Taanit 2A

מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים? רבי אליעזר אומר: מיום טוב הראשון של חג. רבי יהושע אומר: מיום טוב האחרון של חג.

Mishnah: From when, i.e., from which date, does one begin to mention the might of the rains by inserting the phrase: He makes the wind blow and rain fall, in the second blessing of the Amida prayer? R' Eliezer says: The phrase is inserted from the first Festival day of the festival of Sukkot. R' Yehoshua says: From the last Festival day of the festival of Sukkot.

אמר לו רבי יהושע: הואיל ואין הגשמים אלא סימן קללה בחג, למה הוא מזכיר? אמר לו רבי אליעזר: אף אני לא אמרתי לשאול אלא להזכיר ״משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם״ בעונתו. אמר לו: אם כן, לעולם יהא מזכיר!

R' Yehoshua said to R' Eliezer: Since rain is nothing other than a sign of a curse during the festival of Sukkot, as rainfall forces Jews to leave their sukkot, why should one mention the might of rain during this period? R' Eliezer said to him: I too did not say that it is proper to request rain at this time, but it is proper only to mention the phrase: He makes the wind blow and rain fall, in its due time. R' Yehoshua said to him: If so, i.e., if reciting the phrase does not constitute a request for rain, one should always mention rain, even in the summer.

אין שואלים את הגשמים אלא סמוך לגשמים. רבי יהודה אומר: העובר לפני התיבה ביום טוב האחרון של חג ⁠— האחרון מזכיר, הראשון אינו מזכיר. ביום טוב ראשון של פסח ⁠— הראשון מזכיר, האחרון אינו מזכיר.

The Mishnah states a general principle: One requests rain only immediately preceding the winter. R' Yehuda says: With regard to the one who passes before the ark as prayer leader on the concluding Festival day of the festival of Sukkot, the 8th Day of Assembly: The last prayer leader, who leads the additional prayer, mentions rain, whereas the first prayer leader, for the morning prayer, does not mention rain. The opposite is the case at the conclusion of the period for mentioning rain on the first Festival day of Passover: Here, the first prayer leader, who leads the morning prayer, mentions rain, while the last prayer leader, who leads the additional prayer, does not mention rain.