“Raise your eyes and look about from the place where you are, to the north, to the south, to the east and to the west. For all the land that you see I give to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants too will be countable. Rise, walk the land through the length and breadth, for to you I will give it.”

The Genesis Apocryphon (also called the Tales of the Patriarchs), one of the non Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls that was found in Qumran in 1946 gives a very similar account of God’s covenant with Avraham. In the Genesis Apocryphon, God tells Avraham to go up to Ramat Chatzor, north of Beit El and take a look at the land from there.

Although the Genesis Apocryphon is not a Biblical text, it is helpful as it points us in the direction of the cliff of Chatzor, just north of Ofra. The cliff of Chatzor is 1016 meters high and is the tallest mountain in the center of the country.

I had the honor of visiting this spot on a TaNaCh tiyul (trip) with Rav Yoel Bin Nun. It is understandable why this would be the spot where Avraham saw the entire land. From this mountain, you can see the Hermon in the north as well as the southern coastal plain.

Let’s follow in Avraham’s footsteps and continue to travel the land thereby fulfilling the mitzvah of inheriting the land as promised in the original covenant with Avraham.

Parshat Lech Lecha begins with the words (Breisheet 12:1):

God said to Avram, “Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.”

Breisheet Rabba 39:1 teaches:

Rabbi Yitzchak commenced his discourse with (Tehillim 45:11) “Hear me, daughter; look around and listen; forget your own people and your father’s house, and let the king crave your beauty.”

Both verses show leaving home in a way that is the opposite of how one would normally leave- first you would leave your house, then your birthplace and then your country.

Etz Yosef (Chanokh Zundel ben Yosef) comments:

The verse says “Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house” but it really should have said the opposite- leave your house, then your birthplace and then your country! However, we are not talking about physically leaving, rather we are talking about spiritually leaving- first you will forget the customs of the land, then the customs of your family and then the customs of your father’s house. We see this as well from the words “Hear me, daughter; look around and listen; forget your own people and your father’s house.”

Rabbi Yitzchak explains that the leaving that is described is spiritual- leaving the easier place before leaving the more difficult place. First we forget the land, then we forget our birthplace and only afterwards we forget our father’s house.

Each oleh (immigrant to Israel) experiences what Avraham went through. You have to leave your country, your birthplace and your family.

Many people who made aliya left their country of origin because they were not happy there, even if it was their birthplace. They may have made aliya to get away from persecution, anti-Semitism or third world countries. Others saw more value in living in Israel and were happy to give up their country and birthplace. However, uprooting yourself and moving far away from your parents and family can be much more difficult.

Today, one can say that it is easier to make aliya since we have airplanes and you can just hop on a flight and visit whenever you want to. However, since Covid we have seen that it is not so easy to travel and now with the war, a lot of airlines have stopped flying and the flights that are available are either very expensive or entail stopovers. As people get older, it may become more difficult for them to make the trip.

It is important to remember that just as Avraham made a sacrifice and left his family behind, so too many olim come on their own and start a new life in Israel without any family.

A nice phenomenon that I have seen, especially when teaching in senior residences, is that many parents end up moving to Israel after their children have made aliya, so ultimately the families become reunited in Israel.

May all those who want to move to Israel have the courage to follow Avraham’s path.

In Parshat Lech Lecha, after Avraham separates himself from Lot
(Breisheet 13:14-15), God tells him:

Raise your eyes and look from the place where you are, to the north, to
the south, to the east and to the west. For all the land that you see I give to
you and to your descendents forever…

The words “Ki et kol ha’aretz asher ata roeh, lecha
etnena u’lezaracha ad olam” were made famous in the song “Lecha eten et
Ha’aretz Hazot” sung by Dedi Graucher z”l to the tune by Mona Rosenblum. The
song quotes the original words from the Torah in order to show that the land
promised to Avraham belongs to his descendants forever.

This song was made famous thirty years ago during the Oslo accords and
is still popular in the Religious-Zionist camp.

Other songs that connected to the Land of Israel which can be found in
Dedi’s collection include “Hevron Meaz
u’Letamid,” Hevron always and forever”, “Lo Nazuz Mipo,” “We will not move from
here” and “Hu Yigal Otanu Bikarov”,  “God
will redeem us soon.”

Dedi was also known for his acts of
chesed (loving kindness). He helped raise money for organizations that help
kids with special needs and kids with cancer and he was always happy to sing at
hospitals and for different charities.

