should at least mention rain in our prayers, especially around the time when it’s likely to rain. His colleague responds, though, by saying, if we’re not praying for rain but merely mentioning it, then we should always mention it, basically since rain is a sign of a blessing. He’s got a point. So, in a place like Santa Fe, where we desperately need rain, shouldn’t we always mention it in our prayers? Well, the Mishnah concludes with important words – “WE PRAY FOR RAIN ONLY CLOSE TO THE RAINY SEASON.” There’s no point praying for rain when we know meteorologically that it’s extremely unlikely. We wouldn’t want to recite a bracha l’vatalah, a vain prayer.
The tradition became to say the prayer from rain, tfillat hageshem, from Simchat Torah until Pesach, although it seems that differing communities had differing customs, sometimes moving the prayer later. This was based on when their pilgrims were likely to be able to get home. That is, if a pilgrim has travelled to Jerusalem for the festival of Succot, the last thing they need is rain on their journey all the way home! What we learn from this is that the prayer for rain isn’t asking for rain but is mentioning it at the appropriate time, and the date of reciting that prayer is somewhat fluid, if you pardon the pun. We do have to be aware that there are differing prayers for rain, as well. One is the insertion into the Amidah, the other is a more spontaneous prayer. So, when do we say that prayer, a question that Rabbi Abbahu asks later in Tractate Ta’anit? The answer given is “When the bridegroom goes forth to meet the bride.” This is all metaphor. What it means is that when enough rain has fallen that accumulated water rebounds to meet other raindrops coming down. That’s quite a heavy rain! And what is the prayer that’s to be recited in that case? According to Rav Jehudah in the name of Rav, “We give thanks unto You, Eternal One, our God for every single drop which you have caused to fall upon us” (Ta’anit 6b). Not every Rabbi in Talmud was fond of rain, though. Thus, “Rabbah b. Shila … said: The day when rain falls is as hard [to bear] as a day of Judgment,” and “Amemar said: Were it not that mankind must have rain we would pray and have it cease.” (Ta’anit 8b).
When we look around the world today, we see that rain can sometimes be devastating. In Japan at the moment, over 200 people have died as a result of flooding and landslides caused by rains. This reminds us that everything, even rain, can be a blessing or a curse, something brought out clearly by the narrative of Choni the Circle Drawer, also from Ta’anit (19a).
“IT HAPPENED THAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO HONI THE CIRCLE DRAWER, PRAY FOR RAIN TO FALL…. HE PRAYED AND NO RAIN FELL...WHAT DID HE DO? HE DREW A CIRCLE AND STOOD WITHIN IT AND EXCLAIMED, “RULER OF THE UNIVERSE, YOUR CHILDREN HAVE TURNED TO ME BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE ME TO BE AS A MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD; I SWEAR BY YOUR GREAT NAME THAT I WILL NOT MOVE FROM HERE UNTIL YOU HAVE MERCY UPON YOUR CHILDREN.” RAIN THEN BEGAN TO DRIP, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED: “IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN [TO FILL] CISTERNS, DITCHES AND CAVES.” THE RAIN THEN BEGAN TO COME DOWN WITH GREAT FORCE, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED; “IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN OF BENEVOLENCE, BLESSING AND BOUNTY.” RAIN THEN FELL IN THE NORMAL WAY UNTIL THE ISRAELITES IN JERUSALEM WERE COMPELLED TO GO UP [FOR SHELTER] TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. THEY CAME AND SAID TO HIM: “IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR [THE RAIN] TO FALL PRAY [NOW] FOR THE RAIN TO CEASE.” The story does not end well for Choni, with Shimon ben Shetach saying that he would have excommunicated Choni were it not for the fact that God answers his requests like a parent answers a petulant child.
So, rain can be a blessing or a curse, although generally it was seen as a blessing. Indeed, the reason that the prayer for rain is inserted in the second paragraph of t’fillah is almost certainly because that is the paragraph that traditionally talks about the resurrection of the dead, and as we also learn in Ta’anit (7a), the day when rain falls is greater than the day of the resurrection of the dead, for the resurrection of the dead is merely for the righteous whereas rain falls for all.
But the timing issue still makes me wonder, shouldn’t we pray for rain now here in Santa Fe? Ta’anit again (14b): The inhabitants of Nineveh sent to enquire of Rabbi: How should we who need rain even in the Tammuz cycle act? Are we to consider ourselves individuals and [insert the special prayer for rain] in the prayer that ends ‘Who listens to prayer’ or shall we consider ourselves a community and [insert it] in the ‘Blessing of the Years’? He sent [word] back to them: Consider yourselves individuals and [insert the prayer] in, ‘Who listens to prayer’. An objection was raised [against this]: R. Judah said: When did this order of fasts apply? The answer given was, “Only at such times when the seasons of the year were normal and Israel dwelt in their own land, but to-day all depends upon the years, the countries and the seasons!” This is interesting because it says that the town of Nineveh could not change the tradition during t’fillah, but could add a prayer for rain in a non-traditional time elsewhere in the service during personal prayers. Another reason it is interesting is because the objection suggests that the prayer could only be changed by the entire country, not just one town. But with America being so much larger than ancient Palestine, would it not make sense for that prayer to be state-wide? And since everyone I know in the state of New Mexico wants rain at this time, could we use this as a reference to change our liturgy at this time? Rav Soloveitchik even addressed the prayer for rain in America. He said that in the United States there is no particular rainy season as in Israel and that America therefore always needs rain. He would therefore recite the prayer all year round, similar to the perspective from the Mishnah that I mentioned at the beginning, that asked, “Wouldn’t we always mention it?” Well, yes, we would, suggests Soloveitchik.
But here in Santa Fe we DO have a rainy season. Average rainfall from January to June is between 0.6 and 1.0 inches in Santa Fe. In July and August, it averages 2.5 inches, before then dropping down to around 0.8 inches in December. July and August are the unequivocal rainy months in Santa Fe. This is when we should pray for rain.
So, for the rest of July and August, I am going to add a prayer to our service. We will continue to pray for dew in the traditional place in t’fillah, but we will also add a personal prayer for rain, not because we believe we can magically conjure up rain like Choni the Circle Drawer, but because we want to mention and celebrate the rain. So, based on the prayer mentioned earlier of Rav Yehudah in the name of Rav, and on the traditional prayer, I now add this prayer to our service for the rest of the rainy season: “We give thanks to You, Eternal One, our God for every single drop which you have caused to fall upon us. Grant abundant water, for You are God who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall, for a blessing and not for a curse, for life and not for death, for plenty and not for scarcity, Amen.”