Baruch Hashem, It is raining

[muman613]

Shalom,

Just wanted to share my 'Blessing Hashem' with everyone.

It has been raining here for 2 days already, and the forecast shows another 5 days of beautiful, needed rain.

I am not a 'rain' person, and I don't like driving in it.... But we need the water, and have been praying for rain for a while...

Bless Hashem who brings the rain in it's proper season. Is it not a parable, "April Showers bring May flowers"?

[muman613]

http://www.darchenoam.org/rain-may-it-be-a-blessing/

Rain: May It Be a Blessing
by Menucha Chwat
Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya

The month of Cheshvan is associated with rain. In Eretz Yisrael, on the 7th of Cheshvan we begin adding the words “Veten tal umatar levracha” – “Give dew and rain for a blessing” – to the weekday Amidah. We not only ask for dew and rain, but we add the word “levracha” – “for a blessing.” When we said the Prayer for Rain, “Geshem,” on Shemini Atzeret we also requested that the rain be “levracha v’lo leklala” – “for a blessing and not for a curse.”

Water has potential to be a life giving blessing, but it can also be an agent of destruction. The Midrash (Bereshit Rabba 5,1) tells us that when Hashem on the third day of creation said, “Yikavu hamayim” – “Let the waters…be gathered” – He said “Yikavu Li” – “May the waters be gathered for Me” – for what I intend to do with them. Whether for blessing or curse, water fulfills Hashem’s mission. It is up to man to determine which.

The Midrash continues with a parable.

A king built a palace and inhabited it with mutes. The mutes would greet the king with finger motions and by tipping their hats. The king said “If the palace were inhabited by those who speak, how much more would they honor me.” He filled the palace with those who speak. They stood and said, “This palace does not belong to the king – it belongs to us.” Said the king, “I will return the palace to whom it originally belonged.”

The same was true of our world. Originally the world was only water, and the water praised Hashem (Tehillim 93). Hashem said, “If water which has no mouth can praise, when I create Man, how much more so will he praise.” But when the Dor Hamabul – the Generation of the Flood – rebelled, Hashem said, “Now the waters which praise me will take their original place upon the earth.”

We are faced with a challenge. Will we add our verbal praises to the wordless songs of the water, or will we fill Hashem’s palace with scorn and treason? When man chose the latter, Hashem reverted to his mute drops of water, but they ended up being waters of destruction for man. But when man’s mouth is filled with praises, he sings to Hashem along with the waters of blessing.

Both teshuva and Torah are likened to water. Teshuva (Midrash Tehillim) – as it says “You will fling all their sins into the depths of the sea”. Torah (Midrash Tanchuma) – just as we are not embarassed to ask for someone to pour us a cup of water, we should also not be embarassed to ask someone to teach us Torah. Our waters of Torah and Teshuva, along with our tefilla and praises, can bring down waters of blessing.

May this year be a year of Gishmei Bracha – rain which is a blessing.

[muman613]

http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/4803/jewish/The-Prayer-For-Rain.htm

The Prayer For Rain

The Prayer for Rain consists essentially of two beautiful and moving prayer-poems, composed by the famous paytan, Rabbi Elazar ha Kallir, who lived about 1300 years ago.

The first of these begins with the word Af Bri, which is the name of the angel of rain:

Af Bri is the title of the prince of rain,
Who gathers the clouds and makes them drain,
Water to adorn with verdure each dale,
Be it not held back by debts left stale,
O’ shield the faithful who pray for rain...

May He send rain from the heavenly towers,
To soften the earth with its crystal showers,
You have named water the symbol of Your might,
All that breathe life in its drops to delight,
O' revive those who praise Your powers of rain…


The second part of the Prayer for Rain consists of a poem beginning with the words zechor av, Remember our father Abraham. It is an alphabetical acrostic, each line beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet (excluding the word "Remember" at the beginning of each stanza), and finishing with the word mayim -- Water. It refers to the good deeds of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Aaron, and lastly the twelve tribes, and the miracles that were shown to them in connection with water. In their merits, and for their sakes, we pray to G-d for rain:

Our G-d and G-d of our fathers,
Remember our father Abraham who was drawn after You like water,
Whom You did bless like a tree planted near streams of water,
You did shield him, You did save him from fire and water,
You did try him when he sowed by all streams of water,
For his sake, do not refuse water.

Remember Isaac whose birth was foretold over a little water,
You did tell his father to offer his blood like water,
He too was heedful in pouring out his heart like water,
Digging in the ground he discovered wells of water.
For his righteousness' sake, grant abundant water.

Remember Jacob who, staff in band, crossed the Jordan's water,
His heart attuned to You, be rolled the stone off the well of water,
When he wrestled with the angel of fire and water,
You did promise to be with him through fire and water.
For his sake, do not refuse water.

