Part 5 of 6: Shmini Atzeret and the Prayer for Rain (Tefillat Geshem)

(2) At four set times the world is judged:On Pesah in respect to the produce. On Shavuot in respect to the fruit of the tree. On Rosh Hashanah all the people of the world pass before Him like a division of soldier [a numerus], as it says, “He who fashions the hearts of them all, who discerns all their doings” (Psalms 33:15). And on Sukkot they are judged in respect of rain.

(13) If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving the LORD your God and serving Him with all your heart and soul, (14) I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late...

(11) He brings everything to pass precisely at its time; He also puts eternity in their mind(lit. heart) I.e., He preoccupies man with the attempt to discover the times of future events; cf. 8.17. but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass.

(2) He has set in their heart, etc. Also the wisdom of the world that He instilled into the hearts of mankind, He did not instill it all into each one’s heart, rather a little to this one and a little to that one, in order that man should not fully grasp the workings of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, to know it; [and thereby] he will not know the day of his visitation [death] and on what he will stumble, in order that he put his heart to repent, so that he will be concerned and say [to himself], “Today or tomorrow I will die.” Therefore, ‘הָעֹלָם’ is written here defectively [i.e., without a ‘vav’], an expression of “hidden,” for if man knew that the day of his death was near, he would neither build a house nor plant a vineyard. Therefore, he says that, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” The fact that there is a time for death is a beautiful thing, for a person optimistically says [to himself], “Perhaps my death is far off,” and he builds a house and plants a vineyard; and it is beautiful that it is concealed from people.

(1) From when, i.e., from which date, does one begin to mention the might of the rains by inserting the phrase: He makes the wind blow and rain fall, in the second blessing of the Amida prayer? Rabbi Eliezer says: The phrase is inserted from the first Festival day of the festival of Sukkot. Rabbi Yehoshua says: From the last Festival day of the festival of Sukkot. Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabbi Eliezer: Since rain is nothing other than a sign of a curse during the festival of Sukkot, as rainfall forces Jews to leave their sukkot, why should one mention the might of rain during this period? Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I too did not say that it is proper to request rain at this time, but it is proper only to mention the phrase: He makes the wind blow and rain fall, in its due time. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: If so, i.e., if reciting the phrase does not constitute a request for rain, one should always mention rain, even in the summer.

(2) The mishna states a general principle: One requests rain only immediately preceding the rainy season. Rabbi Yehuda says: With regard to the one who passes before the ark as prayer leader on the concluding Festival day of the festival of Sukkot, the Eighth Day of Assembly: The last prayer leader, who leads the additional prayer, mentions rain, whereas the first prayer leader, for the morning prayer, does not mention rain. The opposite is the case at the conclusion of the period for mentioning rain on the first Festival day of Passover: Here, the first prayer leader, who leads the morning prayer, mentions rain, while the last prayer leader, who leads the additional prayer, does not mention rain. Until when does one request rain? Rabbi Yehuda says: We request rain until Passover has passed. Rabbi Meir says: Until the month of Nisan has ended, as it is stated: “And He causes to come down for you the rain, the first rain and the last rain, in the first month” (Joel 2:23). Since the verse states that it rains in Nisan, the first month, this indicates that the entire month is considered part of the rainy season.

(1) We open the ark

(2) Blessed are You, etc. - up to, and Savior and Shield:

(4) Af-Bri¹According to Mateh Levi, the angel of rain is called Af-Bri because rain is sometimes an expression of Divine anger (af) and at other times it is a blessing which contributes to the health of mankind (Bri). is the designated name of the rain angel,

(5) who²One task of the rain angel is to form the clouds which cause rainfall. overcasts [the sky], and makes clouds, to empty them and cause rain to fall.

(6) Water with currents with which to adorn the valley;³See Psalms 65:12.

(7) let it not be withheld because of [our] unpaid debts.⁴Others translate נִשְׁיוֹן שְׁטַר as forgotten debts. The “debts” are our sins.

(8) Let [the merit of] the faithful⁵There is a version that replaces אֱמוּנִים , faithful, with אֲמוּצִים , strong. Both refer to our patriarchs who were strong in their belief of God and faithful in carrying out His commands. shield those who pray for rain.

(9) Blessed are You, Lord, Shield of Abraham.

(11) You are mighty forever, my Master; You are the Resurrector of the dead, the Powerful One, to deliver [us].

(12) He will impose [upon Af-Bri] to divert rain from streams of water;

(13) to soften the surface of the earth with sparkling, gem-like drops.

(14) Water [symbolizes] Your might, as You labeled it in Scripture.⁶See Psalms 93:4, “The mighty breakers of the sea proclaim ‘Adonoy is mighty on high.’”

(15) It reassures, with its drops, those in whom was blown the breath [of life],⁷See Genesis 2:7. The final touch of Adam’s creation is described with the words, “And [God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

(16) to keep alive those who mention⁸Others translate “Those who pray for rain” referring to the Mishna, Maseches Taanis (1:1). the powers of rain.

(18) Our God and God of our fathers!

(20) Remember the patriarch who was drawn to You like water.⁹Abraham went every place that God commanded him.

(21) You blessed him like a tree planted beside streams of water.

