[Avodah] V'sein Tal Umatar

[Sholom Simon]

> yonah sears wrote:
>
>> So, does anyone know why we wait to say V'sein Tal Umatar (which I
>> always
>> understood to be so that the olei regel could get home before the rain
>> starts), but we don't switch to V'sein Brocha until they've already been
>> oleh regel for Pesach? Shouldn't we back up the switch before the
>> travelers
>> set out?

I have a vague recollection (which is always dangerous, but as nobody else
has answered it yet...) that it goes something like this:

1.  After Sukkos in autumn, we wait (as you suggested) for the olei regel
to get home.

2.  But we do not do so in the spring, because it'd be inappropriate to
call for a halt (or, to do so by omission?) to the rain.

What's the difference?  To call for a delay in a rain that hasn't come
(autumn) isn't as bad as asking it to stop (prematurely) once it has
started (spring).

It ought to be in the beginning (1st 10 dafim) of Ta'anis, (and that's
where I thought I remembered it) but I took a look this evening and
couldn't find it.

Caveat lector.

-- Sholom