Dedi passed away last month but his
songs remain with us. Dedi’s emphasis on the Jewish people’s connection to the
Land of Israel continues to resonate with Jews throughout the world.

The legacy of great music combined
with chesed continues in Israel. During this current war, we have seen Hanan
Ben Ari step up to the plate in so many ways, doing concerts for Zaka workers,
singing Kabbalat Shabbat songs at hospitals, performing at small impromptu
weddings free of charge and even singing at soldiers funerals. He has brought
so much joy and light to so many people during this time of darkness.

The popular Israeli singer, Yishai Ribo who recently sold out Madison
Square Garden went down to an army base in the south to entertain the soldiers
and build up their morale by singing “Am Yisrael Chai”, “The Jewish Nation is
Alive.” He also encouraged Charedim to volunteer in helping the war effort.

Last week, Noa Kirel who performed on behalf of Israel at the Eurovision
helped the Friends of the IDF raise almost $30 million which will go to buy
ambulances and mobile operating rooms. She recently sang Hatikva while draped
in an Israeli flag at the Brooklyn Nets vs. Maccabi Ra’anana game in Brooklyn,
NY.

As we read this week’s parsha, may we be reminded of the Jewish people’s
claim to the Land of Israel and the beautiful songs that keep us connected to
the land and people of Israel.

At 75 years old, when Sarai saw that she was still unable to conceive, she decided to
give her handmaid, Hagar, to Avram (Breisheet 16:2-3):

 Sarai said to Avram: “See
now, God has restrained me from having children; Come to my handmaid; perhaps
(ulai) I will be built up through her”. Avram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai, Avram’s wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Avram had
dwelt ten years in the Land of C’naan and gave her to Avram,
her husband to be his wife.

Sarai was hoping that Hagar
would serve as a surrogate mother for her child. The fact that she said ulai,
perhaps, shows that she wasn’t sure how it would turn out.

Radak comments:

When Sarai realized that her husband was already 85 years old, and
she still had not been able to bear a child for him, while she herself had
already reached the age of 75, she thought that she had no longer any hope of
conceiving herself. She therefore reasoned to herself, that seeing God had
promised Avram that he would have children of his own who would inherit the
Land of Canaan, God must have referred to his siring children from another
woman. She reasoned further that it would be in her own best interest that any
children born to her husband should be born by a woman under her control so
that she would experience the joy of motherhood at least vicariously.

Radak adds:

All children are a building consisting of genetic input by father
and mother. Sarai said that any son from this union with her husband would be
accepted by her as if he were part of her biological family. She would treat
him as her own son.

Sometimes surrogate motherhood worked in the TaNaCh and sometimes
it didn’t.

In the case of Sarai and Hagar it did not work. Hagar’s son,
Yishmael was never considered to be Sarai’s baby. In the end, after her name
was changed, Sarah was blessed to have Yitzchak, a baby of her own, fifteen
years later.

There are other cases where surrogacy did seem to work such as with
Rachel and Leah’s handmaids, Bilha and Zilpa.

In Breisheet 30:3-6, Rachel gives her handmaid, Bilha to Yaakov and
she is confident that Bilha will serve as a surrogate mother:

Rachel said (to Yaakov), “Here is my maid Bilha. Come to her and
let her give birth on my lap. Through her I will then also have a son.” So she gave him her handmaid Bilha as a wife, and Ya’akov came to
her. Bilha conceived and gave birth to Ya’akov’s son. Rachel said, “God has
judged (dan) me and has also heard my prayer. He has finally given me a son.”
Therefore she named the child Dan.

In Breisheet
30:7-8 we read:

Rachel’s maid
Bilha conceived again and gave birth to a second son by Yaakov. Rachel said, “A fateful contest I waged with my sister; yes, and
I have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali.

In Breisheet
30:9-13 Leah took her handmaid to be a surrogate as well:

When Leah realized
that she was no longer having children, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her
to Jacob as a wife. When Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son, Leah said, “What
luck!” So she named him Gad. When Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah declared,
“What fortune!” meaning, “Women will deem me fortunate.” So she named him
Asher.

When Bilha and
Zilpa gave birth, their sons were considered to be Rachel and Leah’s children.
Rachel and Leah named the babies who became equal members of the Twelve Tribes
of Israel.

We see from
here that even in the days of the Torah, sometimes surrogacy worked and
sometimes it didn’t.

One difference
between then and now is that in the time of the Torah the surrogate mothers
were handmaids and didn’t have a say in the matter while today a woman chooses
to serve as a surrogate.

May all those
who are seeking to have a child be blessed!

When we first meet Avram and Sarai, at the end of Parshat Noach, they
are travelling. They begin their journey along with their family from Ur Kasdim
(Ur of Chaldees) in southern Mesopotamia (probably Southern Iraq today) heading
towards the Land of C’naan (Israel today). On their way they stop in Haran (south
eastern Turkey) where Terach, Avram’s father passes away.

Parshat Lech Lecha (Breisheet 12:1) begins with God speaking to Avram: “Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s
house, and go to the land that I will show you.”

Avram and Sarai set out along with
Lot (Sarai’s brother and Avram’s nephew) and their followers towards the Land
of C’naan.

Once in C’naan, they travel to
Shchem, to Elon Moreh. God appears to Avram there and promises the land to his
descendants.

Avram and Sarai then move to the
mountain east of Beit El, pitch their tents between Beit El and Ai, build a
mizbeach (altar) and proclaim the name of God. They then journey south, to the
Negev.

During the famine, they travel down
to Egypt and are sent away when Pharaoh discovers that Avram and Sarai are
married.

They return to the spot where they
originally pitched their tents, between Beit El and Ai. Lot moves to the lush Jordan
plain (Sdom and Amorah) while Avram remains in C’naan.

God reaffirms His promise to Avram
that the entire land would belong to him and his descendants.

They finally settle in Elonei Mamre,
Chevron and Avram builds a mizbeach.

When Avram is told that Lot and his
kinsmen are taken captive in a war, he takes his men and pursues them to Dan
(north) to Chovah (to the left of Damascus).

Radak (Breisheet 12:6) explains that
Avram was traveling through the land with his herds and flocks yet he was not
challenged by anyone as being guilty of encroaching on their property, stealing
their grazing land, etc. This was proof that God was with him. Avram was well
aware that this was a demonstration of God’s keeping His promise to him that
his very presence would be considered a blessing for the people surrounding
him.

In the Talmud, Bava Batra 100a, we
see that Avraham’s travels were a way for him to acquire the land:

After God promised the Land of
Israel to Avraham, He instructed him: “Arise, walk through the land, its length and its breadth;
for I will give it to you” (Breisheet 13:17), in order
that Abraham should thereby acquire the land.

It was due to God’s love for Avraham that He told to him to travel
the land, so that it would be easy
for his descendants to conquer the land in the future. His
walking the land was to demonstrate the divine promise and thereby emphasize
his descendants’ claim to the land, but he did not formally acquire the land at
that time.

The acquisition would only take
effect after Avraham’s descendants would go down to Egypt and return and
conquer the land with Yehoshua.

By traveling the land, we too show
that we care.

We are now living in a difficult
time where tourists who love the land can’t enter the country due to corona
restrictions and Israelis were not permitted to leave their homes over the
holidays, when most of the population traditionally goes touring and hiking.

May we quickly return to the days
when we can travel the land and spend time in the places visited by Avraham and
Sarah.

In Parshat Lech Lecha (Breisheet
13:17), Avraham is told:

Rise, walk (hithalech) the land
through its length and breadth, for to you I will give it.

This reminds us of Yishayahu 42:5 where
we read:

Thus says God the Lord, He that
created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth,
and that which comes out of it; He that gives breath to the people upon it and
a spirit to those who walk within it (laholchim bah).

The Talmud, Ketubot 111a explains the
words “and a spirit to those who walk within it”: Rabbi Yirmiya bar Abba said
in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, “Whoever walks four amot (cubits) in Eretz
Yisrael is assured of a portion in the World to Come.”

Maharit (Tshuvot Maharit II, Yoreh
Deah 28) suggests that this may even apply to a tourist who has no intention of
settling in the Land of Israel. Maharit declares that there is no known mitzvah
associated with visiting the Land of Israel, yet one still receives merit. He
even suggests that one who was not able to fulfill the mitzvah of settling the
Land of Israel when they were alive still receives merit for being buried
there.

Receiving merit is a step in the
right direction and that is why it is so wonderful to see so many tourists
visiting Israel on a regular year. However, with numerous travel restrictions
in place due to Covid, many people who would have wanted to travel to Israel
don’t have that opportunity.

