page taken from the Israel the Jewish Homeland Then and
Now grades 6-8 Israel through Festival
THE PRAYER FOR RAIN
GOAL:
- To understand why we pray for rain (beginning) on The last day of
Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret).
- To learn the meaning of the prayers we say when we pray for rain.
- To realize that these prayers make us feel that wherever we are, we
are on "Israel Standard Time".
MATERIALS: The following worksheets.
PROCEDUR
- A. MOTIVATION:
- Have students complete individually or in pairs the worksheets
# 1&2: INTRODUCTION
I AND INTRODUCTION
II .
- After they completed the work ask students to summarize why we
pray for rain on Sukkot.
- INTRODUCTION TO THE PRAYER FOR RAIN
Explain to your students the following:
We know that the rainy season in Israel usually begins after 
and ends before Pesach. Even so, how do we know precisely when to begin
to pray for rain? This question is discussed in the mishna, a rabbinic
law text. Read the mishna (worksheet
# 3) and then answer the questions that follow it.
- LEARNING THE PRAYER FOR RAIN:
In pairs, students will complete worksheet
# 4. Make sure to go over the answers with the students when completed.
- WE ARE ON ISRAEL STANDARD TIME...
Tell your student the following story:
A true story......
During World War II Rabbi Klein was stationed in Europe as a soldier
in the American army. Another soldier asked him, "What time is
it?" Rabbi Klein looked at his watch, added six hours in his
head and told his friend the time.
His friend asked "Why do you have your watch set incorrectly?"
"This watch is not incorrect," said Rabbi Klein. "I
keep it set for the time back home. This way, when I look at it I
can imagine if my wife is awake or sleeping, on her way to pick up
our children, or busy at work. Also, I know just when my children
are going to nursery school in the morning, just when they are eating
their lunch and when they are being tucked in for the night. I can
be less than a heartbeat away from them despite an ocean of distance!"
END
In a similar way, Jews have always kept their hearts set to "Israel
Time" by being in step with the Jewish Calendar. As we will see,
the Jewish Calendar keeps our minds in tune with Eretz Yisrael even
as our feet are planted firmly in reality wherever we are.
- CLOSURE:
Have your students complete worksheet
#5.
Look at the following list of Jewish holidays. Some of them have stars
next to them. What do the starred holidays have in common?
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
*Sukkot
Simhat Torah
|
*Hanukkah
*Tu Bi-Shevat
Purim
* Pesach
|
* Lag Ba’omer
* Shavuot
Tishah Be’av
Shabbat
|
If you have not figured out the answer, do not worry. We will come back
to this list at the end of this unit.
A MAP WITH HOLIDAYS - WHY?
You may have seen maps which have the names of cities, rivers, and
mountains written on them, but have you ever seen a map with the names of
holidays written on it. Why do you suppose this map of Israel has these
names of holidays written on it? What do you think these holidays have to do
with the map?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
The Weather and Us
Imagine you are packing your suitcase to go away to camp or on a vacation
for the summer. Will you bring a warm coat? Cool shirt? Snow boots? A
raincoat? What do you need to know about the place you are going in order to
decide what to pack?____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Weather not only plays an important role in what we wear, but it also
affects how we feel and live. To get an idea of this "weather
consciousness," complete the sentences below:
When I wake up and see the sun shining, I
feel____________________________________.
When it snows for several days in a row, I
feel____________________________________.
When I walk in a warm spring rain, I
feel________________________________________.
If I could place an order for my favorite weather six days a week, it
would be (You may list several
kinds.)__________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
How do you think a farmer might answer this
question?______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Rain In Israel
Farmers in Israel, like farmers all over the world,
need rain for the crops to grow. The time between the
holidays of Sukkot and Pesach is the rainy season in
the Land of Israel. During the summer months, the climate
of Israel is very dry. From the Sukkot holidays until
Pesach, Jews all over the world pray for ample rainfall
in Israel. Why do you think it is important that there
be plenty of rain during those winter months in Israel?___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
In most parts of America it usually rains during all the months of the
year. How is this different from
Israel?_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sometimes, of course, parts of the United States do not get enough
rainfall. What do Americans do when there is a drought, or a shortage of
water over a long period?____________________
______________________________________________________________________
WHY WE PRAY FOR RAIN IN ISRAEL
Why do you think that Jews outside of Israel join those living there in
praying for rain during Israel’s rainy
season?_____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
When you pray for rain in Israel, knowing that other Jews all around the
world are doing likewise, what sort of feeling does it give you about those
Jews?______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
When you join other Jews in praying for rain in Israel, what sort of
special feeling does it give you about the Land of
Israel?____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
FROM THE MISHNAH
"When do we begin to mention the Power of Rain in the Amidah? Rabbi
Eliezer says: On the first day of the Feast of Sukkot. Rabbi Joshua says: On
the last day of the Feast...... We pray for rain only close to the rainy
season. Rabbi Judah says: The person who leads musaf on the last day of the
Feast of Sukkot mentions rain."
Adapted from Taanit 1:1-2
Please answer the following:
1. The prayer for rain is said on the (first, last, third) day of Sukkot._____________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Why does Rabbi Joshua think we should say the prayer for rain at the
very end of Sukkot?_
_______________________________________________________________________
Now that we know when we pray for rain, what prayer do we add to our service?
You may have noticed that in the Amidah prayer there
are four words about rain that are added from Shemini
Atzeret until Pesach:
You cause the wind to blow and the rain to fall.
What quality of God do these words
describe?____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Does this prayer actually ask for
anything?_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Why do you think the Mishnah (see worksheet #3) speaks of beginning to
"mention the power of rain" rather than of "saying the prayer
for rain"?____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
The above four-word addition to the Amidah prayer is
launched on the last day of Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret) by a much longer prayer
for rain, added to the Musaf service. In the following
page you will find the part of that special prayer which we say only once a
year, on Shemini Atzeret.
THE PRAYER FOR RAIN - 
|
- May He send rain from the heavenly source,
- To soften the earth with its crystal drops.
- You have called water the symbol of Your might;
- Its drops refresh all that have breath of life,
- And revive those who praise Your powers of rain.
- Our God and God of our fathers,
- Remember Abraham who followed 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 care for him when he sowed by all streams of water.
Congregation:
- For his sake, do not refuse water.
|
 |
QUESTIONS ABOUT
According to this prayer, why is rain important for
us?_______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What does rain show us about
God?___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
How did Abraham benefit from
water?__________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
How could water have hurt
Abraham?__________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Many times during the Jewish yearly cycle, Jews all over the world plug
into "Israel time." That is, our activities and holidays revolve
around agricultural or historical events connected to the Land of Israel.
What are some examples of times like this ?
Look back to page 25 of this unit. Can you see now what the starred holidays
have in common? They all have some connection to the Land of Israel. Some
are related to the climate and agriculture of Israel, others to Israel’s
history, Make a list of those holidays that belong in each category. Some
may be written in both lists. Be ready to explain why you put each holiday
in the column you did.
|
History of the Land of Israel |
Agriculture of the Land of Israel |
|
|
|
| HOLIDAYS: |
SUKKOT, HANUKKAH, TU BI-SHEVAT, PESAH, LAG BA’OMER,
SHAVUOT, TISHA BE’AV |
|
