Matar B'Ito - Rain in its season

For the Teva community, a rainy spell means many things: a sensory reminder of seasons changing; prosperity for plant life such as trees, plants, and local food crops; and learning, learning, learning. During the last few weeks – from the High Holidays through Sukkot and Simchat Torah – lakes and rivers in Connecticut rose several feet. During this abundant rainfall in the northeastern States, the Teva staff explored the significance of water and rain in Jewish practice. We learned about the ways in which water plays a role in Sukkot, Hoshanot and the ancient water libation ritual of Simchat Beit Hashoeva, and Birkat Geshem, the annual Jewish prayer for rain.

Birkat Geshem, the prayer for rain, is traditionally said on Shemini Atzeret as Israel’s rainy season begins. The prayer asks God not only for rain but for the right type of rain – livracha v’lo liklala – a blessing and not a curse; the kind of rain that will sustain a people with fertile crops, not drown them in torrential floods. One passage from the Ashkenazi Birkat Geshem notes the name of the angel Af-Bri, who brings the rain – Af, anger, and Bri, life – representing God’s potential both to show compassion and allow prosperity and to inflict punishment and deny the harvest.

In our continued studies, the we discovered a theme that runs through both Torah and Neviim (Prophets): The relationship between the Jewish people and water in the land of Israel is unique. Unlike water in other lands, such as Egypt, Israel is renewed by waters from above (rain). The scarcity of rain in Israel demands more awareness about the relationship between the people, the land, and God. Rain is constantly in our prayers and it creates an element of yearning and faith to these relationships. Blessing and bounty in the form of rain is a message of our positive actions in this world. And, yet, this scarcity also demands that we constantly evaluate how to best utilize the water available to us.

With these teachings in mind, the Teva Learning Center staff went on to explore the practical details of water usage in our own lives. The day began with a tour of the Torrington Water Pollution Control Authority (a sewage treatment facility). The steps of waste separation, aeration and consumption by micro-organisms, settling, and constant testing really impressed on us the large amount of work required to reclaim waste water before releasing it back into the local river.

As we learned, a similar theory applies to smaller scale waste treatment systems known as septic systems. These can be found in rural homes throughout the country, including most of the sites where Teva operates. But perhaps the most unique waste treatment system studied was the composting toilet at the Isabella Freedman Retreat Center. This uses no water at all and creates nitrous solids that are useful as a soil amendment. For more information on composting toilets, check out the Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins. Click here for the complete online edition.

We then moved on to thinking about where our water comes from and how we can best utilize it. Did you know that of all the water on the earth, only 0.03% is available to humanity as freshwater? Two-thirds of the water used in an average home is used in the bathroom. Installing a low flow showerhead and faucet, and water displacers in your toilet, goes a long way towards remedying excessive water usage. It is also important to think about what additives we put into our water stream. Buying bio-degradeable cleaning products helps prevent bio-accumulation of harmful toxins down the line.

Lastly, the Teva staff paid a visit to a small hydro-electric energy producing system. The now-steadily flowing stream (regulated by a small human-made dam) enters a network of intake pipes and powers a spinning turbine. This in turn sends electrical current through black and red wires to nearby rustic cabins, enabling them to be lit at night. These small systems are available for home use as well, sometimes with very little water flow. Read more about micro hydroelectric systems here.

So the next time it’s raining, try saying a blessing of thanks, and think about all the connections we have to this amazing miracle.

Teva-thon 2005 is now underway!

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