ON SUKKOT, rain is not considered a blessing; it is viewed as a sign of    G-d's disapproval – we prepare to perform the mitzvah of Sukkah and by causing it to rain He, so to speak, prevents our eating and spending time there, thus exempting us from the mitzvah. Yet, Sukkot is the time when we are judged for rainfall, and many aspects of the Chag – the four Species, the mitzvah of Aravot (which we commemorate on Hoshana Rabba), and the Temple mitzvah of Water Libation – relate to this judgment and are considered "non-verbal petitions" for rain.

THEN COMES SHMINI ATZERET and T'FILAT GESHEM, with the commencement of reciting Mashiv HaRu'ach U'Morid HaGashem (“Who makes the wind blow and makes the rain come down”), the pointed reference in every Amida to G-d's power as the Weather-Maker. Although Mashiv HaRu'ach is not in the form of a request, nor is it in the request portion of the Amida, it is considered to be an indirect request for rain.

AND THEN, TWO WEEKS LATER (7^TH OF CHESHVAN IN ERETZ YISRAEL ? later in Chutz LaAretz, December 4 or 5), we begin asking for rain in a direct manner (by reciting V’ten Tal U’Matar, “give dew and rain”)

THE TORAH READING that immediately precedes our request for tal u'matar is Parshat Noach. (The 7th of Cheshvan always falls during the six days following Noach.) With the predominant theme of the parshah being the Flood, we cannot fail to see the additional message.

NOACH'S GENERATION WAS VERY CORRUPT and immoral. G-d decreed their annihilation but first gave them 120 years to repent. The vehicle for their punishment was to be a great flood – a tremendous amount of rain. But it wasn't LIVRACHA ( for blessing), nor L'CHAYIM (for life), nor L'SOVA (for plenty). It's still happening. We see it on the news.

FLOODS IN THIS PLACE OR THAT. Deaths, injuries, damage.

THE MISHNA IN TAANIT gives us a timetable of when we start fasting in the years when the rain does not fall "on time". The first date on the list is the 17th of Cheshvan, only 10 days after we start reciting Tal U'matar. The Mishna says that if it had not yet rained by that date, individuals (not the community) would accept upon themselves to fast on behalf of the community. The 17th of Cheshvan is mentioned in Parshat Noach as the day the rains of the Mabul began. This can't be a coincidence. The absence of rain is certainly not good, but neither is the wrong kind of rain. We need the right kind, in the right amounts, at the right times. That's a lot to ask of G-d. So, at least, let's make our requests properly.

AND THAT'S THE POINT OF THIS REVIEW. Hundreds of times, we will be calling G-d the MASHIV HARU'ACH... with its implied plea for rain. Hundreds of times, we will ask for TAL U'MATAR LIVRACHA. If we omit Tal U'Matar from our Amida – even though we are asking G-d to give us a Bracha – our Amida is invalid and will have to be repeated in its entirety.

REMEMBER, AS A CHILD, ever saying, “gimme a cookie”, or words to that effect? Remember being told by your parents that it is not a nice way to ask for things. “Please, may I have”... is so much better.

THE SAME IS TRUE for our davening in general and the amida in particular. A rushed, kavana-lacking Mashiv HaRuach or V'tein Tal U'Matar is rude and smacks of insincerity. Why should G-d grant our requests if they are carelessly presented?

WE EACH HAVE A CHALLENGE and a responsibility to daven well. we say bareich aleinu, s'lach lanu, sh'ma koleinu – Bless US, forgive US, hear OUR voices – always in the plural. A Jew who does not daven at all, and a Jew who does not daven properly, is falling short of his personal obligations to Torah and Mitzvot, AND is not fulfilling his obligations to Klal Yisrael.

A JEW IS CONSTANTLY CHALLENGED to improve himself and to help improve his society. Blessed rainfall is just one part of the deal G-d made with us. There are many wonderful things at stake. May we be blessed by GISHMEI BRACHA and all good things.

 

Bereshit

Shemot

Vayikra

Bamidbar

Devarim

Chagim