Remember Moses in an ark of reeds drawn out of the water,
They said: He drew water and provided the flock with water,
And when Thy chosen people thirsted for water,
He struck the rock and there gushed out water,
For his righteousness' sake, grant abundant water.

Remember the High Priest who bathed five times in water,
He bent and washed his bands with sanctified water,
He read from the Scriptures and sprinkled Purifying water,
He kept a distance from a people turbulent as water,
For his sake, do not refuse water.

Remember the twelve tribes You did bring across the water,
You did sweeten for them the bitterness of water,
For Your sake their descendants spilt their blood like water
Turn to us, for our life is encircled by foes like water.
For their righteousness' sake, grant abundant water.

For You are G-d, who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.
For a blessing, and not for a curse -Amen!
For life, and not for death -Amen!
For plenty, and not for scarcity --Amen!

[angryChineseKahanist]

oi congratulations
Fill up those reservoirs!

[Israel Chai]

oi congratulations
Fill up those reservoirs!

Oh... well that's illegal in Cali. The envirofascists created the drought there with their psychotic policies, and making man-made lake reservoirs, and most large home reservoirs doesn't go along so well...

[angryChineseKahanist]

Oh... well that's illegal in Cali. The envirofascists created the drought there with their psychotic policies, and making man-made lake reservoirs, and most large home reservoirs doesn't go along so well...

what? no reservoirs?

[Israel Chai]

what? no reservoirs?

Starts legit: 303.  Nothing in this article prevents the running of artesian water into an artificial pond or storage-reservoir, if the water is used thereafter for a beneficial use

Alright, a little paper work to make a reservoir, and the dam can't be too tall: 1266.  If for storage in a reservoir the application shall state the height of dam, the capacity of reservoir, and the use to be made of the impounded waters, except that for storage underground these additional requirements as to height of dam and capacity of reservoir shall be given as near as may be.

Hmm, so the board "owns" my reservoir: 1475.  In any case where a reservoir has been or shall hereafter
under the provisions of this division be constructed, or surveyed, laid out, and proposed to be constructed, for the storage of water for a system, which water is to be used at one or more points under
appropriations of water and rights held and owned by the person owning the reservoir site and constructing the reservoir, the reservoir, appropriations, and rights shall, in the discretion of the board constitute a single enterprise and unit, and work of constructing the reservoir, or work on any one of the appropriations shall, in the discretion of the board, be sufficient to maintain and preserve all applications for appropriations and rights thereunder.

Oh, so I have to measure the reservoir, and the board can determine how much water can be in it, and it better be for "beneficial use": 4125.  The owner of every reservoir which is subject to regulation by a watermaster and which is located across or upon the bed of a natural stream or requires the use of a natural stream channel shall construct and maintain such measuring devices below the reservoir in the stream and such measuring devices above the reservoir on each stream or source of supply discharging into the reservoir as may be required and approved by the department for the purpose of assisting the department or the watermaster in determining the amounts of water to which the owner is entitled and the amounts of water which the owner is diverting, storing, and applying to beneficial use.

They can destroy your reservoir if you're not measuring like the board says it wants: 4126.  If the owner of any reservoir neglects or refuses to construct and maintain the measuring devices provided for in this
article after 30 days' notice by the department, the watermaster may open the outlet of the reservoir and the outlet shall not be closed, except by order of the department, until the requirements of the department as to the measuring devices are complied with.

How much water you're allowed is decided for you, and if that's none because "others" deserve it, it's none: 4151.  The watermaster shall divide the water of the streams or other sources of supply among the several conduits and reservoirs taking water therefrom and so adjust or close the headgates of conduits and regulate the controlling works of reservoirs as may be necessary to insure a distribution of the water among the water users entitled to its use, according to the rights of the users.

If the watermaster doesn't sign, the crops are dying: 4152.  Whenever in pursuance of his duties the watermaster regulates a headgate to a conduit or the controlling works of a reservoir, he may attach to the headgate or controlling works a written notice properly dated and signed setting forth the fact that the headgate or controlling works have been properly regulated [of course, properly is at his discretion, and the board's, if you complain] and are wholly under his control.

And before all this, they can say no, which they usually do, because the "environment" is more benefical than food for commies: 227.  The department may investigate any natural situation available for reservoirs or reservoir systems for gathering and distributing flood or other water not under beneficial use in any stream, stream system, lake, or other body of water. The department may ascertain the feasibility of projects for such reservoirs or reservoir systems, the supply of water that may thereby be made available, and the extent and character of the areas that may be thereby irrigated. The department may estimate the cost of such projects.

[angryChineseKahanist]

oi

[Debbie Shafer]

You know floods are devesdating but remember when the land dries up and does not produce, it is cracked, dusty and bears no moisture to raise crops,  this is even worse....Send in its turn the needed rain, as the Robins sit in the trees in the spring, after a beautiful and wonderful cleansing rain,  and sing in their glory to the creator at dusk, with skies of red, orange, pink, and gold, and the sun setting.  there is no sound like it!