(13) When The One makes Its voice heard, There is a rumbling of water in the skies; The One makes vapors rise from the end of the earth, makes lightning for the rain, And brings forth wind from Its treasuries.

(11) The land you are about to cross into and possess, a land of hills and valleys, soaks up its water from the rains of heaven.

Rav Yehuda said: The day of the rains is as great as the day on which the Torah was given (Deuteronomy 32:2).

There was an incident involving Rabbi Eliezer, who descended to serve as prayer leader before the ark on a fast day. And he recited twenty-four blessings, but he was not answered. Rabbi Akiva descended before the ark after him and said: Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us. And rain immediately fell. The Sages were whispering among themselves that Rabbi Akiva was answered while his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer, was not. A Divine Voice emerged and said: It is not because this Sage, Rabbi Akiva, is greater than that one, Rabbi Eliezer, but that this one is forgiving, and that one is not forgiving. God responded to Rabbi Akiva’s forgiving nature in kind by sending rain.

An incident occurred in which the people said to Ḥoni HaMe’aggel: Pray that rain should fall. He said to them: Go out and bring in the clay ovens used to roast the Paschal lambs, so that they will not dissolve in the water, as torrential rains are certain to fall. He prayed, and no rain fell at all. What did he do? He drew a circle on the ground and stood inside it and said before God: Master of the Universe, Your children have turned their faces toward me, as I am like a member of Your household. Therefore, I take an oath by Your great name that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children and answer their prayers for rain. Rain began to trickle down, but only in small droplets. He said: I did not ask for this, but for rain to fill the cisterns, ditches, and caves with enough water to last the entire year. Rain began to fall furiously. He said: I did not ask for this damaging rain either, but for rain of benevolence, blessing, and generosity. Subsequently, the rains fell in their standard manner but continued unabated, filling the city with water until all of the Jews exited the residential areas of Jerusalem and went to the Temple Mount due to the rain. They came and said to him: Just as you prayed over the rains that they should fall, so too, pray that they should stop.

(1) Anyone who has never seen the rejoicing at the place of [water] drawing, has never seen rejoicing in all his days.

(3) Joyfully shall you draw water from the springs of salvation,

(9) How are the water libations done? A golden flask, that could hold three logim [a measure], was filled from the Shiloach [spring]. When they would arrive [with it] at the Gate of Water, they would blow a tekiyah, and a teruah, and a tekiyah . . .

(18) Who is a God like You, Forgiving iniquity and remitting transgression; Who has not maintained Its wrath forever against the remnant of its own people, because The One loves graciousness! (19) It will take us back in love; The One will cover up our iniquities, You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Prior to eating bread, raise one's hands and say:

Blessed are You Holy One King of the World Who Sanctified us and Commended us upon Taking [water] \ Raising up Our hands

(1) Whatever is defiled, whether human beings or utensils, whether rendered unclean by some grave uncleanness on biblical grounds or by some uncleanness on rabbinic grounds, can become clean only by immersion in water that is gathered on the ground [not within a receptacle].