Rain ABM

(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יקוק לְנֹ֔חַ בֹּֽא־אַתָּ֥ה וְכָל־בֵּיתְךָ֖ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה כִּֽי־אֹתְךָ֥ רָאִ֛יתִי צַדִּ֥יק לְפָנַ֖י בַּדּ֥וֹר הַזֶּֽה׃ (ד) כִּי֩ לְיָמִ֨ים ע֜וֹד שִׁבְעָ֗ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ מַמְטִ֣יר עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה וּמָחִ֗יתִי אֶֽת־כָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃

Genesis 7

(1) Then G!d said to Noah, “Go into the ark, with all your household, for you alone have I found righteous before Me in this generation...(4) For in seven days’ time I will make it rain upon the earth, forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out from the earth all existence that I created.”

ישעיהו נ״ה:י׳

כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵרֵד֩ הַגֶּ֨שֶׁם וְהַשֶּׁ֜לֶג מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְשָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א יָשׁ֔וּב כִּ֚י אִם־הִרְוָ֣ה אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהוֹלִידָ֖הּ וְהִצְמִיחָ֑הּ וְנָ֤תַן זֶ֙רַע֙ לַזֹּרֵ֔עַ וְלֶ֖חֶם לָאֹכֵֽל׃

Isaiah 55:10

For as the rain or snow drops from heaven
And returns not there,
But soaks the earth
And makes it bring forth vegetation,
Yielding seed for sowing and bread for eating,^-d

בראשית ב׳:ה׳

וְכֹ֣ל ׀ שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ וְכׇל־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח כִּי֩ לֹ֨א הִמְטִ֜יר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאָדָ֣ם אַ֔יִן לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃

Genesis 2:5

when no shrub of the field was yet on earth and no grasses of the field had yet sprouted, because the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil,

איוב ל״ז:ג׳-ו׳

(ג) תַּֽחַת־כׇּל־הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם יִשְׁרֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אוֹר֗וֹ עַל־כַּנְפ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ד) אַחֲרָ֤יו ׀ יִשְׁאַג־ק֗וֹל יַ֭רְעֵם בְּק֣וֹל גְּאוֹנ֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יְ֝עַקְּבֵ֗ם כִּֽי־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע קוֹלֽוֹ׃ (ה) יַרְעֵ֤ם אֵ֣ל בְּ֭קוֹלוֹ נִפְלָא֑וֹת עֹשֶׂ֥ה גְ֝דֹל֗וֹת וְלֹ֣א נֵדָֽע׃ (ו) כִּ֤י לַשֶּׁ֨לֶג ׀ יֹאמַ֗ר הֱוֵ֫א־אָ֥רֶץ וְגֶ֥שֶׁם מָטָ֑ר וְ֝גֶ֗שֶׁם מִטְר֥וֹת עֻזּֽוֹ׃

Job 37:3-6

(3) He lets it loose beneath the entire heavens—
His lightning, to the ends of the earth. (4) After it, He lets out a roar;
He thunders in His majestic voice.
No one can find a trace of it by the time His voice is heard. (5) God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He works wonders that we cannot understand. (6) He commands the snow, “Fall to the ground!”
And the downpour of rain, His mighty downpour of rain,

בראשית רבה י״ג:א׳

וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ (בראשית ב, ה), הָכָא אַתְּ אָמַר וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, וּלְהַלָּן אַתְּ אָמַר (בראשית ב, ט): וַיַּצְמַח ה' אֱלֹהִים מִן הָאֲדָמָה, אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא לְהַלָּן לְגַן עֵדֶן, וְכָאן לְיִשּׁוּבוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּיא אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ לֹא צָמְחוּ עַד שֶׁיָּרְדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם גְּשָׁמִים.

Bereshit Rabbah 13:1

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai Said: Three things are of equal importance, and these are them: earth, humankind, and rain. Rabbi Levi Bar Hiyya said: And these three are from three letters, to teach you that if there's no earth there's no rain, and if there's no rain there's no earth, and without either of them there's no humankind.

ויקרא כ״ו:ד׳

וְנָתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֥ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִתֵּ֥ן פִּרְיֽוֹ׃

Leviticus 26:4

I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.

חזקוני, ויקרא כ״ו:ד׳:א׳

גשמיכם בעתם אבל בשלא בעתם הם מרקיבים את התבואה.

Chizkuni, Leviticus 26:4:1

גשמיכם בעתם, “your rains at their appointed times.” If these rains would descend at the wrong time they would make your crops rot instead of ripen.

