Eikev 11:17 · unit 4

Parashas Eikev · Passuk 11:17

The Complete Passuk

וְחָרָ֨ה אַף־יְהֹוָ֜ה בָּכֶ֗ם וְעָצַ֤ר אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה מָטָ֔ר וְהָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן אֶת־יְבוּלָ֑הּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם מְהֵרָ֗ה מֵעַל֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃

For GOD’s anger will flare up against you, shutting up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will soon perish from the good land that GOD is assigning to you.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Taanit.

TT lemma: ועצר את השמים (unit 4 of 9).

Sefaria — related source

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
ועצר את השמים. אמר רב חסדא, גשמים שירדו קודם ועצר אין בהם משום ועצר , אמר אביי, לא אמרן אלא קודם ועצר דאורתא, אבל קודם ועצר דצפרא יש בהם משום ועצר, דענני דצפרא לית בהו ממשא

English: Rav Chisda said: Rains that fell before “He will shut up” do not fall under that category. Abaye said: That was stated only for rains before the evening stopping; but before the morning stopping, they do count as shut up, for morning clouds have no substance.

On the daf / in context: Torah Temimah places this derasha on Devarim 11:17. The Core Text is the words of Chazal (as transmitted in the source named above).

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13

The Gemara uses this passuk in a sugya (proof, illustration, or dispute). Named as one of R' Yishmael’s 13 or R' Eliezer’s 32 only when that move is explicit.

What Is Learned

The timing of rain relative to the decree matters; not every shower cancels the Torah’s warning language.