5$,1 21 0( Aleinu cover_mer… · dampness until they finally dried. To top it off, to my eyes grey skies were flat-out depressing. I looked at rainy days as “less than days”

שמונהעשרה ברך עלינו את השנה הזאת

BLESS THIS YEAR FOR USWHY DOES IT ALWAYSRAIN ON ME?

Shemoneh Esrei Series Page 1

W H Y D O E S I T A L W A Y S R A I N O N M E ?

ותן טל \ ברכהותן טובהלואת כל מיני תבואתה תאהז השנהאת עלינו ברך עלינו ה' אלקינו ברך .לברכה טובותה כשנים שנתנו וברך מטובהושבענו על פני האדמה לברכהומטר

Bless on our behalf Hashem our God this year and all its kinds of crops for the best, and give (dew and rain for) a blessing on the face of the earth and satisfy us from your bounty. And

bless our year like the best of year. Blessed are you Hashem Who blesses years.

Look at the text of the bracha- what are the repeated words?

Appreciating Life’s “Rainy Days” JULY 27, 2013 BY J. MARIE NOVAK

t’s raining today. Not a belligerent, angry rain, but rather a soft, soaking rain accompanied muffled rumble of thunder every now and then. The wind is making its presence known in subtle, gentle ways as the tree limbs sway back and forth, each

dancing its own distinctive dance. The air is delicious and I relish each deep breath my lungs take in. Looking out my window, I get warm sensation of deep peace. It’s a perfect rain.

There’s a life lesson here, I’m sure of it.

Frankly, not that long ago I would not have appreciated a day like today. In fact I would have been utterly irritated by it.

I used to look at all rainy days with a certain degree of contempt. They were inconvenient. Traffic was worse. Just getting in and out of the car was a challenge. Even if there was an umbrella handy – which usually was not the case – I invariably got my clothes and shoes wet, which meant sitting in dampness until they finally dried. To top it off, to my eyes grey skies were flat-out depressing.

I looked at rainy days as “less than days” – days you endured but were less than what you expected from life. I wanted to see sunshine every day. Sure – I knew the impracticality of never-ending sunshine … I knew that rain was essential for life. Still, I preferred that it only rain when I was fast asleep, when it wouldn’t inconvenience me in any way.

Now substitute the word “rain” for the words “life challenges” and the life lesson presents itself.

I


Rain is essential for growth. Life challenges are essential for growth.

Rain is necessary … all life depends on it. Challenges are necessary, because without them one could never fully appreciate the beauty of life.

Rain doesn’t always arrive when it’s convenient, nor do life challenges.

Rain is nourishing … it is a giver of life. Successfully facing your challenges opens up incredible pathways to new life … it gives you opportunities you never would have experienced otherwise.

Sometimes rain comes gently and sometimes it does not. Isn’t that just like life?

Today is a perfect rainy day, though I realize not all rainy days are so perfect. Too much rain and the floods come. Too many challenges and you are incapable of handling them all by yourself. It is in these times that one must rely on faith and grace and the goodwill of others to help you survive and regain your footing on dry ground. More times than not all these grand gifts of life arrive on time.

Don’t resist your rainy days. Make peace with them. Appreciate the gifts they offer.

When you’re busy and focused on getting things done your way, on your schedule, it’s frustrating when situations arise that force a change of plans. You may not plan for rain in your life … you cannot always predict when it will arrive … but be assured, it will arrive and you have no control over how or when. What you have control over is how you respond when it arrives.

The “rain” in your life offers gifts. Slow down … step back … take a good, long look at what the rain is doing for you.

Appreciate the life-enriching gifts that the rainy day offers. Just as you are grateful for the sun, be grateful for the rain, as both are vital for your growth … both are givers of life.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RAIN?

DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH WHAT THE AUTHOR SAYS

ABOUT RAIN? DO YOU SEE RAIN AS A CHALLENGE?

WHY DO YOU THINK RAIN IS SUCH A CENTRAL FOCUS

OF WHAT WE ASK HASHEM TO BLESS US WITH?


EVERY YEAR AND EVERY DAY

Talmud Bavli: Beitza 16a א עמוד טז דף ביצה מסכת בבלי תלמוד The livelihood of a person is decided about between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

יום ועד השנה מראש לו קצובים אדם של מזונותיו כל הכפורים

We are taught that Hashem decides what our livelihood will be at the beginning of the year… Why then must we ask for parnasa and rainfall each day?

Talmud Bavli: Rosh Hashana 17b ב עמוד יז דף השנה ראש מסכת בבלי תלמוד The eyes of God are upon it (the land of Israel) sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. How sometimes for good? Suppose Israel were [in the class of] the thoroughly wicked at New Year and scanty rains were decreed for them, and afterwards they repented. To increase the supply of rain is impossible, because the decree has been issued. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore sends down the rain in the proper season on the land that requires it, all according to the district. How sometimes for evil? Suppose Israel were [in the class of] the thoroughly virtuous on New Year, and abundant rains were decreed for them, but afterwards they backslided. To diminish the rains is impossible, because the decree has been issued. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore sends them down not in their proper season and on land that does not require them’.