תענית כ״ב ב:י״ט

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״וְנָתַתִּי גִּשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם״, לֹא שִׁכּוֹרָה, וְלֹא צְמֵאָה, אֶלָּא בֵּינוֹנִית. שֶׁכׇּל זְמַן שֶׁהַגְּשָׁמִים מְרוּבִּין — מְטַשְׁטְשִׁין אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְאֵינָהּ מוֹצִיאָהּ פֵּירוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר:

Taanit 22b:19

The Sages taught: “Then I will give your rains in their season” (Leviticus 26:4). This means that the earth will be neither drunk nor thirsty; rather, a moderate amount of rain will fall. For as long as the rains are abundant, they muddy the soil of the land, and it does not give out its produce. Alternatively,

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ה׳:ד׳

אמר רבי יהודה: פעם אחת בכל חדש וחדש סלונות עולין מן התהומות ומשקין את כל פני האדמה, שנאמר (בראשית ב, ו): "וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כָּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה". העבים משמיעין את קול צנורותיהן לימים, והימים משמיעין את קול צנורותיהן לתהומות, ותהום קורא אל תהום להעלות מים וליתן לעבים, שנאמר (תהלים מב, ח): "תְּהוֹם אֶל תְּהוֹם קוֹרֵא לְקוֹל צִנּוֹרֶיךָ".

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 5:4

Rabbi Jehudah || said: Once every month ducts rise from the depths to irrigate the face of all the earth, as it is said, "And there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground" (Gen. 2:6). The clouds cause the seas to hear the sound of their waterspouts, and the seas cause the depths to hear the sound of their waterspouts, and the deep calls to the deep to bring up waters to give them to the clouds, as it is said, "Deep calleth unto deep at the sound of thy waterspouts" (Ps. 42:7).

תענית ט׳ ב:י׳

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ מִמֵּימֵי אוֹקְיָינוֹס הוּא שׁוֹתֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כׇּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה״. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: וַהֲלֹא מֵימֵי אוֹקְיָינוֹס מְלוּחִין הֵן! אָמַר לוֹ: מִתְמַתְּקִין בֶּעָבִים.

Taanit 9b:10

§ The Gemara discusses the source of rain. It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: The entire world drinks from the waters of the ocean [okeyanos], i.e., evaporated ocean water is the source of rain. As it is stated: “And there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:6). Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But the waters of the ocean are salty, whereas rainwater is sweet. Rabbi Eliezer said to Rabbi Yehoshua: The waters are sweetened in the clouds, before they fall to the earth.

ישעיהו י״ב:ג׳

וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם־מַ֖יִם בְּשָׂשׂ֑וֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵ֖י הַיְשׁוּעָֽה׃

Isaiah 12:3

Joyfully shall you draw water
From the fountains of triumph,

בראשית רבה י״ג:ט׳

(ט) ... רַבִּי חָנָן דְּצִפּוֹרִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר, מִפְּנֵי אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים חָזַר בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁלֹא תְּהֵא הָאָרֶץ שׁוֹתָה אֶלָּא מִלְּמַעְלָן, מִפְּנֵי בַּעֲלֵי זְרוֹעַ, וּבִשְׁבִיל לְהָדִיחַ טְלָלִים הָרָעִים, וְשֶׁיְהֵא הַגָּבוֹהַּ שׁוֹתֶה כַּנָּמוּךְ, וְעוֹד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַכֹּל תּוֹלִין עֵינֵיהֶם כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב ה, יא): לָשׂוּם שְׁפָלִים לְמָרוֹם.

Bereshit Rabbah 13:9

Rabbi Hanan of Zipori said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman: For four reasons did the Holy Blessed One revise things so that the land [of Israel] would only drink from above. 1) Because of violent people, 2) to wash away the harmful dew, 3) so that high elevations can drink like low ones, and 4) so that all would hang their eyes towards heaven, as is written, "to direct the lowly towards the exalted." (Job 5:11)

תענית ו׳ א-ו׳ ב

ת"ר יורה שמורה את הבריות להטיח גגותיהן ולהכניס את פירותיהן ולעשות כל צרכיהן דבר אחר שמרוה את הארץ ומשקה עד תהום שנאמר (תהלים סה, יא) תלמיה רוה נחת גדודיה ברביבים תמוגגנה צמחה תברך... מלקוש אלא שמפיל את הבתים ומשבר את האילנות ומעלה את הסקאין... דבי ר' ישמעאל תנא דבר שממלא תבואה בקשיה במתניתא תנא דבר שיורד על המלילות ועל הקשין

Taanit 6a-6b

The Sages taught in a baraita: The first rain [yoreh] is called by this name due to the fact that it instructs [moreh] people to plaster their roofs and to bring in their produce from the fields to their houses and to attend to all their needs in the field before more rain falls. Alternatively, yoreh is referring to the fact that it moistens [marve] the earth and waters it to the depths, as it is stated: “Watering [ravvei] its ridges abundantly, settling down its furrows, You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth” (Psalms 65:11). Alternatively, yoreh means that it falls gently and it does not fall vehemently... Malkosh means that the rain falls so hard [kashe] and vehemently that it knocks down the houses, shatters the treesm causes the fruit to drop from the trees, washes the seeds away, and washes the trees away in a destructive manner... The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The last rain is called malkosh because it is a matter that fills out [memalle] produce in its stalks [bekasheha]. Although the stalks already exist from earlier in the year, it is this rain that causes the grain within to swell and fill them...

