Ézéchiel 37:1 Midrash : Devarim Rabbah, Bereshit Rabbah & Midrash Tehillim

“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to provide the rain of your land at its time, and to bless all your handiwork; you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow” (Deuteronomy 28:12).
“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse” – what is “will open [yiftaḥ]”? Rabbi Yonatan said: There are three keys [mafteḥot] in the hand of the Holy One blessed be He, and no creature has control over them, neither an angel nor a seraph, and these are: the key of the revival of the dead, the key of barrenness, and the key of rain. The key of the revival of the dead, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “You will know that I am the Lord when I open your graves” (Ezekiel 37:13). The key of barrenness, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “[The Lord]…opened her womb” (Genesis 29:31). The key of rain, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The Lord will open for you His good storehouse.”
Another matter: “The Lord will open for you” – the Rabbis said: Great is rainfall, as it is equivalent to the revival of the dead. It is as it is stated: “He will come to us like the rain, like the late rain that satiates the earth” (Hosea 6:3). What is written thereafter?¹⁴Meaning, in another verse. In this case it is referring to the previous verse. “He will revive us after two days” (Hosea 6:2). That is why they inserted it¹⁵The mention of rain. in the Revival of the Dead,¹⁶This is the second blessing of the Amida prayer. because it is its equivalent.
Another matter: “The Lord will open for you” – Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: When rain falls, business is also blessed, as it is stated: “To provide the rain of your land at its time, and to bless all your handiwork.” Our Rabbis said: The fish are also blessed. The Rabbis said: There was an incident where they caught a certain fish in Akko before rain fell, and they estimated its weight at three hundred litra; but they found that it weighed only two hundred. A certain elderly man said to them: ‘Had rain fallen, they would have found that it weighed more.’ When rain fell, they caught a certain fish that they estimated its weight as two hundred litra, and they found that it weighed three hundred. That is, the fish are also blessed.
Another matter: “The Lord will open for you” – see how great is rainfall. Rav Yehuda bar Yeḥezkel, when he would see the rain falling, he would recite the blessing: May the name of the One who spoke and the world came into being be glorified, exalted, and blessed, as He appoints thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of angels over each and every drop that falls. Why? It is because from here until the heavens is a walking distance of five hundred years, and rain falls and no drop intermingles with another.
Another matter: Great is the rainfall, as it is the equivalent of the revival of the dead. How so? “Opening [petaḥ]” is written regarding this, and “opening” is written regarding that. “Hand [yad]” is written regarding this, and “hand” is written regarding that. “Song” is written regarding this, and “song” is written regarding that. Regarding the revival of the dead, it is written: “When I open [befitḥi] your graves” (Ezekiel 37:13). Regarding rainfall it is written: “The Lord will open [yiftaḥ] for you.” Regarding the revival of the dead, it is written: “The hand [yad] of the Lord was upon me” (Ezekiel 37:1).¹⁷This verse is an introduction to the prophecy that describes revival of the dead. Regarding rainfall it is written: “You open Your hand [yadekha]” (Psalms 145:16).¹⁸This verse discusses sustenance, which is related to rain. Regarding the revival of the dead, it is written: “Rock dwellers will sing” (Isaiah 42:11).¹⁹According to Targum Yonatan, the verse refers to the revival of the dead. Regarding rainfall it is written: “They shout for joy, and they sing” (Psalms 65:14).²⁰Verse 11 in this chapter mentions rain.

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: It is of equal importance to the revival of the dead. Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rabbi Abba said: Indeed, the Sages placed it in [the prayers in the blessing of] the revival of the dead.¹⁵The second blessing of the Amida prayer.
In regard to this one [rain] a hand is mentioned, and in regard to that one [the revival of the dead] a hand is mentioned; in regard to this one [rain], opening up is mentioned, and in regard to that one [the revival of the dead], opening up is mentioned. In this one, a hand is mentioned, as it is stated [regarding Ezekiel’s resurrection of the dry bones]: “The hand of the Lord was upon me…” (Ezekiel 37:1). In that one, a hand is mentioned: “You open Your hand [and amply feed all living beings]” (Psalms 145:16). In this one, opening up is mentioned: “The Lord will open up for you [His good storehouse, the heavens, to provide the rain of your land]” (Deuteronomy 28:12). In that one, opening up is mentioned: “Behold, I am opening up your graves…” (Ezekiel 37:12). Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Elazar bar Avina: This one has song associated with it and that one has song associated with it. This one has song associated with it: “Those who dwell in the rocks¹⁶The dead. will sing” (Isaiah 42:11). And that one has song associated with it [as it is stated regarding rainfall]: “They shout for joy and they sing [yashiru]” (Psalms 65:14).
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: It [rainfall] is in fact greater than the revival of the dead, as the revival of the dead benefits only people, whereas this [rainfall] benefits people and animals; the revival of the dead benefits only Israel, whereas this [rainfall] benefits Israel and idolaters. A certain idolater once asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa, saying to him: ‘You have holidays and we have holidays; when you are rejoicing we are not rejoicing, and when we are rejoicing you are not rejoicing. When do you and we both rejoice? When rain falls. What is the source for this? “The meadows are covered with flocks of sheep; the valleys are wrapped in grain. They shout for joy, and they sing” (Psalms 65:14). What is written thereafter? “Shout to God, priests, Levites, and Israelites” is not written, but rather, “shout to God, all the earth”’ (Psalms 66:1).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: When the rain falls, the animals seek to mate. What is the source? “The meadows are covered with flocks of sheep [laveshu karim hatzon]” (Psalms 65:14) – a euphemism for the rams mounting the sheep.¹⁷The Hebrew could be translated “the rams [karim] cover over [laveshu] the ewes [hatzon].”

