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Rabbis Call for Day of Fasting, Prayers for Rain

Protocols set for upcoming day of fasting, for those who can, including the order of prayers, and encourage people to fast as much as they can.

By Jonah Mandel for the Jerusalem Post

Israel’s chief rabbis are calling on the public to pray for rain, and declared this Thursday a special day of fasting and prayer to atone for the sins that are likely preventing the direly missing rainfall.

“The summer is gone as is most of the winter, and we are yet to be redeemed by the downfall of rains of blessing, and the state of the waters in the Land of Israel is under duress and great distress, especially since this is not the first year of drought, and the land is dry due to our many sins, and this is a troubling matter,” Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger and Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar wrote in a letter sent out last Thursday.

“It is our duty to seek and delve into our deeds, and come close to God with all our hearts, and set forth our pleas with a broken and despondent heart,” the rabbis wrote.

The rabbis set out the protocol for the upcoming day of fasting, for those who can take it upon themselves, including the order of prayers, and encouraged people to fast as much as they could.

Metzger and Amar also issued the text for a special prayer to be recited every time Torah scrolls are taken from the ark, while it’s open: “With one heart, as one person, and [the prayers] shall rise to the will of our Father in the Sky, who will gush out His blessings upon us, with grace, benevolence and mercy.”

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10 Comments

  • Chana Schoenberg

    living here in ramat bet shemesh and jersualem, I can attest to the dryness and how the land is thristing for water; All the foilage is greenish brown and dusty. The street where my son lives generally a beautiful street in Rechavia, is dry,dusty and parched It has affected our fruits and vegetables – quality as well as financially-less than mediocre produce for crazy prices! day after day, warm, dry and windy..with not a cloud in sight.. not having much needed rain we are all suffering physically as well as emotionally and spiritually….please daven and increase in your acts of chesed among each other; after all this is your country too…..

  • Ruth Seliger

    BS”D

    thanks Chana for caring to write that description. It is the first i have heard about it.

  • Rain

    Also there should be some info about the prayers suggested etc… or perhaps a link to a main article

  • Raizel

    I moved to Israel in the summer. Here in Yerushalayim it has drizzles 2 times since we came. We will be joining the day of davening and fasting for the brocha of rain.

  • Chana

    I find it incredulous that there is such little responses to this situation. This is Israel and it effects all of us. When there is an incident involving some black males and their hedious behaviors and the poice then there are many comments as to the injustice of it all. Here is a sitiuation where your country is suffereing! What is this out of sight out of mind???

    Although Israel and dwelling here has never been so much the Luba way, neverheless when Moshiach comes we want this country to be lush and green to welcome his arrival!

    the fsst is Thursday. But as a true Luba perhaps instead of fasting taking on a special mitzvah doing a chesed for someone that you don’t particularlly like, making a phone call to that relative that pesters you, repaying back the $ you owe someone with a simle, or how about this one; paying a bit of money that someone owes a store keeper like at Kleins, House of Glatt, the list is numerous-all done in the zechus for our much needed rain which as I said before effects all of us..after all where do you think you get those luscious oranges..when florida or califonria can’t supply, perhaps they come from Israel assuming that we have an available supply Enough said!
    chana

  • I agree

    I agree with comment number 6. Yidden do act of kindness and smile at your fellow Jew instead of just staring with a cold face and making a person feel like nothing.

  • Rabbi A

    Bli Neder,i will join with the yidden in Eretz Yisrael in fasting on thursday as much as i can.chana ur right,ur pain should and is our pain,for we are one nation.i will have E.Y in mind when i say the bracha for rain(barech alienu.i told my friends about the situation in E.Y.and we are with u.may hashem hear our cry.grant us rain and all we need.and hashem should send moshiach ending this bitter golus.

  • Chaim

    Instead of fasting Israel’s chief rabbis should call on everyone to stop Israel from talking about giving away the West Bank to Palestinian Terrorists who will use it to kill Jews And to vandalize the Kivrei Tzadikim in the West Bank

  • Divine warning?

    In addition to impending drought there
    are also earthquake tremors in the north.
    Is the Ribono Shel Olam sending a message.

    I think more effective than fasting is for Israel
    to clean up its act. Besides refraining from giving
    up land, they also have to refrain from CONDONING, AND EVEN
    SUPPORTING, IMMORAL SEXUAL BEHAVIORS! DISGUSTING! Should I
    dare say if this does not vindicate Neturei Karta?