Kommentar zu Dewarim 11:14

ונתתי מטר ארצכם I WILL GIVE THE RAIN OF YOUR LAND [IN ITS SEASON] — You will then have done what devolved upon you, I, too, shall do what devolves upon Me (Sifrei Devarim 41:29; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 26:15).

ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו, “I will give the rain for your land at its appropriate time.” At the hours when it is most beneficial for newly seeded fields. You will be pleased with the timing of the rain, which, according to our sages in Taanit 22 and 23 will descend at night when it does not interfere with any of your activities. In Leviticus 26,3 the Torah words this blessing somewhat differently, writing “ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, “I will give your rains at their respective seasons.” Our sages interpret the wording there to mean that the rain will neither be sparse nor excessive. Too much rain soaks the earth so that it does not produce fruit. Another meaning of these words is that the word בעתם, refers to the nights from Tuesday to Wednesday and on Friday nights, periods when everyone is at home. We have a tradition that during the period of Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach this blessing was fulfilled and the rains in Israel descended only on these two nights of the week. As a result, the wheat kernels were as big as kidneys and the barley as big as the pits of the olives, and lentils grew to the size of golden dinars. Our sages used this period to illustrate to what extent sins by the people can reduce the fertility of the Holy Land. They used Jeremiah 5,25 to illustrate their point. The prophet wrote: “it is your iniquities that have diverted these things, your sins have withheld the bounty from you.” We also find that during the reign of Herod when the people were busy with major renovations of the Temple, rain descended only at night so as not to interfere with the work of restoring and enlarging the Temple. On the morning following such rain, the clouds would disperse quickly, the sun would shine and work could proceed without impediment. The people would rise at an early hour and go to work at the Temple site.

You fulfill your obligation, etc. Rashi is answering the question: Why does it say regarding this commandment there is so much reward, “I will provide the rain of your land in its time, fall rain and spring rain, etc.”? Yet above in Parshas Bechukosai (Vayikra 26:4) Scripture only writes, “I will provide your rain in their proper time”! Rashi answers: You fulfill your obligation, etc. In other words, you shall fulfill your obligation and you need not do more than this — to keep My commandments out of love. As it is written, “To love Adonoy ... and to serve Him, etc.” therefore I shall fulfill my obligation and pay you abundant reward. (Re”m).

V. 14. ספרי) אני לא על ידי מלאך ולא ע׳׳י שליח :ונתתי). Die Regenspende ist jedesmal ein Akt unmittelbarer göttlicher Fürsorge und nicht lediglich Konsequenz einer ein für allemal geordneten Zusammenwirkung elementarer Naturgesetze. Primäre Ursache bleibt Gottes Vorsehung. Es ist dies nach Taanit 2 a der eine der "drei Schlüssel, die Gott sich vorbehalten: der Schlüssel der Regenspende, der Schlüssel des Mutterschoßes, und der Schlüssel der Auferstehung" שלש מפתחות בידו של הב׳׳ה שלא נמסרו ביד שליח ואלו הן מפתח של גשמים ומפתח של חיה ומפתה של תחית המתים.

יורה, “the first quarter of the year, when the early rains are due.” It descends during the moth of Marcheshvan, and “teaches” people to tend to their gardens. Alternatively, it describes the rain hitting the ground like an arrow, “shooting.”

ואספת דגנך, “you will gather in your grain harvest.” You have permission to go about your business in the full meaning of the word. [not as in the desert when your bread came down from heaven and you were totally free to devote yourselves to Torah study. Ed.]

בעתו [RAIN …] IN ITS SEASON — i.e. at night time, so that it may not cause you any trouble. — Another explanation of בעתו IN ITS SEASON is: on Sabbath (Friday) nights when everyone is usually at home (cf. Sifrei Devarim 42:2; Taanit 23a; see Rashi on Leviticus 26:4).

יורה ומלקוש, “early (seasonal) rain and late rains.” The rain called יורה descends during the first quarter of the season shortly after sowing. It moistens the earth after a dry summer and provides critical moisture for the seedlings (Taanit 6). According to this view the word יורה is derived from רוה, “irrigated, well-watered.” Alternatively, the word may allude to “teaching”, forecasting a good year, i.e. if that rain materialises at the proper time in the proper quantities it is a good omen for the agriculture of the year which just commenced.
מלקוש is the rain which descends much later in the season shortly before the barley is ripe for cutting. The reason the Torah called it by that name is because it descends on מלילות, ears of corn already fully formed on their stalks. The second half of the word, קש, may be an allusion to the straw, part of the grain. At any rate, it refers to the rain that descends near the end of the rainy season. It may be an allusion to the grain gaining volume while on the stalks. Onkelos also translates the word עטופים in Genesis 30,42 as לקישא, “born late.” It may also be an allusion to מל קשיותן של ישראל, that it “circumcises the obstinate posture of the Jewish people” [when they observe G’d’s blessing arriving on time. Ed.] Our sages in Taanit 6 interpret it thus: ‘when the rains are late in arriving the people will be motivated to pray for rain. They will also become penitents in order not to forfeit the needed rainfall’.

On Shabbos eve, etc. Rashi [only] says, “On Shabbos eve,” but the Gemora (Taanis 23a) says, “On Shabbos eves and on the eves of the fourth weekday [Tuesday night],” because harmful forces reign on these two nights. The answer is: Rashi’s explanation is based on nowadays when these harmful forces are not common. Therefore, he only mentions, “On Shabbos eve.” Now it fits well that Rashi explains, “When everyone is at home,” rather than, “Because of harmful forces.” Rashi’s first explanation is problematic, for the verse should say בעתותם (in its times), since all nights are included. Therefore, Rashi says, “Another interpretation, etc.” But the other explanation is problematic, for it applies when harmful forces are common. However, when they are not common such as nowadays, then what is the meaning of “in its time” written in the verse? Therefore Rashi also says the first explanation.

Die meteorologischen sekundären Ursachen des Witterungswechsels waren den Weisen sehr wohl bekannt, und sind darüber in den ersten Blättern von Taanit höchst beachtungswerte Beobachtungen niedergelegt.

ומלקוש, “and the late rain,” in the month of Nissan The word is related to קש, straw, the season when the stalks turn hard as straw.

יורה THE FIRST RAIN — This is the rain that falls after the sowing-time, which thoroughly drenches (מרוה) the soil and the seed (Sifrei Devarim 42:4; Taanit 6a).

ואספת דגנך ותירושך, “you will gather in your corn harvest and your grape harvest.” The sages (Berachot 35) ask how it is possible to reconcile the commandment that “the Torah should never be absent from your mouth” (Joshua 1,8), with these instructions to pursue an agricultural career, ploughing, sowing harvesting, etc.? They answer that there are times set aside for both of these activities. This is also what Kohelet 7,18 had in mind when he said: “it is best that you grasp the one without letting go of the other.”

Because it descends on the ears and on the stalks. I.e., the word מלקוש is a contraction of מלילות קשין. This explanation by itself is problematic, for the verse should say ומלילות (ears). Therefore, the first reason in needed. Yet the first reason is problematic, for the verse should say לקשיא (late ones). Therefore the second reason is also needed.

Die meteorologischen sekundären Ursachen des Witterungswechsels waren den Weisen sehr wohl bekannt, und sind darüber in den ersten Blättern von Taanit höchst beachtungswerte Beobachtungen niedergelegt.

ואספת דגנך, “you will gather in your corn.” Once you have gathered in your corn there will no longer be any rainfall during the remainder of the season. Rain during harvest season is considered a bad omen as we know from Samuel I 12,17, where the prophet in calling upon G–d to produce a thunderstorm points out that the miracle will be that it will occur during the harvesting season when there is no rainfall expected. In the Talmud, tractate B’rachot folio 35, the word ואספת is questioned, as it implies that the farmer will have to do the ingathering by himself without assistance, whereas in Isaiah 61,5, we are told that the Israelites will have gentiles guarding their sheep and aliens will be their plowmen. The answer given is that when the Israelites all observe the Torah, they will have gentile servants to do the heavy work for them, When this is not the case, they will have to do it for themselves. This answer is difficult as our paragraph deals with the assumption that the Israelites bring in a successful harvest as a result of having obeyed the commandments of the Lord. Our author leaves the question open.

מלקוש THE LATTER RAIN is the rain that descends just before the harvest time to make the grain full (ripe) on its stalk. The term מלקוש refers to something that is late, just as in the Targum we translate והיה העטפים ללבן (Genesis 30:42; see Rashi thereon) “those born late were Laban’s” by לקשיא. — Another explanation: The reason why it is called מלקוש is because it falls at the same period upon the ears (מלילות) and the stalks (קש) (i.e. just before the harvest) (Taanit 6a).

You will gather it into your home, etc. Rashi is answering the question: How is it a blessing that he must exert himself to work and harvest rather than having servants and maidservants? Rashi answers: You will gather, [implies you, but] not your enemies.

בעתו: nach ספרי und Taanit 23 a selbst mit Rücksicht auf die nicht zu störende Berufstätigkeit des Menschen, vorzugsweise nachts und מלילה שבת ללילי שבת.

ואספת דגנך AND THOU SHALT GATHER IN THY CORN means: and thou shalt gather it into thy house, and not thy enemies, just as it is said, (Isaiah 62:8—9) “[The Lord hath sworn … ], surely I will no more give thy corn [to be food for thine enemies], but they that have gathered it shall eat it”; and not as it is said, (Judges 6:3) “And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up [and destroyed the produce of the land]” (Sifrei Devarim 42:10).

יורה יורה ומלקוש ist der Frühregen, der regelmäsig im מרחשון eintritt und מלקוש der Spätregen im Nissan. Von dem regelmäßigen Eintritt dieser Regenperiode, insbesondere des Frühregens, ist die Fruchtbarkeit des Jahres in Palästina bedingt, so dass das Ausbleiben des Regens in Marcheschwan als die größte Kalamität zu betrachten war und in drei Abstufungen sich steigernde Fasten veranlasste. Diese Fasten wegen ausbleibenden Regens sind in erster Linie unter תענית צבור begriffen (Taanit 6 a f. und 15 a f.). Die Etymologie von יורה und מלקוש ist zweifelhaft. Nach ספרי wäre יורה von ירה der Pfeil gleich in die Erde dringende, oder in der Bedeutung von רוה, ähnlich wie טוב und יטב: der מרוה, der Tränkende. Auch wegen der Regelmäßigkeit seines Eintritts: der Indizierende, Lehrende מורה, wie er ja auch heißt (Joel 2, 23). Er kündigt die Regenzeit an und wird damit Regulator der Beschäftigungen der Menschen. מלקוש von לקש. Chaldäisch wird לקש zur Bezeichnung alles Spätzeitigen gebraucht. So תרגום) והון לקישיא ללבן Bereschit 30, 42) und תרום יונתן (Schmot 9, 32) ארום לקישין הינין. Amos 7 scheint לקש der zweite Acker- oder Wiesenwuchs, Grummet, zu sein, nachdem der erste Wuchs unreif abgeschnitten worden. (Dieses unreife Abschneiden der Getreidehalmen zum Viehfutter heißt קוצר לשחת.)