Siman 117

The ninth blessing is the blessing of the years. And they established it as the ninth corresponding to those who inflate prices, for David said it in the ninth: "Break the arm of the wicked," and it refers to those who inflate prices (Megillah 17a). And even though before us it is in Psalm 10, nevertheless our sages, of blessed memory, received a tradition that "Happy is the man" and "Why do the nations rage" are one portion (Berakhot 10b). And it contains thirty words corresponding to the twenty-three words in the verse "The Lord will open for you..." and the seven in the verse "You open Your hand" (Tur). And some say "and satisfy us from Your goodness [mituvecha]," and so wrote the Rosh in a responsum. And some say "and satisfy us from its goodness [mituvah]" and it refers to the land. And there are those who in the city say "mituvah" and on the road "mituvecha," and to this the Kabbalists agreed (as the Shelah wrote in his prayer book).

In Eretz Yisrael, they begin to say "v'ten tal u'matar" from the night of the seventh of Marheshvan, because it is a land of mountains and valleys, and therefore requires rain immediately after the festival. And the reason they do not request it immediately after the festival is for the sake of the festival pilgrims, so that they may arrive at their homes (Mishnah 10a). And even though according to this, in this time they should have requested it immediately after the festival, nevertheless, the enactment was not changed. And there is in the Gemara (4b) another reason: because of the fruits placed in the fields until the seventh of Marheshvan, and one should not seek rain then so that the fruits do not rot (see Ran, first chapter of Taanit, and Beit Yosef). And the Rif did not bring this reason. And his reason appears to me to be so that they should not say that if there are no fruits in the field they should begin immediately, for it is not so, as the rabbis did not differentiate in their enactment. (And that which he brought the matter of the festival pilgrims is because this reason is in the Mishnah there, and he brought the Mishnah in its form as is his way. But the reason is not because of this, but rather because the enactment was not changed.)

And in Bavel, which is a low-lying land and does not require rain as much—they begin to ask for rain in the evening prayer of the sixtieth day after the tekufah of Tishrei. And the day of the tekufah is included in the sixty, even if the tekufah falls in the middle of the day or afterward, provided it is slightly before nightfall. For example: if the tekufah is on Sunday, the asking begins in the evening prayer on Tuesday night which belongs to Wednesday, and there are two full days in the continuation of the week between the tekufah and the asking, Monday and Tuesday. (And therefore the Pri Chadash is lenient in the first evening prayer if one forgot "tal u-matar," since there are not sixty full days, and consequently also in the morning prayer if the tekufah was afterward. And the Pri Megadim does not agree with this, see there. And the shamash announces after the half-kaddish "tal u-matar," so that everyone will know. And if he did not announce—it does not hinder.)

And we, the inhabitants of the Diaspora, follow the people of Babylonia as in all laws, even though this seemingly is not a matter of laws. The Rambam already wrote in the Commentary on the Mishnah in Ta'anit there that the matter depends on the regions, according to the time that they need rain. If so, in most European countries where they sow after Pesach, we should say "tal u-matar" in the summer, and behold, in the winter we do not need rain at all? The Rosh already elaborated on this in a responsum. And it is not similar to individuals who need rain, who say it in "Shome'a Tefillah" as will be explained, for we are not individuals but rather large countries. Nevertheless, the Rosh himself wrote that his words were not accepted at all, see there. It is as if a heavenly voice went out to act like the people of Babylonia. So too it is clear from the words of the Rambam in his composition in the second chapter, for he did not write as he wrote in the Commentary on the Mishnah, see there. Thus our teachers, the authors of the Shulchan Aruch, ruled without qualification, and such is the halacha. Anyone who casts doubt on this is worthy of punishment. And until when do we request? Until the eve of the first festival day of Pesach, and from then on we cease from requesting (see Magen Avraham, subsection 2).

If one requested rain during the summer months—he is sent back, whether he said "dew" or whether he did not say it (Beit Yosef). And what is the law of his return? If he uprooted his feet—he returns to the beginning of the prayer. And if he did not uproot his feet—he returns to "Barech Aleinu." And even if he remembered before he finished the blessing, nevertheless he returns to the beginning of the blessing. And it is not similar to one who did not mention it, who says it in the place where he stands, as I wrote in siman 114 regarding the mention, see there at the end of section 10. And likewise, if he did not request rain during the rainy months, even though he said "dew"—he is sent back. And in this, it is not similar to the mention, where they fulfill the obligation with "dew" as I wrote there, for regarding the mention of the might of the Holy One, Blessed be He, dew suffices as it is life for the world, and the dead will live through dew as I wrote there. This is not the case regarding the request, for without "rain," Heaven forbid, all the crops are ruined—it does not suffice without rain. But if he requested "rain" and did not request "dew"—it is not a hindrance, and he is not sent back.

