And A Double Surprise That Fits

Here in Israel, we've been murmuring and worrying about the dry winter weather.  In terms of Jewish weather seasons, there's either summer or winter.  It's either supposed to be wet and rainy, or it's supposed to be dry and sunny.  Spring sort of exists, because isn't Pesach Passover חג האביב Chag He'Aviv, The Spring Holiday? 

Passover "The holiday is also referred to as Chag he-Aviv , (the Spring Festival)..."

But "fall" or "autumn" doesn't appear as a Jewish concept.  At the end of Succot, Simchat Torah, we already start asking G-d to change the weather and two weeks later we begin praying for rain in earnest by adding ותן טל ומטר לברכה v’tein tal u’matar livracha, Deliver Dew and Rain as a Blessing to our prayers.

In Israel, we should ask for rain right after Succot, but we wait the two weeks until 7 Cheshvan to allow the last Jew (who came to Yerushalayim for the chag) to return to his home near n’har P’rat. This applies even in our time when we don’t have real aliyah l’regel, and when modern methods of transportation and conditions would remove the necessity of the two-week postponement. We still learn much from the message of the reason for the two-week “delay”.

Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin

Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin

Is it an "only in Israel" where umbrellas are suddenly on sale the same week we begin praying for rain?

But being Jews, I keep hearing this complaint:

"It hasn't rained yet!" 

That's strange, since I remember that it had rained the other Friday, because we suddenly had to rush out and rescue the almost dry clothes which had been hanging on the clothesline.  There was another day when at work, suddenly all the boxes of unopened stock had to be rushed under cover because of rain.  It definitely has rained.

And I discovered a secret.  G-d sometimes sends us rain in when we're asleep.  Last night, just as I was getting ready for bed neighbors got back to me that they needed the dog food (table scraps I collect for them) ASAP, so I told them to run over immediately.  I brought it to the door and figured I'd meet them half way, but I couldn't.  I had already kicked off my shoes and it was raining.  Yes, a very silent gentle rain, like the touch of a loving parent.  If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have had a clue that it had rained at all.

And for another surprise, one of a more personal nature.  No, sorry, not that at all.  Among the clothes my children rescued from the attic a couple of weeks ago, was this raincoat I wore in the late 1960's.  Yes, it still fits.  I guess it was very large then.  Another raincoat didn't fit.