Pt1 From Desperation to Downpour: Talmudic Stories of Rainmaking (Taanit 24a-b)
Stories of R’ Yehuda Nesia; Oshaya; R' Yehuda HaNasi and Ilfa; and Rav
This is the first part of a three-part series, on a sugya of eleven talmudic stories of rainmaking. The outline is in the next section.
Rainmaking - Wikipedia > “Rain dances and prayers”:
In many societies around the world, rain dances and other rituals have been used to stimulate rainfall.
Outline
Pt1
R’ Yehuda Nesia's Lament, and The Power of Distress in Bringing Rain
Rebuke of the Nasi: Oshaya’s Parable and the Power of Leadership
Ilfa's Mitzvah and the Miraculous Answer to His Prayers for Rain
A Righteous Teacher's Deeds Bring Rain: A Tale of Compassionate Education
Pt2
Rav Naḥman's Desperate Plea for Rain: A Leader's Anguish and Miraculous Outcome
Rabba's Reflection on Generational Spiritual Efficacy: Torah Knowledge vs. Divine Favor
Rav Yehuda's Anger, the Famine, and Elijah's Intervention
Rava's Fasting and the Prophetic Dream that Brought Rain in Hagrunya
Pt3
Rava's Rain Prayer: A Test of Divine Intervention and a Warning from Beyond
Pt1
Pt2
Rav Pappa's Embarrassment Brings Rain: A Tale of Sarcasm and Divine Response
R' Ḥanina ben Dosa prays for rain to stop and start
The Passage
R’ Yehuda Nesia's Lament, and The Power of Distress in Bringing Rain
The Talmud discusses fasting for rain, recounting how R' Yehuda Nesia decreed a fast and prayed for rain, but it did not come. He lamented the difference between himself and the prophet Samuel, who could bring rain even in summer, expressing sorrow for the generation “stuck" (נתקע) under his leadership. His distress led to rain finally coming.
רבי יהודה נשיאה גזר תעניתא,
בעא רחמי,
ולא אתא מיטרא.
אמר:
כמה איכא משמואל הרמתי ליהודה בן גמליאל!
אוי לו לדור שכן נתקע, אוי לו למי שעלתה בימיו כך!
חלש דעתיה, ואתא מיטרא.
[...]
R' Yehuda Nesia decreed a fast
and prayed for mercy,
but rain did not come.
He said, lamenting:
How great is the difference between the prophet Samuel of Rama, for whom rain fell even when he prayed for it in summer, and myself, Yehuda ben Gamliel.
Woe to the generation that is stuck with this leadership;
woe to him in whose days this has occurred.
He grew upset, and rain came.
[...]
Rebuke of the Nasi: Oshaya’s Parable and the Power of Leadership
In this passage, the Talmud recounts a situation where a fast was declared by the Nasi’s household, but no rain came. Oshaya, the youngest Sage (אושעיא זעירא דמן חברייא), taught that leaders are like the eyes of the community, based on a verse from Numbers.
He used a parable about a bride to illustrate that if a leader is flawed, it reflects the unworthiness of the entire generation. Oshaya implied that the lack of rain was due to the sins of the Nasi's household.
In response, the Nasi's servants tormented Oshaya by placing a scarf around his neck. The townspeople defended him, recognizing that his harsh words were motivated by a sincere desire to correct them.
דבי נשיאה גזר תעניתא
ולא אתא מיטרא.
תנא להו אושעיא זעירא דמן חברייא:
״והיה, אם מעיני העדה נעשתה לשגגה״.
משל לכלה שהיא בבית אביה.
כל זמן שעיניה יפות — אין כל גופה צריכה בדיקה.
עיניה טרוטות — כל גופה צריכה בדיקה.
אתו עבדיה, ורמו ליה סודרא בצואריה, וקא מצערו ליה.
אמרו להו בני מאתיה: שבקיה, דהא נמי מצער לן.
כיון דחזינן דכל מיליה לשום שמים, לא אמרינן ליה מידי ושבקינן ליה, אתון נמי שבקוה.
The Gemara further states that on another occasion, a fast was declared in the house of the Nasi,
but rain did not come.
Oshaya, the youngest member of the group of Sages, taught them a baraita.
It is written: “Then it shall be, if it shall be committed in error by the congregation, it being hidden from their eyes” (Numbers 15:24). This verse indicates that the leaders are considered the eyes of the congregation.
