What is the connection between this Pasuk and the previous one?
Rashi: Hashem is saying that 'If you will do your job, then I will do Mine!' 1
Rashbam: 'If you serve Hashem with love, Hashem will provide for you in a way that you will eat and be satisfied without any effort'.
Seforno: 'If you serve Hashem with love, Hashem will sustain you without effort on your part, in order that you will be able to continue serving Him. 2
What are the implications of "Venasati M'tar Artz'chem"?
Rashi (in his commentary on the prayer for rain of R. Elazar ha'Kalir that is attributed to Rashi, citing the Sifri): "Venasati has connotations of a free gift". 1
Granted, there comes a stage when Hashem withholds rain - as the Pasuk goes on to state, but prior to that, He does not demand that the people are performing Mitzvos before sending rain.
What are the connotations of the word "Venasati M'tar Artz'chem be'Ito"?
Rashi #1: It means at night-time, 1 when nobody is disturbed by the rain.
Rashi #2: It means on Friday night, 2 when everybody is at home.
What is the difference between "Yoreh" and "Malkosh"?
Rashi and Targum Yonasan: "Yoreh" is the early rain 1 - following the planting (in Marcheshvan 2 - Targum Yonasan), and "Malkosh", 3 the latter rain, just before the harvest (in Nisan 4 - Targum Yonasan).
Lev Eliyahu (Shemos, citing the Vilna Gaon): "Yoreh" hints at prophecy and "Malkosh", at Ru'ach ha'Kodesh; "Degancha ve'Siroshcha ve'Yitzharecha", at Chochmah, Binah and Da'as and "Ve'achalta Ve'sava'ata" at Halachos and Agados.
Rashi: So-called because it satiates (Marveh) the ground and the seeds. Da'as Zekenim: Because it shoots (Yoreh) like an arrow.
See Torah Temimah, citing Ta'anis, 6a, which learns Yoreh from Malkosh regarding the date and Malkosh from Yoreh regarding Berachah), and notes 12 & 16, respectively..
Rashi: So-called because it is the acronym of 'Malei Kashin' - it fills the kernels of grain, and because it is intrinsically an expression of being late, as in Vayeitzei Bereishis, 30:42.
See Torah Temimah, citing Ta'anis, 6a, and note 12, as to how we know that 'Yoreh' is in Nisan - like R. Meir, and not in Kislev - like R. Yossi. See also note 13.
Why is the early rain called 'Yoreh'?
Refer to 11:14:3:1*.
Ta'anis, 6a #1: Because it teaches (Moreh) people to plaster their roofs (to bring the fruit in from the fields and to do whatever else is necessary (before winter arrives - Rashi).
Ta'anis, 6a #2: Because it satiates the land and waters the depth, and because it does so gently and not in a flood. 1
As the Pasuk writes in Tehilim, 65:11 "Telamehah Ravei Nacheis ... " - See Torah Temimah, note 14.
Why is the latter rain called 'Malkosh'?
Refer to 11:14:3:1***.
Ta'anis, 6a #1: Because it circumcises (cuts away - 'Mal Kash') the stubbornness of Yisrael - it causes them to do Teshuvah, 1
Ta'anis, 6a #2: Because it fills the kernels on the stalks.
Ta'anis, 6a #3: Because it fills the kernels and the stalks. 2
What are the implications of "Ve'asafta Deganecha"?
Rashi: It implies that - not your enemies - will gather your grain, 1
Hadar Zekenim #1 & Da'as Zekenim #1: It implies 'You will be able to gather your poduce because there will be no more rain' - because rain in the harvest season is a curse. 2
Lev Eliyahu (Shemos p.91 citing the Sh'lah): This is a physical 'garment' for a spiritual influence. Refer also to 11:14:3:2.
See Bechukosai Vayikra, 26:16.
Hadar Zekenim & Da'as Zekenim: As the Pasuk writes in Shmuel 1 12:17 "ha'Lo K'tzir Chitim ha'Yom
How will we reconcile the current Pasuk -"Ve'asafta Deganecha ... " - with the Pasuk in Yeshayah, 61:5 "Ve'amdu Goyim ve'Ra'u Tzonecha" (implying that their work will be done by others)?
Berachos, 35b #1: The Pasuk in Yeshayah is speaking when Yisrael do the will of Hashem, whereas the current Pasuk is speaking when they don't. 1
Tosfos, Ibid.: Even though the Parshah begins with "Vehayah Im Shamo'a Tishm'u", it means only partially, but not completely. Refer to 11:13:151:3. See also Torah Temimnah, note 25, who establishes the current D'rashah like R. Akiva, who interprets the Paasuk in Yehoshua 1:8, literally - Refer to 11:14:4:2:1..
How will we reconcile the current Pasuk - "Ve'asafta Deganecha ... ." - with the Pasuk in Yehoshua, 1:8 "Lo Yamush Sefer ha'Torah mi'Picha"?
Berachos, 35b #2 (citing R. Yishmael): The Pasuk in Yehoshua is La'av Davka - because the Torah expects us to lead a regular life-style, as the current Pasuk indicates, and not to learn Torah all day 1
Refer to11:14:4:11*.
Seeing as the Korban Tamid is brought on behalf of all Yisrael, and the owner of a Korban is obligated to stand by his Korban when it is brought, whn will people be able to tend to their crops?
Yerushalmi Ta'anis, 4:2: That explains why the Chachmim fixed Ma'amados, where groups of representatives took turns to stand by the Korban Tamid each time it was brought on behalf of all the people. 1 .
See Torah Temimah, note 27.
Why does the Torah switch to the singular for the remainder of this Pasuk and the next one?
Oznayim la'Torah #1: Because, as the Yerushslmi states in Berachos, 1:5, the Aseres ha'Dibros are inherent in the Parshiyos of Keri'as Shema, and "Lo Tignov" in "Ve'asafta Deganecha" , 've'Lo D'gano shel Chavercha' - and this D'rashah would have been impossible had it ben written in the plural.
Oznayim la'Torah #2: To disillusion the individual from thinking that as long as theTzibur are obeying Hashem, the rain will fall and the land - including his - will be blessed, irsepective of how he behaves. Therefore the Torah warns him that, if he does not listen to Hashem, his land will not be included in the blessing. 1 Oznayim la'Torah #3 (citing his son R. Binyamin): Because ''One man's meat is another man's poison' and each individual requires his own blessing - to negate the scourge of communism.
Oznayim la'Torah: As the Navi writes in Yirmiyah, 32:19 and in Amos, 4:7.
Why does the Torah mentions specifically these three species - "Degancha, Tiroshcha ve'Yitzharecha" - out of the seven species for which Eretz Yisrael is praised mentioned earlier?
Oznayim la'Torah: According to Rashi and the Ra'avad, because thesee three species are Chayav Ma'asros and are therefore subject to a greater Berachah. 1
Because bread (made from the five species of grain, wine (to drink) and oil (as fuel) are the three most important basic commodities on which a household runs. 2
How will we reconcile the current Pasuk "Ve'asafta Deganecha ... " with the Pasuk in Yehoshua 1:8 "Lo Yamush Sefer ha'Torah mi"Picha"?
Berachos, 38b (according to R; Yishmael): One has to live one's life - which includes gathering the corn and the Pasuk in Yehoshua is La'av Davka.
Berachos, 38b (according to R. Akiva): Refer to 11:14:4:5:1 and note.
