A group of bochurim from Machane Retzufos in San Antonio Texas visiting the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, experienced what appears to be an outright miracle after their tefillos for rain on behalf of a local pecan farmer was suddenly and unexpectedly answered.
The boys, led by Shloime Zionce, were visiting the area near the Texas-Mexico border when they encountered a local woman who owned a pecan farm. Struck by their faith and background, she approached them, sharing her deep connection to the land and the struggles her farm had been facing due to a severe two-year drought. “We’ve been praying for rain, but nothing has worked,” she told the group. “I know the Jewish people have a special connection to God, and I wonder if you could say a prayer for us.”
Moved by her plea, Shloime led a short Mi Sheberach-style tefillah in English, asking for rain to help the struggling crops. The woman then asked if the boys could sing a song from Psalms, which she said she often read herself. The boys sang “Esa Einai El Heharim.”
The woman told the bochurim that the weather forecast showed no rain in sight, but she thanked them for their prayers and promised to let them know if anything changed. The group continued their trip, heading deeper into the border area before making their way back to San Antonio, where they were staying, later that day.
To their surprise, the woman called them that evening, overwhelmed with emotion. “You won’t believe this,” she said, her voice trembling with tears. “It’s pouring rain here. The skies have opened up, and it’s a downpour like we haven’t seen in years. We’ve been praying for this rain for so long, and now it’s finally here.”
The woman attributed the rain to the boys’ tefillos, saying, “I see now when God sends His army—His soldiers—things happen. Your prayers made a difference.”
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22 Responses
Reminds me of the story about an entire community got together to Daven for desperately needed rain.
The Ruv said, “Everyone go home. It won’t work.”
The Kehilla asked him why it won’t work.
The Ruv explained, “Tefillah only works if you really believe & look around, nobody brought an umbrella!”
He must be a Gilgul of the Bal-ShemTov.
Is the headline “Bochurim’s Tefillos Miraculously Bring Rain”, or perhaps “Simple Woman’s Bitachon in Hashem and His Kesher with Klal Yisroel Miraculously Brings Rain”?
Note all the clouds in the sky in the videos. They were there before this performance. Also, if you check weather history/records for Eagle Pass, it is not uncommon for there to be rain in September there. Further research should yield additional data at odds with the depiction here.
This account seems to be significantly exaggerated, if not totally fabricated.
@lemaysa White puffy clouds are not gray rain clouds… know the dif.
Look what a little letzanus could do.
This is nothing short of a kiddush Hashem!!!
Shloime – You trying to switch careers and become a rainmaker? Stick to your day job.
“Note all the clouds in the sky in the videos.”
Those were not rain clouds. Not even close.
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“Also, if you check weather history/records for Eagle Pass, it is not uncommon for there to be rain in September there.”
The statistical history was not the problem. Two years of drought and no rain in sight was the problem.
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Amazing Kiddush Hashem!! To all the skeptics —just accept that it was Min Hashamayim
Those who use the ‘hands together’ praying emoji or do it in practice (as in the above video) are apparently unaware that this is a Christian practice with no source in Judaism
Hashem Echud u’Shmo Echud Ein Od Milvado!
humbleme: “White puffy clouds are not gray rain clouds… know the dif.”
I am aware of that, and took that into consideration. However, in the videos one can also see multiple clouds with darkness.
Although the date is not given here, from the camp website schedule, it appears to have been Tuesday August 27. Searching for a weather forecast for that day for Eagle Pass yielded info from the NWS (National Weather Service) which included mention of
a 50% chance of showers & thunderstorms. Did the guys inform the NWS in advance of their “miracle”?
P.S. I just checked to see if Shloime mentioned it on X, and he seems to have been silent so far. Perhaps he doesn’t either see it like you do?
Akiva R, don’t act so pompously.
The sefarim explain we keep our hand together by shemona esrai to show we are helpless without Hashem.
That is the same reason the goyim daven with their hands together.
To the wise Mr circle: the Yiddish sources talk about clasping one hand over the other not holding the palms together. Holding the palms together is a Christian practice with varying reasons which are of no consequence here whether or not there is overlap in some of the concepts is irrelevant . We have our own sources and should not be importing others and override our own. You can choose to disagree and go down a dangerous path. I doubt those who are using the emojis or worse, actually practicing it realize where it comes from and if they knew it is doubtful they would do it. So coming along and saying wait a minute your being pompous let’s continue is shameful on your part. A little reflection is in order. If you show me one Talmud chochom that says ‘go ahead, it’s fine’ I will change my tune. I’m waiting….
I think everyone is bringing up a very strong point. Does prayer make a difference when God already has plans in motion? Does praying for rain for right now do something? And if it seems to be answered right away, doesn’t that just mean that this was set in motion hours/days prior to my turning to God due to the natural process for rain creation? Excellent! Love the passion!
Another interesting point being made. If I feel that praying in a certain way helps me connect to God, is it actually dangerous to my spirituality if I learned it from a non-Jewish source? And if everything pertaining to my relationship with God needs an outright Jewish source, is there space for me get creative and try something new, and to trust myself that I’m just trying to connect in a way I feel can be most effective. Or is there an aspect of putting myself aside and do that which is brought down and trust that those of yesteryear know me better then I do. And if I feel ineffectiveness, it’s due to something not right within me? Thanks for bringing this Torah up!
Hashem Gadol…..
Lemayseh, you could have worked in Mitzrayim for the חרטומים.
They also found natural explanations for most of the miracles that Hashem did.
And “scientists” have shown that the Yam Suf probably split due to strong winds, which btw, the Torah even started were there “רוח קדים”.
I guess Hashem messed up His miracle by providing an out for the Apikorsim, both by Yam Suf and now in Texas.
I’ll continue to stick with Moshe Rabbenu and believe that Hashem does respond to sincere Tefilla, especially when multiple Kiddush Shmo are involved.
Akiva R wrote: If you show me one Talmud chochom that says ‘go ahead, it’s fine’ I will change my tune. I’m waiting….
See Sefer Hamaamorim 5710, page 244. I hope the moderators allow the link, but if they don’t then look at hebrewbooks dot org, sefer number 31667, page number 246.
https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=31667&pgnum=246
@lamaysah…. Very sad How a non jew could see the yad hashem But you, I don’t know what you are… you can’t!!
To Milhouse:
I don’t see that it says PALMS together. I see it says HANDS together :
פארוואס ווען מען זאגט מודה אני, דאַרף מען צו לייגען איין האַנד צו די אַנדערע, און מרכין זיין את הראש
The rayatz reply was that it is done due to mesora. What is the current Lubavitch mesora? Do they put their palms together when they say modeh Ani?
Regarding interlocking fingers:
https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/hand-positions-according-to-halacha-and-kaballa/
Of special note and has relevance to the palms together pose, see in the the footnotes: “See Leket Hakemach 91:12 and Imrei Shamaiy 2:180 who discuss that perhaps doing so today contains the prohibition of Chukos Hagoyim”
Although palms together is not discussed the chukos hagoyim reasoning should apply here as well
Every rainstorm is a miracle. The fact that it had been two years without a drop, then the heavens opened up immediately after this public prayer, despite a dry forecast, is a kiddush HaShem, and a public demonstration of the power of prayer. It may not always work like this, but let’s take a moment to thank the Creator for a pretty cool show.