Rain In Its Time

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

The one way to hold the rain up in the sky seems to be to be prepared for it.

I had my sister buy like 15 rain ponchos. And I don’t mean the flimsy ones. She could have catered Shavuos with what she spent on them.

But I wanted her to be able to enjoy my neighborhood, even if the weather was predicted as rainy and rotten, while she and her family visited for the holiday.

I don’t think a drop fell. It was awesome. Almost seemed like a trick.

And here’s the best part: she left all 15 for me, probably by mistake, when she left. So it will probably never rain here again!

Rain is one of those complex things. We like it better than snow because views or paintings. Who creates pictures of rain? You can’t even see it!

I’m not saying rain doesn’t have its great uses. It’s vital for production of fruits, vegetables, wheat, and healthy grass to feed the animals, which in many cases feed us. Rain fills the lakes and reservoirs and sustains us. It cools us in hot climates.

Rain seems awesome, except when it falls.

I guess what I’m recommending is night rain, when it gets in no one’s way and interferes with no activity.

But controlling when it shows up has never been a thing.

So, I’m just sharing the formula I’ve discovered this past holiday after an almost 90% prediction of rain. Buy expen-

Milk chocolate is no good when you’ve just eaten meat.

at least we don’t have to freeze when it comes. Still, with snow, we can have fun, build stuff, sled, and so on.

Who enjoys rain?

Maybe one kid who likes to play in the mud.

Snow provides skiing opportunities. Snowshoeing and cross-country walks. Even backdrops for beautiful mountain sive ponchos! Or just ignore the news, because their guess seems to be as good as ours and just causes stress and spending.

Truthfully, we need almost everything, rain included, although we need it in its right time. Now, where did I hear that before?

Oh yes, in the parsha at the end of Vayikra. G-d says as a blessing “He will bless us with rain in its time.” We don’t just want things; we want them at the right time. A husband is no good at three years old. Milk chocolate is no good when you’ve just eaten meat. A car is no good if you have no license. May we all get what we need when we need it!