Let it Rain! Let it Rain! Let it Snow!

בס''ד

Although, over Shabbat the rest of the county was blessed with abundance of rain, Mount Hermon Israel’s winter wonderland received an abundance of snow.This will make skiers very happy.

Tel Aviv recorded the most rain with 200mm. I don’t know the official amount for Ma’agalim, in the Negev, where we live, but I can attest to the fact that we had a lot of rain and at times very high winds and it is still raining.

Lake Kinneret Israel’s major water source received some help from the rain, but the water authority said it is still in terrible trouble. The shortage has been disastrous for the past seven years and Lake Kinneret now is almost 68 centimeters under the bottom red line.

The last time I saw a major snow storm was in 1999 when I went back to Toronto to visit my mother a”h who was in the hospital. I remember walking in snow knee-high with the wind blowing and the temperature with the wind chill was -50F. Those were the days……..

 

Living in the Negev, we will never have snow… that makes my husband very happy, but sometimes I really do miss a good blizzard. Whenever the temperature drops and they forecast snow for areas 1 kilometer high and more, some of my grandchildren, who live in Gush Etzion, can hardly wait. Their kibbutz is 900+ meters high.

 

A few years ago when the area was having a major snow storm, my children and grandchildren who live in the Negev, came to the Gush, to play in the snow. They took back a pail of snow, to bring to gan [kindergarten] the next day for ‘show and tell’. 

One day dreaming about winter and snow I wrote this poem.

Winter

The snow is falling,

the wind is gently blowing,

as I look out of my window

at the winter wonderland.

 

The trees are dressed

in their beautiful white clothes.

The children are playing and rolling in the snow.

I see someone built a snowman with a carrot nose

and charcoal for eyes and a mouth.

Cars are careful not to slip and slide.

The snow is still falling

the accumulation is starting to rise.

 

The weather report says 15 inches.

Tomorrow the sun will shine

and today’s beautiful snow

will start to melt.

 

A winter wonderland

has many beautiful sights.

BUT……………

For me

I’ll take the long lazy days of summer

with it’s cool, cool nights.

 

January 5, 2005. 

Until next time

Miriam   

בס''ד

Where, Oh Where is the Rain?




The weatherman is reporting another rainy day. Better to take with an umbrella if you plan to go out. This forecast could be given almost anywhere in North America or Europe

In Israel the story is different. Everyday I listen to the weather forecast and all I hear is above normal temperatures, no rain expected for several more days.

The Kinneret is Israel's largest freshwater reservoir and the nation’s primary source of drinking water. The standard of measure currently stands more than 3.3 meters lower than its favorable level. Soon we will not be able to pump anymore water from the Kinneret.

I read that in the Kinneret, every drop of water ten centimeters in height represents 17 million cubic meters of water, or roughly 3.5 times Israel's national consumption. Only 60% of our usual rainfall has been recorded. In the Negev, where I live , it is very dry. There is not a drop of water to waste anywhere in the country.

The winter months and rainy season in Israel is from after Succot [October] until Purim [March]. For the past couple of years, Israel has not received enough rain.

Our rabbis organize prayers for rain. Many people, men, women and children daven at the Kotel. We pray and pray for rain. Although some rain has fallen, it’s not nearly enough.

I find it hard to understand. Israel is the home of the Jewish people. The land that Hashem promised to Avraham Avinu, so why is He denying us rain?
In my opinion, could it be that we don’t deserve the rain because we are not prepared to protect our country and not give any land away? We allow other nations to convince us that for the good of mankind and peace in the area, we need to give away our precious land.

One of the lessons that we learn in the second paragraph of Shema Yisroel [Deuteronomy 11-13-21], is that Hashem tells us that if we keep His commandments, He will provide rain for our land in the proper time, the early rain and the late rain so that we can gather our grain, wine and oil. But if we go astray and follow other gods [the world] then the Heaven will be restrained and there will be no rain and the fields will be dry.

Our governments, past and present, have not been strong enough to say no to the world..this arrangement is not in Israel’s best interest. We want the world to love us. We want and need that pat on the back and the Noble Peace Prize.

Hopefully, Moshiach will come soon and save us from us.

I would like to end my thoughts with this poem that I wrote a year ago, pleading with Hashem to grant us rain.

The Rain

The wind is blowing
The sky is dark.
It looks like rain.

Anxiously, we wait
for the rain is needed.
The ground is dry.
The trees hang over
desperately wanting to drink.

The sun is shining brightly
fire burns the grass and fields.
Our precious land is being destroyed.
Oh rain, where are you?

We pray for rain
We need to be granted this Bracha
Hashem, are You listening?
Oh rain, where are you?

The dark sky lights up with lightning.
The quiet is broken from thunder.
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining!

Baruch Hashem, our prayers have been answered.
May we be granted a plentiful rainy season.

Feel free to comment and pass my blog around.

Miriam