God sent blessed rains down upon the Golan, filling the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) with a sorely needed six inches of water. The Kinneret is now 124.4 inches below its maximum level, according to the Israel Water Authority. More intermittent rains are expected to fall and the Kinneret will continue to rise as snow on the Hermon melts. Almost 40 inches of rain have fallen so far this winter, well over the annual average of 28 inches. During the summer, the Sea of Galilee evaporates at the rate of a 0.4 inches per day, meaning it will again drop below the lower red line.

This year has a built-in extra month of prayer for rain. A prayer for rain is inserted into the thrice-daily prayers during the autumn holiday of Sukkoth and extends until the springtime holiday of Passover. This year is a leap year and as such, an extra month of Adar is added to the Hebrew calendar before Passover. In effect, this means that there will be an additional month to pray for rain.

Rain in Israel is a reflection of the relationship between the Jews and God.

If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving Hashem your God and serving Him with all your heart and soul, I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late. Deuteronomy 11:13

Israel had been suffering from a five-year drought and 2018 was one of the driest in the last 100 years. The blessed precipitation has brought some unusual consequences. A flash flood earlier this winter brought the words of Isaiah to life.

I will open up streams on the bare hills And fountains amid the valleys; I will turn the desert into ponds, The arid land into springs of water. Isaiah 41:18

Hananya Naftali, the prime minister’s deputy social media adviser, took a trip to the Golan overlooking the Kinneret to witness the effects of the rain and was stunned by the beauty.