Ab wann erwähnen wir die Kraft des Regens [in Shemoneh Esrai [ , sagt Rabbi Eliezer, vom ersten Tag des Festivals [Sukkot] an. Rabbi Yehoshua sagt vom letzten Tag des Festivals [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehishua sagte zu ihm [Rabbi Eliezer], da Regen auf dem Festival nichts anderes als ein Zeichen eines Fluches ist, warum sollte er es erwähnen? Rabbi Eliezer sagte zu ihm: Ich sagte auch nicht, er solle [Regen] verlangen, sondern erwähnen: "Er lässt den Wind wehen und den Regen fallen" zu gegebener Zeit. Er antwortete ihm: Wenn ja, sollte man es jederzeit erwähnen.
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים – Since the Mishnah teaches in the Tractate Rosh Hashanah that it happens from there that we are judged by the water on the holiday [of Sukkot], the Mishnah teaches here “from when do we mention God’s power to cause rain?” And because the rains are one of the powers of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written (Job 5:9-10): “Who performs great deeds which cannot be fathomed…Who gives rain to the earth,” because of this they call them “the power to cause rain [to fall].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Introduction
During the rainy season during the second part of the Amidah, in the paragraph about God’s power, we add in the words “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.” In our mishnah Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua debate when we begin to say this phrase.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
מיום טוב אחרון של חג – But not [during] all seven days of the holiday [of Sukkot], for rain during the days of Sukkot is a sign of a curse. There is a parable telling of a servant who came to pour a cup for his master and the master spilled the pitcher on his face, that is to say, I don’t need your service (see Mishnah Sukkah 2:9).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
From when do they mention the powers of [bringing] rain? Rabbi Eliezer says: from the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot]. Rabbi Joshua says: on the last day of the Festival [of Sukkot]. This is the question that is debated in this mishnah when do we begin to mention that God has the power to bring rain? Both sages agree that we begin during Sukkot they argue over whether we begin mentioning rain on the first or on the last day of Sukkot.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
אם כן – You state that we mention [God’s ability to cause the rain to fall], even though we don’t request [rain] since it implies [that we pray for rain] at its appropriate season; [for] even during the summer they mention God’s ability [to cause rain] and that you give a sign [for rain] from the first day of the holiday [of Sukkot]. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehoshua.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Rabbi Joshua said to him: Since rain on the Festival is nothing but a sign of [God’s] curse why should he mention it? Rain on Sukkot is considered to be a rebuke by God (see Sukkah 2:9) because it prevents one from being able to dwell (eat and sleep) in the Sukkah. Therefore, Rabbi Joshua argues, it does not make sense to mention God’s rain-giving powers at this time.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I also did not say to request [rain] but to make mention, “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall” in its due season. Rabbi Eliezer agrees that rain on Sukkot is a curse. However, he responds that he was not suggesting that we ask for rain at the beginning of Sukkot, but rather that we just mention that God has the power to bring rain in its due season. We ask for rain in the ninth blessing of the Amidah when we say, “And provide dew and rain (ten tal umatar).”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
He replied to him: if so one should at all times make mention of it. Rabbi Joshua responds that if all we are doing in this prayer is mentioning rain, why not mention it all throughout the year. The fact that Rabbi Eliezer agrees that we only mention it during the rainy season means that he too agrees that it is connected with actual rain. If so, then he should also agree that we shouldn’t mention it until the time when we hope that the rainy season will actually begin, that is at the end of Sukkot when we are done sitting in the sukkah. The halakhah is according to Rabbi Joshua.
