Posts by Rabbi George Gittleman

Ah, the rain! I went for a walk in the rain this morning to share in its blessing.  It was misty and damp and I meandered along a path covered with a yellow, orange- red carpet of fallen fall foliage with the occasional squish of my boots in the newly-born mud, the soft, pitter patter of water cascading down; a gift from heaven.  Ah, the rain, it’s blessing tangible after so little for so long, as if one could feel the earth and all that dwells within it…..sigh.

This morning it reminded me of one of my favorite stories from our tradition about rain and goes like this:

There was a drought in the land of Israel and the people went to Honi, the Circle Maker (one of the greatest Jewish sages and Shamans of his time) and asked him to pray for rain.  Honi contemplated their request and then said: “The problem is that there is not enough rachamim, compassion amongst the people.  If you want rain, start treating each other with compassion, then the rain will come.”

This first rain of the season feels like rachamim to me.  As our hearts open for the parched Sonoma County landscape may we also be inspired to open our hearts to the people all around us.

Av Harachamim, Source of Compassion, have compassion on us.  Let it rain!  Let it rain a great shower of compassion outside and inside our hearts as well.