(22) You protected him,¹⁰See Genesis 15:1, “Fear not Abram, I am your shield.” You rescued him from fire11 and from water;¹²This refers to the water that threatened Abraham on his way to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice Isaac. See Midrash Tanchuma to Genesis 32.

(23) You sought him out¹³You sought him out to show him Your love. Others translate דְּרַשְׁתּוֹ , You tested him, referring to the ten tests to which God subjected him. when he sowed beside all waters.¹⁴See Isaiah 32:20. “Fortunate are you that sows beside all waters.” Rabbi Yochonon says this verse refers to those who do righteous deeds (Maseches Baba Kama 17a). Abraham was loved by God because of his righteousness.

(24) For his sake, do not withhold water.

(26) Remember the one whose birth was foretold [when Abraham said:] “Let a little water be brought.”¹⁵See Genesis 18:4. The birth of Isaac was foretold when Abraham offered the three angels “a little water.”

(27) You told his father to sacrifice him, to spill his blood like water.¹⁶Others interpret that Isaac told his father to go through with his sacrifice, and spill his blood like water.

(28) He too [Isaac] was dutiful to spill his blood like water.

(29) He dug and found wells of water.¹⁷See Genesis 26:18, 19, 21, 22.

(30) In [the merit of] his righteousness grant us abundant water.

(32) Remember the one who, carrying his staff, crossed the Jordan's water.¹⁸See Genesis 32:11, Jacob said, “For with my staff, I passed over this Jordan.”

(33) He [Jacob] was single-hearted,¹⁹He was single-hearted and undivided in his love and trust in God. and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well of water.²⁰See Genesis 29:10.

(34) When he was attacked by an angel²¹See Genesis 32:25. comprised of fire and water,²²All angels are created from fire and water.

(35) You promised to be with him through fire and through water.²³See Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through waters, I will be with you, when you walk through fire, you will not be burned.”

(36) For his sake, do not withhold water.

(38) Remember the one [Moses] who was drawn out, in a reed basket, from the water.²⁴See Exodus 20:5.

(39) [About whom] they said, “He drew water and watered the sheep.”²⁵See Exodus 2:19, “And they [the daughters of Jethro] said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds and also drew water for us, and watered the sheep.’”

(40) When Your treasured ones, thirsted for water,

(41) he struck the rock and water gushed out.²⁶See Numbers 20:11.

(42) In [the merit of] his righteousness grant us abundant water.

(44) Remember the Holy Temple appointee,²⁷Some commentaries explain the phrase זְכוֹר פָּקִיד שָׁתוֹת as referring to Aaron, the Kohein Gadol, but it is difficult to relate the rest of the verse to Aaron. This prayer refers to the Kohein Gadol, the High Priest and the word שָׁתוֹת is a synonym for the Holy Temple. See Psalms 11:3. who immersed himself five times in water.²⁸The Kohein Gadol immersed himself five times during the Day of Atonement. Each time he changed the priestly vestments to perform a service, he immersed himself in a mikveh.

(45) He cleansed and washed his hands²⁹His right hand was held above his right foot, the left hand above the left foot and all were washed simultaneously. to sanctify them with water.

(46) He read,³⁰The Mishna (Maseches Yoma 1:3) relates, “They provided him with Sages who read to him the service of the day.” According to Rashi and Bartenura, they read the portion of the Torah (Leviticus 16) dealing with the service of Yom Kippur and elaborated upon its particulars. and was sprinkled with purifying water.³¹According to the Mishna, (Maseches Parah 3:1), the Kohein Gadol was sprinkled with the purifying water of the Red Heifer during the days before Yom Kippur, in case he had inadvertently come in contact with the dead. The ashes of the Red Heifer, mixed with “living waters,” provided the only means of purification for one who came in contact with the dead.

(47) He was separated from the people³²See Mishna Maseches Yoma 1:1, “Seven days before Yom Kippur they separated the Kohein Gadol from his house and he moved to the official chambers of the Kohein Gadol.” [who were described as] “turbulent as water”³³See Genesis 49:4.

(48) For his sake, do not withhold water.

(50) Remember the twelve tribes, whom You brought through the divided waters;³⁴See Psalms 136:13, 14, “He Who parted the Sea of Reeds into parts—.” “He Who brought Israel through it—.”

(51) for whom You sweetened the bitterness of water.³⁵See Exodus 15:25, “And he (Moses) cast the tree into the waters and the waters became sweet.”

(52) Their descendants, their blood was spilled for Your sake like water.³⁶See Psalms 79:3. The Jew has always been prepared to sacrifice his life to sanctify God’s Name.

(53) Turn [to us], for our soul is engulfed [with woes] like water.

(54) In [the merit of] their righteousness grant us abundant water.

(56) (Prayer leader:) For You Lord, our God, are Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall

(57) For blessing and not for curse. Amen

(58) For life and not for death. Amen

(59) For plenty and not for scarcity. Amen

(60) Who sustains life, etc.

(10) And Moses instructed them as follows: Every seventh year,*Every seventh year See note at 15.1. the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths, (11) when all Israel comes to appear before your God יהוה in the place that [God] will choose, you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel. (12) Gather the people—men, women, children,*men, women, children Or “householders, wives, [other] dependents.” Cf. 2.34; 3.6. See the Dictionary under “householder” and ṭaph. and the strangers in your communities—that they may hear and so learn to revere your God יהוה and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching.