Prayers and supplications for rain in Jewish liturgy and in the Talmud
Water, this unique chemical substance in itself has been present in our world since the Creation and it is essential for all types of life. The importance of water and water resources is obviously reflected in Judaism, both in our traditional literature and in our everyday and festive liturgy. In this essay the author gives a detailed overview of different prayers and supplications for rain in Jewish liturgy, and by providing their talmudic background she gives a thourough analysis of the time and the seasons of the various insertions and the main piyyut on Shmini Atzeret, the so-called ’Tfilat haGeshem’, i.e. ’Prayer for Rain’. Following this exploration, the author enumarates some miraculous talmudic stories connected to supplications for rain by a certain righteous person, a tzadik, including the legendary figure of Honi Hameagel (the circle drawer). Finally a famous story of Yemenite tradition about the miraculous effect of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi’s piyyutim is presented.
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