WEATHER OR NOT

You walk outside your house on a cloudy shabbos day. You take a look up in the sky and its pretty dark. You think, do I need a raincoat or not. Probably no since its been like this all day long its going to hold off and its just to hot to wear one. The last answer is not a great one since you rather boil then be sopping wet. You anyway convince yourself not to bring one even though you might regret it. If only you could turn on the radio to find out the weather for that night. (the weather is usually not how they predict).

So you march on out to shul in the humidity, with your hat and jacket. As you are walking you hear a sound in the air. Is it thunder or just an airplane flying above? You then are looking around for any sign of rain. You sniff the air and smell the fragrance that comes before the rain. Instantly you feel a drop on your hand. No it cant rain, I just bought this new hat. Great now its gonna get ruined, is your reaction.

You walk in a brisk pace hoping to beat out the harder rain to come. The rain is more consistent now. A huge flash of lightning STRIKES in to the sky, within seconds there is a great rumble. You try to saying the bracha on the lightning and thunder but you just cant remember it. The wind is picking up threatening to topple all the trees. The rain is now at its hardest. You are running very quickly. Fighting verses the heavy wind and bullets of rain, your new and expensive hat blows away. You chase after it, splashing your way through giant puddles your hat went through already. Another flash of lightning streaks across the sky. You grab your now "shmattah" and place it on your head.

Three kids are screaming as they pass you by and are running for shelter. Across the street is someone with an umbrella blown with its inside out. Another person is running with a newspaper over there head. You are running just to make it to shul with absolutely nothing on you're back besides your suit jacket. Its good, at least your jacket is getting wet not you or Shoots you're jacket is getting wet. (Thanks Child Ish for clearing that one up).

You finally make it into the shul drenched. You are not too happy with your brilliant decision to not bring a jacket. Your friend walks in also pretty wet and says to you "lucky for me I was about to just step outside and it started pouring So I brought a jacket". This only further enrages yourself. With every step you take you feel the water in your shoes squeezing into your socks. (awful feeling I know).

You have just went through Gehenom on earth. Your last hope is that you dont have to run back in the same weather. Hopefully you dont have to,better pray well by mincha.

Yes, this past Shabbos I experienced some of this. If I did not pass my friend and ask to come inside, it could have been this case. (lucky me). I knew it was going to rain but I left my jacket in shul from shavous the first night so I guess I was not so lucky. May we all be Zocheh not to be stuck in the rain in that situation.