Monday 4 October 2010

Rain on Sukkot

Recently Rebbetzin Toby Katz wrote in the Avodah List:

«The rest of Klal Yisrael considers it a "potsh in panim" if it rains the first night of Sukkos -- a sign that Hashem seems to have rejected our efforts at fulfilling the mitzva of Sukkah. We wait even until midnight to see if the rain will stop so that we can sit in the sukka and make the bracha»

Actually the Mishnah in Sukkah does indeed state this, but IMHO this may be misperceived...

This IS true imho in Eretz Yisroel - Tamid einei Hashem Elokecha bah [Eiqev 11:12] and the Mishnah was composed of course in EY!

This is not true - or at least not necessarily true and seems hubris to say so - in the Golah based upon the small percentage of Jews and the varying climactic conditions

Ergo the potsh in panim to me would be

Applicable in EY
And
Not applicable and probably an unnecessary guilt trip in the Golah [unless it's a desert or the like such as Bavel]

Shalom
RRW

2 comments:

Garnel Ironheart said...

The reason we don't do Tashlich on Shabbos is because we carry a siddur to say all those tehillim and in some places we don't have an eiruv so it was decided that no place should do Tashlich on Shabbos. Why didn't they just say "If you live in a place with an eiruv, do Tashlich on Shabbos?"
Are you advocating a region by region approach to eating in the Sukkah if it rains on Shabbos? Is it okay to go into the house in Phoenix, Arizona but not Vancouver BC? Who decides what places are rainy zones and what aren't?

Bob Miller said...

How we react to rain in the sukkah can be independent of whether the rain in our locale represents a rebuke or not.