|
Rain:
May It Be a Blessing
by Menucha Chwat
Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya
The month of Cheshvan is associated with rain. In
Eretz Yisrael, on the 7th of Cheshvan we begin adding
the words "Veten tal umatar levracha" - "Give dew
and rain for a blessing" - to the weekday Amidah.
We not only ask for dew and rain, but we add the
word "levracha" - "for a blessing." When we said
the Prayer for Rain, "Geshem," on Shemini Atzeret
we also requested that the rain be "levracha v'lo
leklala" - "for a blessing and not for a curse."
Water has potential to be a life giving blessing,
but it can also be an agent of destruction. The
Midrash (Bereshit Rabba 5,1) tells us that when
Hashem on the third day of creation said, "Yikavu
hamayim" - "Let the waters...be gathered" - He said
"Yikavu Li" - "May the waters be gathered for Me"
- for what I intend to do with them. Whether for
blessing or curse, water fulfills Hashem's mission.
It is up to man to determine which.
The Midrash continues with a parable.
A king built a palace and inhabited it with mutes.
The mutes would greet the king with finger motions
and by tipping their hats. The king said "If the
palace were inhabited by those who speak, how much
more would they honor me." He filled the palace
with those who speak. They stood and said, "This
palace does not belong to the king - it belongs
to us." Said the king, "I will return the palace
to whom it originally belonged."
The same was true of our world. Originally the world
was only water, and the water praised Hashem (Tehillim
93). Hashem said, "If water which has no mouth can
praise, when I create Man, how much more so will
he praise." But when the Dor Hamabul - the Generation
of the Flood - rebelled, Hashem said, "Now the waters
which praise me will take their original place upon
the earth."
We are faced with a challenge. Will we add our verbal
praises to the wordless songs of the water, or will
we fill Hashem's palace with scorn and treason?
When man chose the latter, Hashem reverted to his
mute drops of water, but they ended up being waters
of destruction for man. But when man's mouth is
filled with praises, he sings to Hashem along with
the waters of blessing.
Both teshuva and Torah are likened to water. Teshuva
(Midrash Tehillim) - as it says "You will fling
all their sins into the depths of the sea". Torah
(Midrash Tanchuma) - just as we are not embarassed
to ask for someone to pour us a cup of water, we
should also not be embarassed to ask someone to
teach us Torah. Our waters of Torah and Teshuva,
along with our tefilla and praises, can bring down
waters of blessing.
May this year be a year of Gishmei Bracha - rain
which is a blessing. |
Back to:
Holidays Index
Shiurim Main Index
|
