The first drops!!

As I was walking with my children this morning, we felt the first drops of rain for the new rainy season splashing on our brows. It is not raining hard right now, just drops. In Chicago this would be called a "light drizzle".

The first rains of the year always get everybody excited. Israel is a land that desperately needs every drop of rain and the whole summer is gauranteed to be dry, so the first rains are always good to crack a smile on people's faces and to get the kids all excited.

My son was excited about the rain and then I reminded him of two things he learned recently. The first is that at the end of Sukkot we begin to mention the need for rain in our prayers and only two weeks after sukkot concludes do we actually ask Hashem to bless us with rain. This is because Yerushalayim during the holiday is filled with Olei Regel, people who came to visit israel (specifically the Beit Hamikdash) and asking for rain would be a hardship on these tourists. Two weeks after the holiday is enough time for the olei regel to get home, and only then do we ask Hashem for rain. Rain before that time has a certain aspect of klala.

The second idea I reminded him of was a mishna that says "Rain on sukkos is as if a servant brought a pitcher of water before his master, yet his master takes the water and splashes it back in his servants face". We are trying to do the mitzva of sitting in a sukka but Hashem sends rain and says I don't want you in my sukka, in my presence - get back into your house.

Another reason the rains are no good now is because people are on vacation and have trips planned for fun days out in the sun. Rain can put a damper on peoples plans (though that is really similar to the first reason, but also applies to local, not just tourists)

Hopefully the rains will stop and only come in their appointed blessed times.