In our parshah it says, “I will give the rain of your land.” Since the rain is described as belonging to the land, the blessing is not above the natural order. Rashi therefore explains that the reason for this distinction is that here, “you have done” only “what was incumbent upon you.” By contrast, in Parshas Bechukosai, Rashi explains that “If you walk in My statutes” refers to “toiling in Torah”—doing more than one’s obligation.
Rashi comments on the verse, “I will give the rain of your land”:
“You have done what was incumbent upon you; I too will do what is incumbent upon Me. ‘In its proper time’—at night, so that the rain will not inconvenience you. Another interpretation: ‘In its proper time’—on Friday nights, when everyone is at home.”
We must understand: What difficulty does Rashi find in the verse, and what does his explanation clarify?
The Re’em explains that Rashi’s intention is that the Jewish people fulfill all of Hashem’s will, and therefore the blessing is given with many specific advantages—“in its proper time,” and so forth. This is in contrast to Parshas Bechukosai, where it states only, “I will give your rains.”
It is difficult, however, to explain Rashi in this manner. Rashi does not refer to the continuation of the verses with the expression “and so forth.” Moreover, according to Rashi, the blessings in Parshas Bechukosai are greater, for they transcend nature. As Rashi explains there regarding the words “the tree of the field,” even barren trees will in the future produce fruit.
The explanation is as follows:
In Parshas Bechukosai it says, “I will give your rains”—the rains of the Jewish people. This means that the blessings are given for the sake of the Jewish people, and therefore they are not limited by the restrictions of nature.
In our parshah, by contrast, it says, “I will give the rain of your land.” The rain is associated with the land, and therefore the blessing does not transcend nature.
Rashi therefore explains that the reason for this distinction is that here, “you have done” only “what was incumbent upon you.”
By contrast, in Parshas Bechukosai, Rashi explains that “If you walk in My statutes” refers to “toiling in Torah”—an effort that exceeds one’s basic obligation.
This also explains the continuation of Rashi’s commentary.
In Parshas Bechukosai, Rashi explains that “in their proper times” means specifically on Friday nights, because when the Divine conduct transcends nature, a small amount of rain is sufficient.
In our parshah, however, “in its proper time” refers to the needs of the land, as explained above. Rashi therefore first interprets it as meaning “at night,” because for the land, the small amount of rain that falls only on Friday nights would not be sufficient.
Rashi adds, “so that the rain will not inconvenience you,” because from the perspective of the land itself, there is no advantage to rain falling at night rather than during the day.
Rashi then adds a second interpretation: “On Friday nights.” According to the first interpretation, a difficulty remains. The words “in its proper time” imply that this is a time designated exclusively for rain. Yet even at night, there are people traveling on the roads.
Rashi therefore adds the second interpretation: “On Friday nights, when everyone is at home.” At that time, it is truly a time designated only for the rain.
From this we learn a lesson regarding the importance of toil in Torah and mitzvos beyond the natural inclination and capacity of the G‑dly soul.