Unfortunately, during these
difficult times, there are those who can only get in to Israel to bury a loved
one.

May we merit to have tourists safely
come back to walk the Land of Israel and may Jews continue to make aliya and fully
observe the mitzvah of Yishuv Ertetz Yisrael, the Settlement of the Land of
Israel.

Sponsored by Hanna Hollander in memory of Yosef Meltser, loving
father, husband and grandfather. May his neshama have an aliya

Shortly after Avram and Sarai arrive
in the Land of C’naan, there is a famine so Avram takes Sarai down to Egypt.
Avram tells Sarai to act as his sister so that the Egyptians won’t kill him in
order to take her. Pharaoh’s officials take Sarai to Pharaoh. God then afflicts
Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues. Pharaoh figures out that Sarai
is really Avram’s wife and he sends them and all of their possessions out of
Egypt.

Professor Rabbi Moshe David Cassuto points out that there are many
similarities between the story of Avram and Sarai going down to Egypt during
the famine in Parshat Lech Lecha, the account of the twelve tribes going down
to Egypt due to a famine at the end of the Book of Breisheet and the
description of the Exodus in the Book of Shmot.

Below are a few similarities which especially stand out:

In Breisheet 12:10: “There was a famine in the land. Avram went
down to Egypt to live there temporarily, for the famine was severe in the
land.”

In Breisheet 43:1: “The famine was severe in the land.”

In Breisheet 47:4: “They (Yosef’s brothers) said to Pharaoh: ‘We have
come to live in the land temporarily, since there is no pasture for your
servant’s flocks, because the famine is severe in the land of C’naan…”

When Avram left Egypt (Breisheet 13:1-2) “Avram went up from Egypt, he,
his wife and all he had, together with Lot in the south. Avram was very wealthy
in livestock, silver and gold.”

When B’nai Yisrael left Egypt, they received silver and gold as well.

B’nai Yisrael also went through the Negev.

In addition, we can’t ignore the fact that there were plagues in each
story which pushed Pharaoh to let them leave.

B’nai Yisrael’s enslavement in Egypt was not a coincidence. It was
already part of God’s plan in the days of Avraham.

Cassuto explains that the fact that Avram and Sarai were saved and that
B’nai Yisrael were eventually redeemed from Egypt teaches us that God is ready
to protect us from danger. This gives hope to future generations when they will
be in similar situations.

It is important to note that while Cassuto made aliya in 1939 and many
of his family members were saved from dangerous situations, his son, Nathan, a
rabbi in Florence went into hiding until he was betrayed and killed in the Nazi
death camps in 1943. Three of Nathan’s children were saved by family and were
able to make aliya. Nathan’s wife survived the concentration camps but was
killed in Israel in the Hadassah medical convoy massacre in 1948.

Although Cassuto did not have an easy life, he continued writing and his
works made a tremendous contribution to Biblical scholarship. Cassuto had faith
that God’s plans would fall into place and he hoped that God would continue to
rescue us from our enemies just as He rescued our ancestors from Egypt. 

This week we will be commemorating
Rachel, our foremother’s yahrzeit. Out of all of the forefathers and
foremothers, Rachel’s yahrzeit is the only one officially commemorated by the
Jewish community.

On Rachel’s yahrzeit, men and women
from all over Israel come to Kever Rachel, Rachel’s Tomb to pray. Many women
who are fertility challenged specifically come to Kever Rachel to pray for a
child.

Why Rachel?

Each of our foremothers had a
difficult time conceiving but Rachel’s story specifically stands out.

When Leah was able to conceive, she
gave birth to child after child while Rachel remained childless. This was a
very difficult time for Rachel and she did not hide her emotions.

In Breisheet 30:1 we read: “Rachel
saw that she was not bearing children to Yaakov. Rachel became jealous of her
sister, and she said to Yaakov, “Give me children; if not I am considered
dead.”

Rachel was jealous, she felt
worthless, she was open with her husband and told him exactly how she felt.

Yaakov’s answer which does not seem
sympathetic is found in sentence 2, “Yaakov became very angry with Rachel and
he said, ‘Am I in God’s place? It is He who has withheld from you the fruit of
the womb.’”

Rachel did not accept this
unsympathetic answer. Rather than get into an argument, she took action.

