Torah.org Siman 114: The law of mentioning the wind, rain, and dew The Judaism Site https://torah.org/learning/mishna-berura-s114/ SIMAN 114: THE LAW OF MENTIONING THE WIND, RAIN, AND DEW by Torah.org 114:1. We begin to say "Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hageshem" [Who causes the wind to blow, and the rain to fall] (1) within the second blessing [of the Amidah] (2) in the Mussaf prayer of the last day of Yom Tov of Sukkot, and we continue (3) until the Mussaf prayer of the first day of Yom Tov of Pesach. MB 1: Within the second blessing - Because this blessing includes reference to restoring life to the dead [Techiat Hameitim], and the rains are life to the world like restoring life to the dead. MB 2: In the Mussaf prayer, etc. - And it would be proper to mention with favor before HaShem, Blessed be He, from the first day of Sukkot, during which we are judged on water, but since the rains are a sign of curse during Sukkot - because it is impossible to dwell in the Sukkah while it is raining - we do not mention the rain until the seven days of dwelling in the Sukkah have passed. And it would be legally most proper to begin to mention it immediately in the evening of the last day of Yom Tov, except that since not everyone is in shul for the evening prayer it would happen that some would mention it and some would not mention it, and we would be split into groups. And why do we not mention it in Shacharit [the morning prayer]? There are those who write that it is because it is prohibited to mention the rain until the Chazzan or the Shamash announces in a loud voice "Morid Hageshem" before the prayer, as explained later, and it is impossible to announce it in Shacharit because of the requirement to join Geula [redemption] to Tefilla [the Amidah - meaning that there can be no talking, even for an announcement such as this]. And for another explanation see the Turei Zahav. And if one makes a mistake and mentions "Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hageshem" during Maariv [the evening prayer] or at Shacharit of Shmini Atzeret he does not repeat [the Amidah]. MB 3: Until the Mussaf prayer - The reason that we do not stop in the evening is also as above, that there will not be confusion with one person still saying it, and this one not; rather, because we stop at Mussaf everyone knows from the announcement of the Chazzan or the Shamash "Morid Hatal" [Who causes dew to fall] before the Mussaf prayer, because the announcement to mention dew is a sign to them to stop mentioning rain. This is according to the Minhag of "Nusach Sephard", where they have a custom to say "Morid Hatal" in place of "Morid Hageshem" during the summer. But in our country, where we do not have the custom to say "Morid Hatal" in the summer, such an announcement would be Page: 1 Torah.org Siman 114: The law of mentioning the wind, rain, and dew The Judaism Site https://torah.org/learning/mishna-berura-s114/ inappropriate, and to announce explicitly to stop saying "Morid Hageshem" is also incorrect because it would appear as if we were refusing [to pray] for rain, according to the statement that "they do not pray out of an abundance of good" [meaning because we are satisfied, we feel no need to pray]. Therefore, the Rama ruled in Seif 3 that we have the custom not to stop mentioning rain until the Mincha [afternoon] prayer, by which point everyone has already heard that the Chazzan stopped during the Mussaf prayer. But during Mussaf itself the entire congregation - including the Chazzan - mentions rain in their silent prayer, so that there will not be a confusion in the community. And if one makes a mistake in Maariv, Shachrit, or Mussaf of Pesach, and does not mention "Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hageshem," then according to everyone he need not repeat [the Amidah]. [Today the normal custom even in synagogues using "Nusach Ashkenaz" is for the Chazzan to pray for dew at Mussaf on Pesach. -- YM] 114:2. (4) It is forbidden to mention rain until the Chazzan announces it. (5) {Rama: And some say that before we pray Mussaf the Shamash announces (6) "Mashiv Haruach . ." so that the community will say it in their [silent] prayers, and this is our custom.