עתים. לרעה עתים לטובה עתים - בה אלהיך' ה ועיני בראש גמורין רשעים ישראל שהיו הרי? כיצד לטובה. בהן חזרו לסוף, מועטים גשמים להם ופסקו, השנה

אלא. גזרה נגזרה שכבר, אפשר אי - עליהן להוסיף, להן הצריכה הארץ על בזמנן מורידן הוא ברוך הקדוש

ישראל שהיו הרי? כיצד לרעה עתים. הארץ לפי הכל גשמים עליהן ופסקו, השנה בראש גמורין צדיקים שכבר, אפשר אי - מהן לפחות, בהן חזרו לסוף. מרובין בזמנן שלא מורידן הוא ברוך הקדוש אלא. גזרה נגזרה

ליקרעיה מיהא לטובה. להן צריכה שאינה הארץ על !להו ולוסיף דנייהו לגזר

RAIN IN ITS RIGHT TIME IS VERY IMPORTANT; WE

ARE ALLOTED THE AMOUND OF RAIN ON ROSH

HASHANA BUT WHEN IT WILL RAIN IS DECIDED

BASED ON HOW WE ACT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

ASKING HASHEM IS IMPORTANT

After eating from the Tree of Knowledge when God explicitly commanded them not to, He punishes Adam, Eve and the snake for their insubordination.

Bereishis Chapter 3 ג פרק בראשית פרשת בראשית 14) And Hashem said to the serpent “Because you did this – accursed are you beyond all the cattle and all the beasts of the

אמר( יד וק וי ארור זאת עשית כי אל־הנחש אלהים יקל מכל־הבהמה אתה נך השדה חית ומכ ועפר תלך על־גח

אכל :חייך כל־ימי ת


field, on your belly you will go and dust you will eat all the days of your life.” Bereishis Chapter 3 ג פרק בראשית פרשת בראשית 17) And to man, because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the fruit about which I commanded you saying not to eat from it, cursed is the ground because of you, through suffering you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 19) By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return.

ל כי־שמעת אמר ולאדם( יז אכל אשתך לקו מן־העץ ותר צויתיך אשר אכל לא לאמ האדמה ארורה ממנו ת

ן בעבורך אכלנה בעצבו ל ת :חייך ימי כאכל אפיך בזעת( טי כי אל־האדמה שובך עד לחם ת

:תשוב ואל־עפר אתה כי־עפר לקחת ממנה

LOOK AT THE PUNISHEMENTS OF THE

SNAKE AND OF MAN- WHICH ONE SEEMS

WORSE? WHO HAS TO WORK HARDER?

R. Menachem Mendel of Kotzk The Kotzker is bothered by this choice of punishment; after all, it resulted in the fact that the snake is never wanting for sustenance. While other creatures must struggle to find food, the snake never experiences that problem. This actually appears to be a great blessing; where is the punishment? He suggests that the very fact that the snake is never wanting is itself the punishment because there is, therefore, no need for it to be dependent on Hashem. And when there is no dependence there is also no relationship. And the absence of a relationship with God is the ultimate curse that any creature can receive.

HOW DOES THIS EXPLAIN WHY WE DAVEN FOR BLESSING,

RAIN AND LIVELIHOOD EACH DAY?

GOODNESS AND RAIN

Talmud Bavli: Taanis 2a א עמוד ב דף תענית מסכת בבלי תלמוד Rabbi Yochanan said: There are 3 keys in the hand of God that are not delivered through the hand of an emissary they are: The key of rain, the key of childbirth and the key of revival of the dead. The key of rain: As it is written: Hashem will open to you His good treasure, the heaven and give rain to your land in its season.

ברוך הקדוש של בידו מפתחות שלשה: יוחנן רבי אמר של מפתח: הן ואלו, שליח ביד נמסרו שלא הוא

. המתים תחיית של ומפתח, חיה של מפתח, גשמים אוצרו את לך' ה זיפתח דכתיב - גשמים של מפתח .בעתו ארצך מטר לתת השמים את הטוב


WHAT DO THESE “KEYS” HAVE IN COMMON?

WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT RAIN THAT HASHEM

GIVES IT HIMSELF?

HOW DOES THIS IDEA CONNECT TO THE ARTICLE WE

READ EARLIER?

Adapted from Shemoneh Esrei- Artscroll Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer Interestingly, the ninth letter in the Hebrew alphabet is ט and the first ט that appears in the Torah is in the word ובט good. This demonstrates that the letter טand the number 9 represent goodness. During the six days of creation, God e valuated each day’s accomplishment and pronounced judgement on it: וירא אלקים כי טוב God saw that it was good (Bereishis1:12). Therefore in this ninth blessing we ask God to bestow upon us the goodness which He invested in creation.

SATISFIED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

Koheles Chapter 5 קהלת ה:ט 9) A lover of money will never be satisfied with money, a lover of abundance has not wheat. This too is futility! 10) As goods increase so do those who consume them; what advantage has the owner except what his eyes see?

הב( ט הב כסף לא־ישבע כסף א ן ומי־א תבואה לא בהמו :הבל גם־זה

ת( י בה ברבו כליה רבו הטו ן או כי לבעליה ומה־כשרו :עיניו ראות אם־ראית

Pirkei Avos: Chapter 4 אבות ד:אפרקי Mishna 1: Ben Zoma said: … Who is rich, he who is happy with what he has.

א משנה בחלקו השמח עשיר איזהו… אומר זומא בן

WHY DO WE ASK HASHEM TO HELP US BE

SATISFIED WITH THE GOOD HE BESTOWS ON

US?

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE ARE SATISFIED?

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

We ask Hashem to bless us repeatedly in this bracha and we need to learn how to feel and accept His blessings.

We ask Hashem to provide us with rain at GOOD times and that He provides us with a livelihood. We approach Him each day so that what he designated for us on Rosh Hashana comes to us at a blessed time when we can accept it with satisfaction.

Documents

5$,1 21 0( Aleinu cover_mer… · dampness until they finally dried. To top it off, to my eyes grey skies were flat-out depressing. I looked at rainy days as “less than days”