איפה שלמה וצדק יהיה לך (כי תצא כה:טו)

There was a severe drought during the times of the Mekubal Reb Chaim Shaul Dweck zt”l. It didn’t rain, and food wasn’t growing in the fields. The community fasted and davened, but it didn’t help.

One night, Reb Chaim had a dream that he should ask the grocer to daven, and rain would fall in his merit. The next morning, Reb Chaim assembled everyone in the shul to fast and daven. After Reb Chaim Shaul recited a few kapitlach of Tehillim, he turned to the crowd, saw the grocer sitting in the corner, and summoned him to lead the Tehillim.

The grocer exclaimed: “Who am I to serve as a messenger for Klal Yisroel?” The congregation also wondered why their Rav had asked the grocer. It took time to persuade the grocer to lead the tefillos. He said he would only agree if he could go home first to bring his siddur. They waited for the grocer, and he returned with a scale that he used to weigh food, saying, “This is my siddur!”

The grocer then lifted his hands together with his scale and said: “Ribbono Shel Olam, I was taught that Your G-dly name hints to a scale that I am holding in my hands. The ring on top of the base resembles the letter ה, the bowl of the scale resembles the letter י, the stand resembles the letter ו, and the other bowl resembles the letter ה — these spell out the שם הוי’, Hashem’s Name. Hashem, You know that this scale never witnessed a speck of stealing. I ask that in this merit You send blessed rain!”

The grocer hadn’t yet finished his request when thick clouds covered the skies, and it started pouring גשמי ברכה — blessed rain!