Oshaya continued: There is a parable that illustrates this, involving a bride who is in her father’s home and has not yet been seen by her bridegroom.
As long as her eyes are beautiful, her body need not be examined, as certainly she is beautiful.
However, if her eyes are bleary [terutot], her entire body requires examination. So too, if the leaders of the generation are flawed, it is a sign that the entire generation is unworthy. By means of this parable, Oshaya was hinting that rain was withheld from the entire nation due to the evil committed by the household of the Nasi.
The servants of the Nasi came and placed a scarf around his neck and tormented him as punishment for insulting the house of the Nasi.
His townsmen said to them: Let him be, as he also causes us pain with his harsh reproof, but since we see that all his actions are for the sake of Heaven we do not say anything to him and let him be. You too should let him be.
Ilfa's Mitzvah and the Miraculous Answer to His Prayers for Rain
The Talmud recounts an event where R' Yehuda HaNasi declared a fast due to lack of rain. Ilfa (אילפא) led the prayer and as he recited the blessings for wind and rain (משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם), both the wind and rain came immediately. (For a similar story told about R’ Hiya, see my previous piece.)
R' Yehuda HaNasi asked him what good deeds made his prayers so effective. Ilfa responded that he lives in a poor town (קוסטא דחיקא) without wine for kiddush or havdala, so he makes the effort to bring wine to the residents, enabling them to fulfill these mitzvot. As a reward for this act, his prayers for rain were answered.
רבי גזר תעניתא
ולא אתא מיטרא.
נחית קמיה אילפא (ואמרי לה רבי אילפי),
אמר ״משיב הרוח״ ונשב זיקא,
״מוריד הגשם״ ואתא מיטרא.
אמר ליה: מאי עובדך?
אמר ליה:
דיירנא בקוסטא דחיקא,
דלית ביה חמרא לקידושא ואבדלתא.
טרחנא (ואתינא) [ומייתינא] חמרא לקידושא ואבדלתא,
ומפיקנא להו ידי חובתייהו.
The Gemara relates: R' Yehuda HaNasi declared a fast
but rain did not come.
Ilfa descended to lead the service before him, and some say it was R' Ilfi.
He recited: He Who makes the wind blow, and the wind indeed blew.
He continued to recite: And Who makes the rain come, and subsequently, the rain came.
R' Yehuda HaNasi said to him: What are your good deeds, in the merit of which your prayers are answered so speedily?
He said to him:
I live in an impoverished city,
in which there is no wine for kiddush or havdala.
I go to the effort of bringing the residents wine for kiddush and havdala,
and I thereby enable them to fulfill their duty. In reward for this mitzva, my prayers for rain were answered.
A Righteous Teacher's Deeds Bring Rain: A Tale of Compassionate Education
The Talmud tells of Rav visiting a place where he decreed a fast for rain, but no rain came. A prayer leader then led the service, and as he prayed for wind and rain, both came.1
Rav asked the man about his good deeds. The man replied that he teaches (מקרי - literally: “makes read", meaning, teaches the Bible to) both rich and poor children, not charging those who can't pay. He also uses fish from his pond as an incentive to motivate children who struggle with their studies, ensuring they continue learning.
רב איקלע לההוא אתרא,
גזר תעניתא
ולא אתא מיטרא.
נחית קמיה שליחא דצבורא,
אמר ״משיב הרוח״ ונשב זיקא,
אמר ״מוריד הגשם״ ואתא מיטרא.
אמר ליה: מאי עובדך?
אמר ליה:
מיקרי דרדקי אנא,
ומקרינא לבני עניי כבני עתירי.
וכל דלא אפשר ליה — לא שקלינא מיניה מידי.
ואית לי פירא דכוורי,
וכל מאן דפשע, משחידנא ליה מינייהו,
ומסדרינן ליה ומפייסינן ליה עד דאתי וקרי.
The Gemara relates a similar incident. Rav happened to come to a certain place
where he decreed a fast
but rain did not come.
The prayer leader descended to lead the service before him
and recited: He Who makes the wind blow, and the wind blew.
He continued and said: And Who makes the rain fall, and the rain came.
Rav said to him: What are your good deeds?
He said to him:
I am a teacher of children,
and I teach the Bible to the children of the poor as to the children of the rich,
and if there is anyone who cannot pay, I do not take anything from him.
And I have a fishpond,
and any child who neglects his studies, I bribe him with the fish
and calm him, and soothe him until he comes and reads.