Les Psaumes 145:16 Midrash : Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Devarim Rabbah, Bereshit Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

TAANITH (Fol. 2) R. Jochanan said: "Three keys (sources of help) are in the hands of the Holy One, praised be He! which are not intrusted to any agent. They are: [The key] for [help in] confinements, for rain, and for the resurrection of the dead. The key for help in confinements, as it is written (Gen. 30, 22) And God hearkened (Ib. b) to her (Rachel) and opened her womb; that for rain, as it is written (Deut. 28, 12) The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven, to give the rain of thy land in its season; and that for the resurrection of the dead, as it is written (Ez. 37, 13) And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and when I cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people. In the West (the land of Israel) it was said: "Also the key of a man's support is in the hands of God Himself, as it is written (Ps. 145, 16) Thou openest Thy hand. etc. Why did not R. Jochanan mention this also? Because R. Jochanan may explain that rain includes the means of maintenance.

In the days of R. Samuel b. Nachmeni the world was visited by famine and pestilence, and the sages said: "What shall we pray for? Shall we pray both to cease? This is impossible! We shall therefore pray for the abatement of the pestilence, and we shall put up with the famine." Whereupon R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said to them: "Nay, let us pray for relief from the famine; for if the Merciful One will give bread, he will surely give it to the living; as it is written (Ps. l45, 16) Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing [consequently the pestilence will have to cease]." Whence do we know that to pray for two things at one time is not proper? From the following passage (Ezra. 8, 23) So we fasted and besought our God for this, — for this, implies that there must have been some other infliction, [nevertheless only one thing was prayed for]. In the days of R. Zera the government issued an edict [detrimental to the interests of the Jews]. Another edict was passed that no fast-days should be kept. R. Zera then said to the people: "Let us take a fast-day upon ourselves now, and when the government shall have rescinded its decree, we will then fast." And they asked him: "Whence dost thou infer that this would be just as good?" "I know it," answered he, "from the following passage (Dan. 10, 12) And he said unto me: Fear not, Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to obtain understanding, and to fast before thy God. were thy words heard."

“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.