The Secret of the Falling Rain and the Forty-Eight Drops of the Garden of Eden

Class No. 233 | Cassette Archive No. 233, Sunday, Parashas Vayakhel, the eve of the 22nd of Adar I, 5760 - A class given at the opening of the Breslov Kollel for young men.

An article explaining the spiritual secret of the rains, which parallel the Giving of the Torah and the Resurrection of the Dead. According to the holy Zohar, every day 48 drops of Divine comprehension descend from the Garden of Eden. During the days of Shovavim (a period of winter weeks dedicated to repentance), when the Jewish people return in teshuvah (repentance), the windows of heaven open, and the rain testifies to the acceptance of their repentance.

When the days of Shovavim and the month of Shevat arrive, we merit to see downpours of rain and snow descending to the world. The snow and its whiteness symbolize the verse:

"If your sins prove to be like crimson, they will become white as snow."

The sight of the snow testifies that Hashem is whitening our sins. Sometimes, after a long period of drought, the windows of heaven suddenly open, and everything is filled with abundance.

The Day of Rain is Greater than the Resurrection of the Dead

Regarding this, the Satmar Rebbe cites the words of the Gemara in Tractate Taanis, which compares the day of rain to the greatest events in the history of creation. The Gemara says:

"The day of rain is as great as the day of the Ingathering of the Exiles... The day of rain is as great as the day the Torah was given."

Furthermore, Rabbi Abbahu says there: "The day of rain is greater than the Resurrection of the Dead." Therefore, we mention the power of rain in the blessing of reviving the dead, because the falling of rain is truly equivalent to the Resurrection of the Dead.

When rain falls, tremendous revelations and awesome sweetenings descend to the world. Along with the drops of rain come novel Torah insights, spiritual influences from above, and Divine comprehensions. On the other hand, when there is a withholding of rain, it indicates a terrible accusation in Heaven, as we are being deprived of all those revelations that are equivalent to the Giving of the Torah and the Resurrection of the Dead.

The Secret of the 48 Drops from the Garden of Eden

The holy Zohar (Part II, page 125) cites ancient Mishnayos that were passed down through tradition, person to person, from the prophets all the way back to Moshe Rabbeinu, revealing a tremendous secret about the descent of spiritual abundance to the world. The Zohar reveals that during the twelve hours of the day, four times every hour (every fifteen minutes), a single drop drips from the Garden of Eden. In total, forty-eight drops of spiritual abundance descend every day.

These drops carry with them Divine comprehensions and awesome revelations. From these drops, the river that flows out of Eden to water the garden is formed, and from them, all the trees of the Garden of Eden are nourished. Rabbi Yehudah explains that "Eden" is an elevated place located above the Aravos firmament, and from there, the drops drip down.

To understand the power of these drops, Rabbi Abba says: Forty-eight prophets arose for the Jewish people, and every prophet merited to receive in his lifetime only the essence of a single drop out of those forty-eight drops!

If a prophet, who merited only one drop, reached such tremendous levels of Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration), what can we say about Adam HaRishon (the First Man)? Adam HaRishon merited to receive all forty-eight drops in their entirety every single day, throughout all nine hundred and thirty years of his life, without losing even a single drop.

The Days of Shovavim and the Opening of the Windows of Heaven

In light of this, it is understood why a withholding of rain indicates a harsh accusation. When the heavens are restrained, it is a sign that we must do teshuvah (repentance), and particularly for the sins of our youth and blemishes of the Covenant, for these are what stop the rains and the spiritual abundance from descending to the world.

The days of Shovavim are the special time when a person does teshuvah for the sins of his youth and for all the terrible blemishes of the Yesod (Foundation). During this period, when Jews take upon themselves fasts, minimize their eating, make good resolutions, and perform tikkunim (spiritual rectifications), we see how a sweetening takes place in Heaven.

When the teshuvah is accepted, the windows of heaven open and mighty downpours begin to fall. The springs and lakes fill with water, and this is the clear sign that Hashem is accepting the repentance of the Jewish people. These rains of blessing descend to strengthen us in teshuvah, and they testify that all the gates of mercy have been opened.

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