} Thus, (7) even if one is ill or forced, (8) he should pray earlier than community, because it is forbidden to mention [rain] until the Chazzan says. But if one knows that the Chazzan has announced it, even though he did not hear [the announcement], then he should mention [rain in his prayers]. For this reason if one comes to the shul and finds the congregation already praying, he should pray and mention rain (9) even though he did not hear it from the Chazzan. MB 4: It is forbidden to mention, etc. - That is to say, even the congregation that is praying the Mussaf prayer is forbidden to mention rain if the Chazzan or the Shamash did not announce it before the prayer as the Rama explained above. Even the Chazzan should not mention it except when he repeats his prayers out loud, but not in his silent prayer since it was not announced beforehand. After the fact, if someone said "Morid Hageshem" in a loud voice during his prayer, even though it is forbidden to do so since he did not hear it from the Chazzan, in any case, it is permissible for those who hear him to mention it in their prayers, since this itself is an announcement - so writes the Chayei Adam. And it appears to me that if they did not mention rain in this prayer they do not need to repeat [the Amidah], because there are Poskim who explain that it is not called an announcement unless it is made before the prayer, or it is heard from the Chazzan during his repetition of the Amidah. And even the Chayei Adam only ruled [that for others to mention rain is] permissible, and not obligatory. MB 5: And some say that before, etc. - This is a printer's error. It should read "meaning [instead of 'and some say'], before..." - there is no contrary opinion. MB 6: "Mashiv Haruach . .", etc. - See in the Chayei Adam, who warns not to follow the custom of those who announce only "Mashiv Haruach" [without "Umorid HaGeshem" - and the rain to fall], because this is not a sufficient announcement, for in some places they also say "Mashiv Haruach" in the summer. Rather, one should finish "Umorid Hageshem". Page: 2 Torah.org Siman 114: The law of mentioning the wind, rain, and dew The Judaism Site https://torah.org/learning/mishna-berura-s114/ MB 7: Even if one is ill - Meaning, if one is not ill then he is forbidden to pray before the community during the entire year, as explained in Siman 90. MB 8: He should not make [his prayer] earlier - Even if he is praying at home he is forbidden to mention it before the community prays. Therefore, those who live in the outer settlements and pray without a Minyan should delay praying the Mussaf prayer until close to noon on Shmini Atzeret, for certainly the community will not delay the Mussaf prayer beyond this time, and then they should pray Mussaf and include "Mashiv Haruach UMorid Hageshem". MB 9: Even though he - Since they probably already announced it. 114:3. If one said (10) "Mashiv Haruach" {in the summer} or did not say it in the rainy season, (11) we do not make (12) him repeat [the Amidah]. And also concerning dew, if one mentioned it during the rainy season or (13) did not mention it during the summer, we do not make him repeat. {Rama: But we, who follow the Nusach Ashkenaz, do not mention dew either in the summer (14) or in the rainy season. Rather, in the summer we only say "Rav Lehoshia, Mechalkel Chaim" etc. [In the second blessing, we proceed directly from "[Who is] Great to save" to "Who sustains the living"]. Some say that the Chazzan stops mentioning rain in the Mussaf prayer of the first day of Pesach, but the congregation mentions it and only stops (15) at Mincha, (16) since then they have already heard from the Chazzan that he stopped during the Mussaf prayer. And this is our custom.} MB 10: "Mashiv Haruach" - That is to say, "Mashiv Haruach" only, and he did not mention rain. MB 11: We do not make [him] repeat - Since the winds and dew do not stop all year long, and the saying of these words does not affect their occurance. Nonetheless, a priori it is the universal custom to say "Mashiv Haruach" [Who causes the winds to blow] during the rainy season, because the wind diminishes the great wetness of the land. MB 12: Him - Even if he has not completed the blessing, because one is never required to mention wind and dew at all. MB 13: Did not mention it - The author is explaining according to the Nusach Sephard, where they have the custom a priori to say "Morid Hatal" during the summer - even according to them we do not make him repeat afterwards since the Sages did not obligate him in this. MB 14: Or in the rainy season - We only ask for dew as well [as rain] in a request [meaning we never praise G-d in the second blessing as He Who brings down dew -- YM], because we are asking for it as a blessing, because there is dew that is not a blessing.