רש"י, בראשית ב:ה
כי לא המטיר - ומה טעם לא המטיר, לפי שאדם אין לעבוד את האדמה ואין מכיר בטובתם של
גשמים, וכשבא אדם וידע שהם צורך לעולם התפלל עליהם וירדו, וצמחו האילנות והדשאים:
Because it didn’t rain- what is the reason it did not rain? Because “there is no
man to work the soil” and there is no one to realize the benefit of the rains.
Therefore when Adam came and recognized that rain was needed for the world
he prayed for it, and it rained, and trees and plants began to grow. [translation by
Gideon Aronovich]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
What does this source teach about the relationship between people, land and the rain?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)