In Bereishis (9:13) the posuk tells us that Hashem put a rainbow in the clouds after the Mabul and when a rainbow will be seen in the future, it will serve as a sign that Hashem was going to punish the world but withheld based on His promise never to flood the world again.
The Chayei Adam (63:4) says that a person should not tell his friend that there is a rainbow in the sky because someone who is a bearer of bad news is considered a “ksil” (fool.) The Mishna Berurah (229:1) concurs with the Chayei Adam. Pashtus we can explain that saying there is a rainbow is bad news because it shows that the world should have been destroyed.
Although the presence of a rainbow signifies that Hashem wants to destroy the world, the sight is also me’orer the person to do teshuva. The presence of a rainbow is also a cause for thanks and praise for Hashem that he did not destroy the world. We know that the whole world’s balance can change based on the teshuva of one individual. If the world is halfway chayav and halfway zakkai, one person’s teshuva can bring a yeshua to the entire world. This seems puzzling. It would seem that we should notify another person that there is a rainbow since this may help his friend be me’orrer teshuva. In addition, Chazal were mesaken to make a bracha when one sees a rainbow so it must be a good thing because if not, wouldn’t the correct bracha be dayan ho’emes? The gemara in Pesachim (3b) says a person should not notify his friend of another person’s death, not even the death of a parent. One may be meramez to the person’s death as we see in the gemara clothing was worn inside out in order to be meramez of death. The Rema in Yoreh Deah (420:12) says that if there are children surviving a niftar, one should be modia them since it will ensure that kaddish is recited as a zechus for the niftar. The same halacha should apply to the rainbow; we should be mezakeh our friend to say the bracha on the rainbow.
We could try to explain this with the following clarification. Chazal were mesaken brachos for a reason. They were mesaken birchas hanehenin because it is forbidden to have benefit from this world without getting reshus from Hashem. The same applies to birchas hamitzvos. The Ritva in Pesachim (7b) says that we make a bracha to remind us that we are doing this mitzvah in honor of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. That is the matara of the mitzvah. The reason we make the bracha on the rainbow is not for the above reasons since we would similarly have to make a bracha for every breath we take. What is different regarding the bracha upon seeing a rainbow is that the rainbow is here to serve as a wakeup call to do teshuva. This will only be effective if the person himself sees this wonderful thing and it evokes a hirhur teshuva, but if someone else tells the person about it then this vision loses the hispaalos of the person and it will not cause as great a hirhur teshuva. This is also the reason why many brachos upon seeing special things have the limitation you may say it only if you have not seen it in the last thirty days. Therefore, the Chayei Adam and Mishna Berura say the fact that you are considered a ksil in reporting bad news outweighs the possible hisoirerus that a person may have to make this bracha and possibly be me’orer to do teshuva. On the other hand, if a person sees it himself we hope that the vision is me’orer in him a great hirhur teshuva.
Let us hope that we take what we see and use it to become a better Jew!
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