20/10/2020
“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil." (Deuteronomy 11:13-14)
The terms "first rain" and "latter rain" have actual names in Hebrew: Yoreh and Malkosh, respectively.
The reason for it is that the Climate in the land of Israel is Mediterranean, which results in there being a dry season in the summer, and a rainy season in the winter, and thus the local agricultural year is in sync with the Feasts of the Lord, which are describes in Torah.
On the day of atonement, which is the holiest time of the year in the Jewish calendar, the High priest would go into the Holy of Holies, and he would pray in the outer chamber a short prayer of this content: "May it be Thy will, God our Lord, that this year be full of heavy rains. And if it is hot, let it be full of heavy rains." (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yoma 53:2).
Truly it's a rare sense of bliss to experience the First rain. A highly spiritual event, that doesn't have a date determined for it in your calendars. It starts when it starts, and then for half an hour everyone stops fighting each other online and start sharing love.
In the picture: today's Yoreh, a view from Mount of Olives, thanks to the photographer Charles.
