Geshem!

 בס"ד

For the first time since I've been here (as far as I know), it's rained multiple times in one day.  It was raining a little bit as I left Talmud.  But then it rained at what would seem like an inconvenient time later tonight.  Since the yeshiva ends at 3 p.m. on Thursday, we do not daven ma'ariv as a tzibbur, so I generally daven alone.  When I daven alone, I often like to daven at the top of the ampitheater outside Beit Nativ, at the railing facing the Old Beit Midrash of the Yeshiva. As I was davening the Amidah, I felt a few drops.  Slowly, the rain increased as I continued and it was raining fairly hard.  The thing about the Amidah, though, is that it is forbidden for one to move at all, even if a snake is crawling up his leg or a king greets him according to the Mishnah.  So one who holds an animosity towards rain definitely cannot move.

But I was all the more so happy to be davening in the rain tonight.  People often talk about how neat sunrises, scenic views such as cliffs overlooking valleys, and nature inspire their praying – all of those are creations and powers of God.  Likewise, we recognize at the beginning of the Amidah, when we say "mashiv ha-ruach u-morid ha-gashem," that God has great power in allowing it to rain.  It was also shortly before I said the prayer "v'tein tal u-matar livracha," asking God to let it rain for the good, that it began to rain.  When it rained tonight, I was praying in the midst of God's great power.  Rain in Israel is a huge blessing, and I hope that the prayers of all of Israel will be a source of blessing just like the rain God provides for us.