How much rain needs to fall to constitute “permeation”?35There are certain halakhic ramifications that occur when there is enough rain to constitute “permeation,” so a definition of the term is required. When [the rain reaches] the depth of a plow blade, which is three handbreadths, this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: In hard earth, one handbreadth; in moderate earth, two handbreadths; in moist earth, three handbreadths.
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: There is no handbreadth of rain falling from above that does not have [the water inside] the earth rise a corresponding two handbreadths. What is the source? “Depths call to depths in the sound of your waterways…” (Psalms 42:8).36The two “depths” in the verse represent the two handbreadths of rising underground water, and “your waterways” refers to the handbreadth of rain.
Rabbi Levi said: The upper waters [rain] are like males and the lower [underground] waters are like females, and one [the upper] says to the other [the lower]: ‘Accept us; you are the creation of the Holy One blessed be He and we are His emissaries.’ They thereupon accept them. That is what is written: “Let the earth open” (Isaiah 45:8) – like the female that opens herself up for the male. “Salvation will flourish [veyifru]” (Isaiah 45:8) – because they [the two kinds of waters] are fruitful and multiply.37They are plentiful.
“And righteousness will sprout together” (Isaiah 45:8) – this refers to the falling of rain. “I, the Lord, created it” (Isaiah 45:8) – this is why I created it, for the improvement of the world and its settlement.