After the chazzan says משיב הרוח in the chazara, most Sephardim reply לברכה, as if to say Gd should only bring rain for blessing and not to cause any harm. But if we know based off the first Mishnah in Taanit that משיב הרוח is merely mentioning Gd’s gevurot be shamim and isn’t a request for rain, then why do the Sephardim say לברכה, it doesn’t make sense. It seems as if a lie because we know Gd doesn’t only bring rain for blessing
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1Ashkenazim do this too on Shemini Atzeres and the first day of Pesach– HeshyMay 15 at 12:50
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1God obviously has the capacity to do harm, but are those the sorts of strengths we want to mention in that blessing?– Double AA ♦May 15 at 12:53
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1Related: "Answer after 'Morid haTal' in the Amida"– Tamir EvanMay 15 at 17:17
1 Answer
Some words are pronounced one way by themselves, but differently when part of a sentence. Ex.: "Land" is “eretz”, but when last word or right before a pause, it's “aretz”. So for "geshem": When it's last it's "gashem".
"Mashiv HaRuach U’Morid HaGeshem,"--“The One Who makes the wind blow, and makes the rain fall.”
This line is part of the "Gevurot" section, meaning "strengths [of God]". "Strengths" is plural", so "making rain" is not the end. The section begins with:
"Atta gibor leolam Hashem mehayye metim atta rav lehoshia' -- [You are the] mighty, eternal, reviver of the dead, savior."
Then comes the part about the wind and rain, then it continues:
"... [You] support the fallen, heal the sick, release the captive..."
So "geshem" is not the last word, and should be pronounced “geshem”.
Sephardim defuse the "dispute" by responding “l’vracha” after "geshem", thereby making the word “geshem” come in the middle, not the end, of a clause, and thereby accommodate both arguments by saying "geshem".
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That is an interesting theory but I believe "l'vracha" is also said by communities that pronounce it gashem. I suppose you could say it originated with those who say geshem and was copied.– AvrahamMay 15 at 23:07
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3See ohr.edu/4903#_edn25 and Chazon Ovadia (vol. 1, Haggada shel Pesach, Kadesh, pg. 128)– NJMMay 16 at 2:58
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