Rain, Rain, don't go away
From Musaf of Shmini Atzeret (a.k.a. Simchat Torah in Israel, but that might confuse readers in Chutz LaAretz - and even some from here) until Musaf of the first day of Pesach, we refer to G-d as The Rainmaker, among the many other descriptive terms in the second bracha of the Amida (see box to the right).

An Amida during the rainy season without any reference to G-d’s role in making the weather is considered fatally flawed, and must be said over. Specifically, if one omits MASHIV HARU’ACH UMORID HAGASHEM (hereafter MHUH) from the second bracha of the Amida, AND does not say MORID HATAL either, the Amida must be repeated. In Israel (and in many
communities around the Diaspora), where MORID HATAL is said when MHUH is not said, it is considered that G-d’s role as Weather Maker is acknowledged throughout the year. Therefore, if one forgets MHUH, he can assume that he said MORID HATAL and his Amida is not invalid.
That’s the big picture. Let’s do some fine-tuning. The rule for repeating or not repeating, as above, has another application. If one continues the Amida beyond the second bracha, and then realizes he hadn’t said MHUH, then without the MORID HATAL alternate, the person stops cold and starts the Amida over. With the MORID HATAL alternate, the person just continues the Amida to its conclusion and “ignores” the omission.

And what if you remember within the second bracha? There are two different opinions. One opinion is that as soon as one realizes the omission (remember, within the second bracha), he goes back to ATA GIBOR and tries again. Some say that it is only necessary to back to MHUH, the ATA GIBOR part was said and untainted by the omission.

The other opinion is that one says MHUH wherever the omission was realilzed, without going back to the beginning of the bracha. But one should say MHUH between phrases, not within one. For example, one can say SOMEICH NOFLIM, MHUH, V’ROFEI CHOLIM, but should say SOMEICH MHUH NOFLIM. The text of the second bracha of the Amida is printed in the box at the upper-right of this page with each phrase on its own line, to help understand and apply this ruling.

Furthermore, the last phrase before the ending of the bracha - V’NE-EMAN... must precede the ending, without MHUH interceding. So if one has already said the V’NE-EMAN phrase and then realizes he forgot MHUH, he says MHUH, then repeats V’NE-EMAN... and then concludes with BARUCH...

That’s the fine tuning. The point of it all,is that davening is serious and real and so is rainfall. And we have the power of prayer and should use it properly.

and...come again another day.
On the previous page, the issue was HAZKARAT G’SHAMIM, the mention of rainfall, the mention of G-d as the rainmaker. That began, as already mentioned, on Shmini Atzeret. The issue for this page is SH’EILAT G’SHAMIM, asking for rain.

This request, known to Ashkenazim as TAL UMATAR, involves the addition of two words - TAL UMATAR and the prefix of a LAMED to the word BRACHA (with the drop of the dot in the BET) to become LIVRACHA. Two words and a letter. S’FARADIM call the issue BAREICH ALEINU, which is the winter bracha that replaces BA-R’CHEINU. In both cases, we are talking about a change in the 6th of the 13 middle brachot of request of the weekday Amida.

In Eretz Yisrael, the request for rain begins at Maariv on the eve of the 7th of Cheshvan. (This year, that’s Motza’ei Shabbat Parshat No’ach, November 1st.) In Chutz LaAretz, asking for rain begins on December 5th or 6th (depending upon the number of days in February).
A weekday Amida in the rainy season without a rpetition to G-d for TAL UMATAR, renders the Amida invalid, and requires repeating the whole Amida. This is so if the omission is discovered after one completes the Amida, i.e. after ...HaShem Tzuri v’Go’ali (even before steps back).
If the omission is realized while one is still in the Amida, then...

If you are still in BIRKAT HASHANIM (Barech Aleinu), then stop, say V’TEIN TAL UMATAR LIVRACHA (hearafter called T&M) and continue from there.
If you already said HaShem’s name in the end of BAREICH ALEINU, then continue the Amida and in the final bracha of request, SH’MA KOLEINU, say T&M after KI KEIL SHOMEI’A... T’SHIVEINU, and then continue with KI ATA SHOMEI’A...

If you started KI ATA SHOMEI’A but have not yet said G-d’s name in the end of the bracha, then stop, say T&M, and repeat from KI ATA SHOMEI’A...

If you already said G-d’s name at the end of SH’MA KOLEINU, then finish the bracha and immediately say T&M as an add-on (so to speak, as opposed to the preferable add-in) to SH’MA KOLEINU.

Once the word R’TZEI is said,or even just the R’ of R’TZEI, you must stop where you are, go back to BAREICH ALEINU (not just to SH’MA KOLEINU) and say the Amida from there all the way to the end. This rule applies if the omission of T&M is realized anytime until one completes the pasuk YIHYU L’RATZON...

Although many of the details above are geared to avoiding or minimizing wasted brachot, if one finished the Amida without T&M, the entire 19 brachot of the weekday Amida must be repeated. Avoiding BRACHA L’VATALA is a high concern, but asking G-d for T&M during the rainy season is paramount.

The fine details of Halacha are important, but one mustn’t lose sight of the concepts that produce those details. As mentioned earlier, prayer is real, it is serious, it is powerful. And so is rain. Scoffers and cynics will say: “Does it really matter if my Amida was two words short?” And the answer is, YES.

More on Tal U'MATAR...
What should someone who lives in Chutz LaAretz but finds himself in Israel this Motza"Sh when we will be starting to say T&M do? Some say that if he intends be in Israel less than a year, he should NOT say T&M, but rather wait for Dec. 5th, like B'nei Chutz LaAretz. Furthermore, he should avoid being Shali'ach Tzibur - but if that is unavoidable, then he must say T&M in the repetition of the Amida. (Because there is no repetition for Maariv, he can lead that service.) Some say that he should begin T&M with us. In this case, there is further disagreement as to what he does if he returns to CHU"L before Dec. 5th. Some say he should continue V'TEIN BRACHA in BAREICH ALEINU, but should say T&M in Sh'ma Koleinu. Best advice? Ask your Rav.

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