Where did Rachel gain inspiration
from? She remembered that Sarah, Yaakov’s grandmother also had trouble getting
pregnant as we read in Parshat Lech Lecha, Breisheet 16:1: “Avram’s wife Sarai
had not borne him children. She had an Egyptian handmaid whose name was Hagar.
Sarai said to Avram: “See now, God has restrained me from having children;
pray, come to my handmaid perhaps I will be built up through her (oolai ibaneh
mimenah)…”

Rachel told Yaakov in Breisheet
30:3, “Here is my handmaid, Bilha, consummate a marriage with her. Let her give
birth upon my knees, and I too will have a son through her (v’ibaneh gam anochi
mimenah).”

Even though it didn’t work out well
with Hagar (Yishmael did not end up being Sarah’s surrogate son as she was
hoping), since Sarah was so selfless, in the end she gave birth to Yitzchak, a
child of her own. According to Rashi, Rachel was willing to do whatever was
necessary to try to have a child including taking a chance of engaging a
surrogate mother hoping that if it didn’t work out well, God may still reward
her with a child.

In Rachel’s case, Bilha served as a
surrogate mother and Rachel was blessed with Bilha’s children being considered
as her own. In Sentence 6, “Rachel said, ‘God has judged me. He also heard my
voice and has given me a son.’ She therefore named him Don (judge).” When Bilha
gave birth to a second son, in sentence 8, Rachel named him Naftali which
according to Rashi means “my prayer was accepted.”

Rachel is happy with her two
“surrogate” children yet she still does not give up on trying for a child of
her own. When she saw that Reuven had “doodaim” a type of flower often
translated as mandrakes or jasmine, thought to have fertility powers, she was
willing to trade a night with her husband.

After Leah had a few more children,
Rachel finally got pregnant as it says in Breisheet 30:22-24, “God remembered
Rachel and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and gave
birth to a son. She said, ‘God has removed my shame.’ She named him Yosef,
saying, ‘May God add (yosef) to me another son.’”

Rachel’s faith was evident. Although
we didn’t hear her prayer, we see that God listened. She was open about feeling
shame in being unable to conceive. Instead of being satisfied with the fact
that she finally gave birth, she didn’t waste any time and prayed for another
child. Rashi points out that prophetically Rachel knew that Yaakov would have
twelve tribes and she wanted to make sure that the last tribe would also come
from her.

We have seen so many reasons why
women who are fertility challenged can relate to Rachel. A woman who is not
afraid to show her feelings, to take the initiative, to pray, to arrange for a
surrogate mother to use fertility treatments and to never give up hope.

Today, we are living in a very
different world. We have many innovations that couples who are fertility
challenged can now take advantage of. Yet some things are still the same. The
pain that a woman may be feeling, the need for a good sympathetic and listening
ear, a space where she can be comfortable sharing her feelings, the desire to
pray but not knowing what to say or where to start are all as important today
as they were in the days of our foremothers.

At Keren Gefen’s Chavruta Fertility
Workshop in Jerusalem, women can find a community of participants who can gain
inspiration from the experiences of our foremothers by studying the Biblical
texts, commentaries and Midrash as well as discover prayer from a new point of
view through the exposure to techinot (special prayers that have been recited
by women on different occasions throughout the generations) and tap in to their
creative side by writing their own prayers and role playing through the method
of Bibliodrama.

For more information please call 058-656-3532, info@kerengefen.org www.kerengefen.org

In Parshat Lech Lecha we read about
Avraham’s choice to follow God to the Land of Israel.

This is not the only place in the
Tanach where Avraham’s journey is mentioned. At the end of Yehoshua’s life
(Yehoshua 24:2-4), in his last speech to B’nai Yisrael, Yehoshua says: “Thus
said Hashem, the God of Israel: ‘Your forefathers- Terach, the father of
Avraham and the father of Nachor- always dwelt beyond the Euphrates River and
they served gods of others. But I took your forefather Avraham from beyond the
river and led him throughout the Land of Cnaan; I increased his offspring and
gave him Yitzchak. To Yitzchak I gave Yaakov and Esav. To Esav I gave Mt. Seir
to inherit and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.’”

This account is familiar as we
recite it each year in the Magid section of the Passover Hagada “Mitchila ovdei
avoda zara hayu avoteinu”, “In the beginning our forefathers were idol
worshippers.”

