Q:
If a man’s plans are ruined, let’s say because of rain or snow, how should he feel towards the rain and snow?
A:
If a man’s plans are frustrated – let’s say he intended to go out today to go to work, because he had a big customer waiting for him, was going to give him a big order, but the telegram came to him that he won the $100,000 sweepstakes and he must go immediately to pick it up today, otherwise it would be lost, is he going to grumble because he’s losing that customer today?
When it rains, you have won the sweepstakes. Of course it sounds silly, but you never stopped to think what rain is. Every drop is a pearl. In the tefillah that people say for rain if it was missing for a long time, you say מודים אנחנו לך על כל טיפה וטיפה – we thank for every drop.
It was raining today. Did you stop to think, there are pearls falling down on your window? They’re pearls. I know it takes a great deal of training to think so, but when you understand the happiness of rain, rain makes you feel a certain joy. Snow stimulates your mind. Snow means your happiness. It’s a wealth for the soil when snow falls down on the soil.
And therefore, even though it may frustrate your plans, you should know Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s plan was to give you a gift of da’as, the gift of knowledge of him is more important than the money you could have made from this customer or the fun you could have had from the trip you intended to make. The gift of the phenomena of nature that Hakodosh Boruch Hu activates, it’s for your purpose, it’s for your neshamah. That’s why the rain came down, in order you should see the rain and you should sing in the rain.
(December 1989)