They struck the rock and water gushed forth, as Moses struck the rock, blood dripped, as it says, "and water gushed forth." Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina said it was like what is written (Leviticus 15:25), "when a woman has a discharge, her discharge of blood flows." Thus, it says, "and water gushed forth." And the rivers flowed. The rivers washed away much water, and the scoffers of the generation said, "Now we will remove the rock," but it immediately swallowed them up, and the heavens commanded. Rav Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Zevadya ben Levi that for a thousand years, manna descended upon Israel every day. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said that it is written here, "the doors of heaven opened." And there, it is written (Genesis 7:11), "the floodgates of the sky were opened." The sages taught that the flood lasted for twelve months, and here, the doors of heaven opened for only eight. This is because four doors were for rain, and the measure of mercy exceeded the measure of punishment by five hundred times. Thus, for two thousand years, manna descended upon them every day, as it says, "and He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them the grain of heaven." Rabbi Acha said, "He (i.e. a person) should not have short arms (i.e. stingy), as it is written in Proverbs 10:22, 'The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow therewith.'" Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "And behold, upon the face of the desert, a thin flake-like layer, which is mentioned in Exodus 16:14, 'And when the layer of dew was gone up, behold upon the face of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar frost on the ground.' Had there been one who had a need for pinching off (i.e. taking only a small amount of) the manna, it would have been as fine as flour, as it is written without the letter 'vav' (which represents the number six) - that it was swallowed up in 248 limbs of a person, as it is said, 'Every man had eaten the bread of the mighty' (Psalms 78:25)." Another explanation of 'the bread of the mighty' is that it was made by angels. 'Every man' refers to the Israelites, as it is said, 'Every man of Israel' (Deuteronomy 29:9). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "The Israelites would complain, saying, 'You have a woman who gives birth and eats, yet she does not produce milk; you see your waters providing wheat to the Egyptians, but you do not produce flour.' The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, 'I have treated them with kindness and made them like angels,' but they would complain against Him and say, 'Our soul is dried up; there is nothing at all; we have nothing but manna to look to' (Numbers 21:5). How much longer will they despise Me, in their midst, in the womb of their bellies, that they eat and produce nothing?" Rabbi Ibu said: At the sixth hour, Jethro came and received his portion of manna. The manna that he received was equivalent to sixty myriads and corresponded to all of his limbs. The manna was like "bread of heroes," which each person ate. How was the manna brought down to them? The wind would blow and honor the wilderness, and then dew would descend upon it, as it says, "And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night" (Exodus 16:13). All of Israel would go out and collect the manna until the sun rose, so that it would not melt, as it says, "And it came to pass that the sun waxed hot, and it melted" (Exodus 16:21). The manna was divided into three parts: one-third for the wise men, one-third for Mordechai and Esther, and one-third for the construction of the Temple, as it says, "For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own who are prisoners" (Psalms 69:33). "His own who are prisoners" refers to the beams of the Temple that the Holy One, Blessed be He, keeps track of. Rabbi Nehemiah said that the matter is not stated explicitly. Rabbi Acha in the name of Rabbi Jonathan said that there are three keys: the key of rain, the key of resurrection, and the key of compassion, and they are only in His hands. The key of compassion is derived from the verse, "And the Lord saw, and opened her womb" (Genesis 29:31). The key of resurrection is derived from the verse, "And you shall know that I am the Lord when I open your graves" (Ezekiel 37:13). Regarding rain, it is said (Deuteronomy 28:12), "The Lord will open for you His good treasure, the heavens, to give your land rain." When God desires, He gives rain to the righteous. Regarding barrenness, God gave a son to Elisha, as it is said (2 Kings 4:16-17), "Now the woman conceived and bore a son at that season next year, as Elisha had said to her." God also gave the power to raise the dead to Elijah, who brought back to life the son of the widow of Zarephath, as it is said (1 Kings 17:21-22), "Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, 'O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.' The Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived." Similarly, Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman, as it is said (2 Kings 4:34), "And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm." And also, in Ezekiel 37:1-3, "The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones...So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army." God gave Elijah the key to rain, as it is said (1 Kings 17:1), "Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.'" And when he prayed for rain, it is said (1 Kings 18:41), "Then Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.'" It is written (Psalm 18:7), "The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore, I shall see my desire upon those who hate me." There is no one whom God helps like Moses and Aaron, and through their saying "Hear now, you rebels," they did not enter the land. Therefore, the young men of Israel were judged on a scale of merit and were found wanting.