Maharal explains that the three
generations are mentioned here to show that in each generation the idol
worshippers were rejected. Avraham was chosen over Nachor, Yitzchak was chosen
over Yishmael and Yaakov was chosen over Esav. All of Yaakov’s offspring were
holy and therefore all twelve tribes were chosen.

Our forefathers left the spiritual
enslavement of idol worship for the intellectual freedom of a faith based
religion. Avraham was the first to free himself from idol worship.

According to the Kabala, Avraham
passed away on Erev Pesach. Seven generations later, Yehoshua brings Avraham’s
descendents back to the land of Avraham.

At the end of Yehoshua’s speech the
nation declares their loyalty to the God of their forefathers and continues in
Avraham’s path.

At the Passover seder we also
declare our loyalty to the God of Avraham- the God who took us out of Egypt.

Abravanel explains that when God
brought Avraham to the Land of Israel, He revealed himself over and over again
to Avraham in prophetic visions. This shows the holiness of the Land of Israel.

With the founding of the State of
Israel, the Jewish people once again have the opportunity to follow in the
footsteps of Avraham and return to the holiest place on earth.

Last night (the Seventh of Cheshvan) in Israel we began
to include the prayer for rain “VeTen tal Umatar Livracha”, “and grant
rain and dew for a blessing” in the Birkhat haShanim blessing of the
Shmoneh Esrei.

Those outside of the Land of Israel
only begin to recite the prayer for rain sixty days after the fall season
begins (December 5).

Why is there a difference?

Originally, the sixty day rule was for the Jews who lived in
Bavel (Babylonia) which at the time was
considered the Golah (diaspora) where rain was only needed sixty days after the
fall season began. In the Middle Ages, the date for the Golah was extended to
Europe and North Africa even though the time
of year where rain is needed varies by the country. The exception was Provence and maybe a few other places which followed the
custom of the Land of Israel.

The
Rosh (Rabeinu Asher ben Yechiel 1259-1327, Germany,
Spain)
taught in his commentary on the Talmud, Taanit 12b: I am surprised that we follow the Babylonian practice in
this regard.  While our Talmud is Babylonian, the matter (of praying for
rain) depends upon the Land of Israel.  Why
should we not follow their custom?  Even if Babylonia
has abundant water and does not need rain, other countries need rain in Cheshvan so why delay the prayer until
the 60^th day of the
season?  Why should we not follow the ruling of the Mishnah?  In Provence I have seen
that they pray for rain beginning with
Cheshvan and I heartily approve!

The Tur, Rabeinu Asher’s son did not accept his opinion and
those in the Golah continued to follow the sixty day rule.

Dr. Moshe Sokolow in
his article “VeTen Tal U-Matar, What is So Holy about the 4^th (or 5^th or 6^th) of December? 
Some Insights into the Interplay between the Calendar and the Liturgy”, points
out that in 1637, in
the Portuguese colony of Recife, in Brazil, one of the first religious problems
was reckoning the proper time to say VeTen Tal U-Matar Lvracha. 
On the one hand they were all accustomed to following the Babylonian custom,
which had won out, time and again, over all attempts — such as that of R.
Asher — to modify it in accordance with local conditions.  On the other
hand was the overwhelming illogic of praying for rain during Brazil’s
summer, and forgoing the prayer precisely when rain was needed, just because
the tradition was founded in another era and a different hemisphere!
Congregation Zur
Yisrael raised this question in a letter to Rabbi Chaim Shabbetai of
Salonica, whose answer set the precedent by which most of the Jews of South
America and Australia
abide to this very day.  Basing himself upon the opinions of Rambam and
taking the responsum of Rabeinu Asher into consideration, Rabbi Shabbetai ruled
that since during the months of Nisan through Tishrei prayers for rain may be
recited only in Shome’a
Tefillah as individuals and since one should not have to pray for rain
at a time in which it would be harmful for him, the Jews of Brazil should:

Never say Viten Tal
U-Matar  in Birkhat
haShanim;

Never even say Mashiv haRu’ah U’Morid haGeshem (He
makes the wind blow and He makes the rain fall)

During their winter they were entitled to say ViTen Tal U-Matar in Shome’a
Tefillah if the need arose.

In Israel
we started praying for rain during the Maariv service and it has been raining
on and off all of last night and today.

As we watched the rain pour down on our way home from school
today, my son Yehuda declared: “It is now official, the winter season has
officially begun.”