(א) מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים. רבי אליעזר אומר, מיום טוב הראשון של חג. רבי יהושע אומר, מיום טוב האחרון של חג. אמר לו רבי יהושע. הואיל ואין הגשמים אלא סימן קללה בחג, למה מזכיר. אמר לו רבי אליעזר, אף אני לא אמרתי לשאול, אלא להזכיר משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם בעונתו. אמר לו, אם כן, לעולם יהא מזכיר:
(1) From when do we begin to mention the power of [bringing] rain [in the Shemoneh Esrai], Rabbi Eliezer says, from the first day of the festival [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehoshua says, from the last day of the festival [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him [Rabbi Eliezer], since rain on the festival is nothing but a sign of a curse why should he mention it? Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I also did not say to request [rain] but to make mention, He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall in its due season. He replied to him: if so one should at all times make mention of it.
מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים- From when do we mention G-d's power through rain?
הואיל ואין הגשמים אלא סימן קללה בחג- since rain is nothing but an unfavorable sign on a festival
Summary of the mishna:
- The two rabbis disagreed
- One said from the first day, other said from the last day
- They were arguing about when they should talk/pray about G-d's power of rain
- It should be mentioned, not prayed for with specific words
- G-d has power to control rain
(ד) הִגִּיעַ שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן וְלֹא יָרְדוּ גְשָׁמִים, הִתְחִילוּ הַיְחִידִים מִתְעַנִּין שָׁלשׁ תַּעֲנִיּוֹת. אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין מִשֶּׁחֲשֵׁכָה, וּמֻתָּרִין בִּמְלָאכָה וּבִרְחִיצָה וּבְסִיכָה וּבִנְעִילַת הַסַּנְדָּל וּבְתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה:
(4) If the seventeenth of Mar-Cheshvan has come without the rain having yet descended, private individuals commence to keep three fast-days. On the night beforehand, they are allowed to eat and drink, and it is allowed [on the fast day itself] to work, to bathe, to anoint the body, to wear [leather] shoes, and to perform the marriage duty.
1. What do we do if rain has not fallen by the seventeenth of Mar-Cheshvan?
We fast for 3 days
2. What are we allowed to do, and what aren't we allowed to do?
We can eat and drink, but only at night, we can bathe, wear leather, anoint the body, to perform marriage duties, and to work.
3. What holiday(s) is this similar to? Why?
Ramadan because you can't eat and drink in the day but you can in the night.
If we only ask for rain at certain times of the year, why do you think we mention it twice every day as part of the Shema?