So Said Rabbi Shimon son of Yochai: “Three things resemble each other as follows: Land, human and rain.” Rabbi Levi said: “And all three of them are comprised of three Hebrew letters, to teach you that if there is no land there is no rain and if there is no rain there is no land, and if both of them are missing—there is no human.” —Bereishit Rabbah
On Monday at our upcoming Shemini Atzeret service, we will shift our Amidah prayers from praying for dew (which we do in the spring and summer months) to a special fall and winter request for rain, adding the words morid hagashem to the G’vurot. The special geshem prayer for rain recited at the end of Sukkot is one that is certainly as poignant—if not more so—for us here in Southern California as it was for our ancestors who dwelled in the Holy Land in the ancient days of Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Levi. Without enough rain, we know full well that it is impossible for our lands or for our society to thrive.
This past summer, water restrictions were placed on many California counties, including our own. While I am sorry to see our yard plants and grass thrive a bit less, I also feel empowered knowing that by saving water I am doing my own small part to ensure the safety and preservation of our corner of the world. May we each take extra time and care to notice when and where we can meaningfully limit water usage, and may our prayers for rain reverberate and be heard through every corner of our world. May the words of our tradition remind us to always protect this natural resource on which all sacred life depends.
Blessed are You, God, who causes the wind to flow and rain to fall. May it always fall as a blessing and never as a curse. May it be for life and not for death, for great abundance forever. Amen.
—Cantor Emma Lutz