לתת מטר ארצך בעיתו (חי תבא כח:יב)

To provide rain for your land in its time…

It was a few years after the Holocaust that Yidden settled in Eretz Yisroel, fertilized the land, and grew produce. During one winter, no rain fell, and the agriculturist predicted that all the fields would be destroyed.

A Yid who owned many farms and cattle came to Maran Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt”l to spend a Shabbos in Tel Aviv. On Motzei Shabbos, he handed Maran a kvittel, stating that if it doesn’t rain shortly, people will chas v’shalom die from hunger. He added that since Maran is the tzaddik of this generation, he won’t leave the room until Maran declares a fast day. The Yid pleaded and cried and even threw himself to the floor, but Maran said that he wouldn’t advise a fast day.

The Yid continued crying, saying he was not asking for himself, but Maran answered again, “I will not declare a fast day!”  And so, the argument went back and forth until Maran exclaimed, “Who says we need to declare a fast day? Hashem can help without fasting!”

Less than twelve hours later it started pouring, and the danger passed the Land

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Filed under Parshas Ki Savo | Reb Aharon of Belz