And how should he act when he forgot to say "matar"? If he remembered immediately within the blessing, or immediately after the blessing before he began "Teka be-shofar" – he should say there "ve-ten tal u-matar al pnei ha-adamah," as I wrote regarding the mention in siman 114. And if he remembered after he began "Teka be-shofar" – he should say it in "Shome'a Tefillah." And in this regard it is superior to the mention, for the mention is not relevant to a prayer of supplication. This is not the case with the request, as he can say there "ve-ten tal u-matar al pnei ha-adamah, ki Atah shome'a...", for behold, he may request all supplications there, as will be explained in siman 119. And even if it were a fast day where he must say "Anenu" there – he should prioritize it before "Anenu," for "matar" is a hindrance and "Anenu" is not a hindrance when not said. However, if he did not remember until after "Shome'a Tefillah," if he has not yet started "Retzei" – he should say there "ve-ten tal u-matar al pnei ha-adamah" just as after the blessing of the years. And if he started "Retzei" – he returns to "Barekh Aleinu." To what do these words apply? When he has not uprooted his feet. But if he uprooted his feet – he returns to the beginning of the prayer. And "uprooted his feet" is not meant literally, but rather when he finished the entire prayer, which is "ha-mevarekh... ve-yihyu le-ratzon," even though he has not yet uprooted his feet – it is as if he uprooted and he returns to the beginning. However, when he says supplications after the prayer, such as "Elohai Netzor" and the like, if he has not yet finished the supplications – it is called "he has not uprooted his feet." And if he finished them – it is as if he uprooted. And if he is accustomed to saying "Yihyu le-ratzon" also after the supplications – it is not called uprooted until he says the "Yihyu le-ratzon" that is after the supplications. (Magen Avraham in siman 422, subsection 2, see there. And be precise and you will find it easy.) (See Chayei Adam, klal 24, section 15, who wrote: specifically a literal uprooting. And it requires further study.)

Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote in section 2: Individuals who require rain during the summer months do not request it in the Blessing of the Years, but rather in "Shome'a Tefillah." And even a large city like Nineveh, or an entire land such as Spain in its entirety or Ashkenaz in its entirety, are considered like individuals [who request it] in "Shome'a Tefillah." However, if in an entire land that required rain during the summer months an individual erred and requested "rain" in the Blessing of the Years, if he wishes, he may repeat the prayer as a voluntary prayer without the request in the Blessing of the Years. But he is not obligated to repeat it at all. Thus far his words. And according to this, it would appear that the opposite is also true, such as in our countries during the winter when we do not require rain, if one did not mention "tal u-matar," he also does not need to repeat it, just as in the summer when he said [it] as I have written, for the reasoning is the same. And also regarding praying as a voluntary prayer—we distance ourselves from this due to our lack of kavvanah, as our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote in siman 107, see there.

But I have not seen any of the great authorities who said so. All the codifiers wrote plainly that during the rainy season, if one did not say "tal u-matar" – he must repeat. And they wrote concerning our lands, and in all of our lands we do not need rain in the winter at all. Perhaps they maintain a distinction: that specifically where one said "tal u-matar" at a time when we need it, he does not repeat, but not when he did not say it at a time when we do not need it, since according to the halacha one must say it – he is obligated to repeat. In my humble opinion, there is no distinction in this. And I have never issued a ruling on this matter, nor have I issued a ruling to the contrary. And thus I have received from my youth, that in the generation before us there was one of the great authorities of the generation who did not want to issue a ruling on this matter. And know that the great authorities wrote that in any place where one must repeat, if he can hear the prayer from the shaliach tzibbur from beginning to end – he has fulfilled his obligation through this. And he must be careful then not to interrupt with any conversation, and also he should not answer "Baruch Hu u-Varuch Shemo," and should only answer "Amen" alone. And all of this requires further study. (See Magen Avraham subsection 4, who wrote that during the harvest time, if one said tal u-matar during the summer months – he certainly must repeat.)

And know that there are some of the great authorities who warned that even during a drought among us in the summer months, where we wrote to request in "Shomea Tefillah," nevertheless they should not say "v'ten tal u'matar," but rather they should increase supplications with verses and psalms of rain. And he wrote that two great authorities were punished for this (Bach, and the Magen Avraham cited him in subsection 3). But there are those who disagree on this (Taz subsection 2), and such is the common custom among us. And already a prayer for a drought has been printed in the prayer books for "Shomea Tefillah," and it contains "v'ten tal u'matar," and there is no reason to doubt this. And they should only be careful not to say this prayer except during a great drought where they see that the produce is ruined, and not during a minor drought. And they also wrote that even on Shabbat they mention the Thirteen Attributes, and say verses of rain (Magen Avraham ibid.). And this is not the custom in our province.