This material was prepared by Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Evonne Marzouk of Canfei Nesharim, as part of the Jewcology project.
This source sheet was created in collaboration with Canfei Nesharim, Jewcology, Jewish Nature and the ROI Community.
The Sefaria Source Sheet was collated and edited by Rachel Kelman, a 2022 summer inchworm.
Outline of Sources:
I. Introduction
II. Water in the Desert
III. Rain in the Land of Israel
IV. Appreciating Rain and Water
I. Introduction
The Midrash equates water with "life."
מסכת אבות דרבי נתן נוסחא ב פרק מג
מים נקרא חיים שנאמר יצאו מים חיים (זכריה י"ד ח ).'
Tractate Avot d’Rabbi Natan, section two chapter 43, translation by Rabbi Neril
Water is called life, as it says (Zechariah 14:8), “Water of life went out [from Jerusalem].”
Discussion Questions:
- In what ways is water is equivalent to life?
- What other things would you put in that category (equivalent to life) today?
II. Water in the Desert
In the desert, uncertainty about water resources inspired numerous complaints and lessons for the wandering Jews.
(ז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ח) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃
The Midrash teaches that in the merit of Miriam's song, a well appeared in the desert which accompanied the Jews wherever they went and was removed when she died.
After almost 40 years in the desert, the Israelites sang an exultant song about their appreciation to G-d for water.
Spring up, O well—sing to it—
(18) The well which the chieftains dug,
Which the nobles of the people started
With maces, with their own staffs. And from Midbar to Mattanah,
Discussion Questions:
- What did the Israelites learn from their experiences with water in the desert?
- What are we learning from our experiences with water today?
III. Rain in the Land of Israel
The Talmud teaches that G-d personally waters the land of Israel and the rest of the world is watered by a messenger
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן...אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַשְׁקֶה אוֹתָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ, וְכׇל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַנֹּתֵן מָטָר עַל פְּנֵי אָרֶץ וְשֹׁלֵחַ מַיִם עַל פְּנֵי חוּצוֹת״.
The Sages taught in a baraita...Eretz Yisrael is watered by the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself, and the rest of the entire world is watered through an intermediary, as it is stated: “Who gives rain upon the land, and sends water upon the fields” (Job 5:10).
Thus when rain is withheld in Israel, it is because of Divine intervention in response to Israel's actions, as the second paragraph of Shema makes clear.
(יא) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ אֶ֥רֶץ הָרִ֖ים וּבְקָעֹ֑ת לִמְטַ֥ר הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם תִּשְׁתֶּה־מָּֽיִם׃ (יב) אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ דֹּרֵ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ תָּמִ֗יד עֵינֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔הּ מֵֽרֵשִׁית֙ הַשָּׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד אַחֲרִ֥ית שָׁנָֽה׃ {ס} (יג) וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ וּלְעׇבְד֔וֹ בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ (יד) וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִירֹֽשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃ (טו) וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃ (טז) הִשָּֽׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם פֶּ֥ן יִפְתֶּ֖ה לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְסַרְתֶּ֗ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃ (יז) וְחָרָ֨ה אַף־יְהֹוָ֜ה בָּכֶ֗ם וְעָצַ֤ר אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה מָטָ֔ר וְהָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן אֶת־יְבוּלָ֑הּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם מְהֵרָ֗ה מֵעַל֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃
Discussion Questions:
- How is rain an incentive in the land of Israel to inspire us to act righteously?
- What would you do for rain today?
IV. Appreciating Rain and Water
Dr. Jeremy Benstein notes that Biblical Hebrew contains at least six different words to describe liquid precipitation (geshem, matar, yoreh, malkosh, revivim, se'irim), which denote different times and intensities of rainfall. Four of them are mentioned in the following verses:
Let the earth hear the words I utter!
(2) May my discourse come down as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
Like showers on young growth,
Like droplets on the grass.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: מֵאֵימָתַי מְבָרְכִין עַל הַגְּשָׁמִים — מִשֶּׁיֵּצֵא חָתָן לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. מַאי מְבָרֵךְ? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: ״מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל כׇּל טִפָּה וְטִפָּה שֶׁהוֹרַדְתָּ לָנוּ״.
Rabbi Abbahu said: From when does one recite a blessing over rain? From when the groom goes out to meet the bride, that is, when there are puddles of water on the ground such that the water below, represented as the bride in this metaphor, is splashed from above by the raindrops, represented as the groom. The Gemara asks: What blessing does one recite over rain? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: We thank you, O Lord our God, for each and every drop that You have made fall for us.
The prophet Jeremiah refers to G-d as the 'Source of Living Waters.’
(13) O Hope of Israel! O LORD! All who forsake You shall be put to shame, Those in the land who turn from You Shall be doomed men, For they have forsaken the LORD, The Fount of living waters.
The blessing over drinking water is:
ברוך אתה ה' א-לוקינו מלך העולם שהכל נהיה בדברו
Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam shehakol nihiyah bed'varo.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be.
Discussion Questions:
- How can we tell from these verses how our rabbis felt about water in rain?
- How can we inspire this perspective in ourselves and our children?
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