Rabbi Bernie Fox for OU.org
“My lesson shall drop like rain. My saying shall flow like dew – like wind-blown rain upon the herb, like a powerful shower upon the covering of vegetation.” (Devarim 31:2)
Rashi explains that in this pasuk Hashem is describing the effects of the Torah upon its students. In the first portion of the pasuk, the Torah is compared to rain and dew. What is the message transmitted through this comparison?
Rashi comments that although the earth needs rain in order to sustain life, rain is not always appreciated. Rain can cause inconvenience. The traveler does not wish to battle inclement weather. A farmer whose harvested crops are still in the field is not pleased with a summer storm.
Dew does not have the life-sustaining power of rain. However, it is more appreciated. Dew provides moisture, without inconvenience. [1]
Rashi understands the pasuk to contain a fundamental lesson. A few preliminary observations are necessary to understand this message. Some activities only provide future reward. Often a person is required to make a tremendous sacrifice in order to secure this future benefit. A person may work fifty years, in a despised job, in order to someday enjoy a dreamed-of retirement. A parent will sacrifice and endure hardship for years in order to provide the best opportunities for his or her beloved child.
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