Eikev 11:17 · unit 6

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 6 of 9).

Sefaria — related source

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
ועצר את השמים. אמר רבי זעירא מדיהבת, אין הגשמים נעצרים אא"כ נתחייבו שונאיהן של ישראל כליה, דכתיב ועצר את השמים ואבדתם מהרה

English: Rabbi Zeira of Diyhavat said: The rains are not held back unless the enemies of Israel have become liable to destruction, as it is written, “He will shut up the heavens… and you will perish quickly.”

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 verse pairs drought with perishing; Chazal read the holding of rain as bound to national liability at the highest severity.