What do you do when it rains? In Israel the first few downpours bring children into the streets just like it did for the worms when we lived in America. Except these children are nothing like the worms. They frolic like eight-year-olds, although very often they are 13 or 17. In Israel you are never too old to bask in the glory of a torrential downpour.
On shabbat I walked up my street to the bar mitzvah of my son's classmate. Outside on the terrace was a feast. Fresh salads, kugels, meatballs, and scrumptious desserts adorned the table. Engaged in conversation, no one noticed the scattered droplets at first. But soon the women migrated to an area under a covered yet porous portion of the patio. When the rain began coming in buckets, again we migrated, this time to the building's interior. I must admit that I was one of the diehards. I stayed behind, soaking up the blessed drops until I resembled something akin to a drowned rat.
Why such excitement over the common phenomenon of rain? I cannot speak for others, but I probably speak for most. Rain is never to be taken for granted in Israel, where the Jews' nurturing of the land has made it miraculously fruitful despite the desert climate. Call it technological innovation, which Israelis are known for worldwide, but there is more to the story.
Each week on the holy shabbat, we read one section, or parsha, of the Torah. We begin with Parshat Breishit, which means "in the beginning," and we continue in order for one year. At the end of the cycle we celebrate the holiday of Simchat Torah which comes three weeks after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. During the holiday of Simchat Torah, on which we rejoice in the Torah, we read the last parsha and and then the first, beginning a whole new yearly cycle of reading each week from our beloved Torah. It is during this service that we recite Tefillat Geshem, the prayer for rain.
When the rain begins to fall, it is more than a meteorological occurrence. It is G-d's acknowledgement and acceptance of our prayers. He is once more showing His hand in our everyday lives and these droplets of rain are his sustenance, handed down to us with His love.
And the rainbow? Straight from Parshat Noach, it is a reminder of G-d's promise never to destroy the world again with this precious water, as we recall the story of Noah and the flood.
On the other hand, raincoats, umbrellas and a pot of hot soup never hurt anyone......
On shabbat I walked up my street to the bar mitzvah of my son's classmate. Outside on the terrace was a feast. Fresh salads, kugels, meatballs, and scrumptious desserts adorned the table. Engaged in conversation, no one noticed the scattered droplets at first. But soon the women migrated to an area under a covered yet porous portion of the patio. When the rain began coming in buckets, again we migrated, this time to the building's interior. I must admit that I was one of the diehards. I stayed behind, soaking up the blessed drops until I resembled something akin to a drowned rat.
Why such excitement over the common phenomenon of rain? I cannot speak for others, but I probably speak for most. Rain is never to be taken for granted in Israel, where the Jews' nurturing of the land has made it miraculously fruitful despite the desert climate. Call it technological innovation, which Israelis are known for worldwide, but there is more to the story.
Each week on the holy shabbat, we read one section, or parsha, of the Torah. We begin with Parshat Breishit, which means "in the beginning," and we continue in order for one year. At the end of the cycle we celebrate the holiday of Simchat Torah which comes three weeks after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. During the holiday of Simchat Torah, on which we rejoice in the Torah, we read the last parsha and and then the first, beginning a whole new yearly cycle of reading each week from our beloved Torah. It is during this service that we recite Tefillat Geshem, the prayer for rain.
When the rain begins to fall, it is more than a meteorological occurrence. It is G-d's acknowledgement and acceptance of our prayers. He is once more showing His hand in our everyday lives and these droplets of rain are his sustenance, handed down to us with His love.
And the rainbow? Straight from Parshat Noach, it is a reminder of G-d's promise never to destroy the world again with this precious water, as we recall the story of Noah and the flood.
On the other hand, raincoats, umbrellas and a pot of hot soup never hurt anyone......
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