Rainy days are annoying, right? Who wants to get soaked when going outside or risk driving a car in the lowered visibility of a rainstorm?
Many people view rain as a negative phenomenon, but for our sages, it wasn’t enough to merely appreciate rain. They taught us to actively pray for it. Starting on Thursday evening, the 7th of Cheshvan, Jews in Israel will begin saying, “Grant dew and rain as a blessing” (ותן טל ומטר לברכה) in their daily prayers (Jews in the Diaspora begin saying it on December 4).
Acknowledging and expressing gratitude is a crucial practice for increasing simcha (happiness). Anyone who wishes to learn how to express gratitude for rain should try to be in Israel for the first rain of the season. Blu Greenberg described the experience well in her book, How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household. She was in an Israeli classroom in the 1970s when…
I was sitting at the back of the room reading my book when suddenly something caught my attention and riveted me for a moment: a few patter drops of rain against the window, and in an instant all the children spontaneously clapped their hands. It was as if they were applauding the heavens, applauding the wondrous ways of G-d and of nature, feeling joy at the first rain of the season.
Rain can teach us about gratitude, but it can teach us much more. In the wonderful book, A Guide to Jewish Prayer, Rabbi Isaiah Wohlgemuth (may the memory of the righteous be a blessing) described how rain increases our emuna (faith).
In order to have income and livelihood in the Land of Israel, rain is crucial. It is more important there than in most other countries. Egypt, for example, depends on the Nile River to irrigate the land, but Israel depends entirely on the rains that come from the heavens. The Rabbis in the Gemara say that G-d has reserved for Himself certain keys, and one of these keys is rain. The prosperity of the land depends on sufficient rain, which is itself dependent on G-d and our personal relationship to Him.
Faith is an important component to a Jew’s happiness. Rather than believe that things are happening randomly, we know we have a Father in Heaven who we can request things from and trust.
Another thing we can learn from the prayer for rain is consideration for our fellow human beings. In his book, Rabbi Wohlgemuth explains that although we begin saying, “Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall” (משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם) during Shemini Atzeret, we wait a few weeks in Israel before actually requesting rain during our prayers. Why wait? Why don’t we begin saying both phrases on Shemini Atzeret?
In ancient times, Jews would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem during Sukkot and stay through Shemini Atzeret. The Jews waited 15 days after that to start praying for rain, so that those who lived the furthest away would still have time to safely return home from Jerusalem without getting soaked or having their travel impeded by rain. What beautiful kindness! And kindness makes both the recipient and its giver happier.
Next time you are tempted to complain about the falling rain, instead think about how much rain can increase your simcha. Gratitude, faith and consideration for other people are all important elements in becoming a happier person!