Rabbi Abbahu said: What is the meaning of the term for rainfall, revia? It is referring to a matter that penetrates [rove’a], i.e., which causes the earth to bear fruit...

And Rabbi Abbahu further said: For rainfall to be considered the first rainfall it must be sufficient to enter the ground and saturate it to a depth of one handbreadth. The second rainfall must be sufficient that the soil is moistened enough to seal the opening of a barrel with its mud.

What blessing does one recite over rain? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: We thank you, O Lord our God, for each and every drop that You have made fall for us. And Rabbi Yoḥanan concludes the blessing as follows: If our mouth were as full of song as the sea, and our tongue with singing like the multitude of its waves, etc. And one continues with the formula of the nishmat prayer recited on Shabbat morning, until: May Your mercy not forsake us, O Lord our God, and You have not forsaken us. Blessed are You, O Lord, to Whom abundant thanksgivings are offered.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, The Nineteen Letters
Thus water, after having penetrated the soil, is collected in the clouds and seas; light, after having permeated the earth and brought forth the plants -these children of light- is yet concentrated in the sun, the moon and the stars; the seed, after germination in the ground, is taken from the earth to become the ripened fruit, so that the earth will have to receive in order to give again. Thus one immense bond of love, of giving and receiving, unites all beings. None exists by itself or for itself; there is a constant striving of each creature with, through and for the others, on the behalf of the whole, and on the whole on behalf of every creature. Everything receives strength and resources not for itself as such but merely in order to give, to give and thereby attain fulfillment of the purpose of its existence. "Y-H-V-H (the tetragrammaton) stands for love," say our Sages; "love sustained and sustaining, characterizes the creation of the Earth." Everything in it whispers to you: "Love."

דברים י״א:י״א

וְהָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ אֶ֥רֶץ הָרִ֖ים וּבְקָעֹ֑ת לִמְטַ֥ר הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם תִּשְׁתֶּה־מָּֽיִם׃

Deuteronomy 11:11

but the land you are about to cross into and possess, a land of hills and valleys, soaks up its water from the rains of heaven.

אבן עזרא על דברים י״א:י״ד:א׳

יורה. גשם שיורה על שנה טובה והוא בתחלת השנה:

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 11:14:1

THE FORMER RAIN. The word yoreh (former rain) refers to rain which indicates a good year. It comes at the beginning of the year.

רבנו בחיי, דברים י״א:י״ז:ד׳

ויש לך להתעורר בשם מטר שהוא מיוחס לשמים ברוב המקומות שבתורה, כי יש הפרש גדול בין המלות ויש בחלוקי הלשונות ידיעה מופלאה וחכמה מפוארה, ותן אל לבך מהו, (איוב ל״ז:ו׳) וגשם מטר, כי לשלג שתחת כסא הכבוד אמר שיחזור ארץ, ולגשם שהוא הגוף שיחזור מטר, וכבר אמרו רז"ל הפך בשרו ללפידי אש, וזהו (תהילים קל״ה:ז׳) ברקים למטר עשה, כי לפי פשוטו של כתוב יתחייב שיהיו ברקים נראין עם המטר לעולם, ואינו כן.

Rabbeinu Bahya, Devarim 11:17:4

If you will peruse the Torah you will find that the word מטר, is associated with שמים, “heaven,” in most instances when it occurs. There is a considerable difference in the meanings of גשם and מטר respectively. The distinctions between different meanings as reflected by different words in a language reflect a deep-rooted wisdom. Consider for a moment the combination of the words וגשם מטר in Job 37,6. Elihu had previously said that the snow which originates beneath the throne of G’d’s glory returns to earth whereas the rain which is of physical origin turns into מטר, a most remarkable and inexplicable phenomenon. Our sages have already stated G’d turns flesh into streaks of lightning. This is the meaning of Psalms 135,7 “He turns flashes of lightning into rain.” If we were to accept the verse at face value the meaning is that rain should always be accompanied by lightning, something which contradicts our experience. We may therefore conclude that the מטר mentioned there is not a phenomenon visible on earth. Clearly, the only thing we can be sure about is that the terms גשם and מטר cannot always be used interchangeably.