Rashi: This is the testimony that heaven and earth are being called upon to testify: 'My Torah ¹ shall drop like rain, My words flow like dew'.

Ramban: Refer to 32:1:3:5**.

Rashbam: 'If you will accept the words of My rebuke, they will have an effect on you like rain.

Seforno: The Torah will pour down like rain upon those who are sufficiently understanding to absorb the fountains of wisdom, and it will also give knowledge in small measure to the ordinary people, like dew.

Targum Onkelos and Rashbam: 'My teaching will be pleasant for them like rain and My words like dew'.

Targum Yonasan: 'My teaching will fall upon the wicked like a swamping rain, and with goodwill upon those who accept the teaching. ²

Hadar Zekenim and Rosh (in Pasuk 1): The Pasuk is referring to the four winds. "Ya'arof ka'Matar Likchi" refers to the west-wind, which comes from the back of the world ('Oref') whose nature is to bring rain whereas "Tizal ka'Tal" refers to the north wind, which is gentle like dew. ³

Sifri #7: See answer #14. Just as rain becomes visible only when it arrives, so too, does one recognize a Talmid-Chacham only when he teaches Mishnah. Halachah and Agadah or when he is appointed head of the community. ⁴

Sifri #1: See answer #14. The comparison of Torah to rain teaches us that, Torah, like rain, brings life to the world.

Sifri #2: See answer #14. It teaches us that the words of Torah, like the Eglah Arufah, atone for murder. ⁵

Sifri #3: Refer to 32:2:1:8*. Combined with the fact that "Ya'arof" is a Lashon of 'gathering', it teaches us that one is ill-advised to learn the Torah in its minute detail, but rather to gather the 'P'ratim' into 'K'lalim' and study them. ⁶

Sifri #4: Just as Moshe called upon the sun and moon to testify, so too, did he call upon the four winds to testify: "Ya'arof ka'Matar Likchi" refers to the west wind, which is like the back (of the neck - 'Oref') of the world, ⁷ and which is all B'rachah', and "Tizal ka'Tal Imrasi", to the north-wind, which clears the sky like (pure) gold. ⁸

Sifri #5: Not like the south-wind, which causes blight and mildew (various kinds of drought), but like the west-wind, which is all B'rachah. ⁹

Sifri #6: Since 'Lekach' refers to Torah, as in Mishlei 4:2 - "ki Lekach Tov Nasati lachem", the day when it rains is as great as the day on which the Torah was given (or even greater - Ibid.) ... and just as rain gives life to the world, so too, does Torah.

Sifri #7: See answer #14. Comparing Torah to rain - just as rain descends upon trees and waters each species - vines, olive-trees and fig-trees, according to its needs - so too does contain contain Chumash (Tanach) Mishnah, Halachah and Agadah. ¹⁰

Yerushalmi Ta'anis, 2:1: It means that if Yisrael will turn the backs of their necks ('Oref') on their sins and do Teshuvah, ¹¹ the rain will immediately descend.

Ta'anis, 7a #1: With reference to those who learn Torah ¹² she'Lo li'Shemah, ¹³ it teaches us that it acts like a poison. "Ya'arof" is a Lashon of gathering and destroys him. ¹⁴

Ta'anis, 7a #2: 'If he is a Talmid-Chacham, approach him (to learn from him) - like dew (which falls gently, but if he is an Am ha'Aretz, turn your back on him and run away from him - like rain, from which everyone runs indoors'. ¹⁵

Ta'anis, 7a #3: See answer #14, Comparing rain to Torah, the Torah is teaching us that the day that it rains is like the day omn which the Torah was given - Rav Yehudah (and even greater - (Rava). ¹⁶

Oznayim la'Torah: When one speaks to a person using parable, one must use examples to which the listener can relate. That is why Moshe addressed the heaven with a Mashal of rain and due, and the earth with a Mashal of vgetation and bladews of grass.

Rashi: Because as opposed to rain, which is sometimes unpleasant, ¹ dew is always pleasant (and like dew, Torah makes everybody happy - Sifri). ²

Sifri: It teaches us that, as opposed to Moshe, who acquired Torah through suffering, ³ we acquire Torah without pain.

Rashi (citing Targum Onkelos): Like the rain- winds on the vegetation and like raindrops on the blades of grass. ¹

Seforno: Refer to 32:2:4. In large quantities (for the intelligent) like a downpour on the vegetation and in small quantities (for the ordinary people) like raindrops on the blades of grass.

Targum Yonasan: 'My words are like the seasonal rainfall - like the rain-winds that blow on the vegetation in the month of Mar-Cheshvan, and like the raindrops of the latter rain which satiate the fruits of the land in the month of Nisan.

Hadar Zekenim and Rosh: Refer to 32:1:2:7. "ki'Se'irim alei Deshe ", refers to the south-wind, which breaks the barley (Se'orim), with rain-drops as large as goats (Se'irim). "ve'chi'Revivim alei Deshe", to the east wind, which brings down fine drops and causes things to grow (Marbeh) and seeds to sprout.

Rosh (in Pasuk 1): Refer to 31:2:1:7. "ki'Se'irim alei Deshe" refers to the south wind, which cuts Se'orim (barley). "ve'chi'Revivim alei Eisev", to the east wind, which is Marbeh (makes grow) and causes seeds to sprout.

Erech Apayim (in Pasuk 7 (citing the Chasam Sofer): Sometimes rebuke should be harsh, when rebuking the community ("Deshe" - vegetation - is plural), and sometimes soft, when one rebukes an individual ("Eisev" - blades of grass - is singular).

Sifri #1: Refer to 32:2:1:12. "ki'Se'irim alei Deshe", refers to the east-wind, which storms the world like demons ('Se'irim'), ² and "ve'chi'Revivim alei Deshe", to the south-wind, which brings showers.

Sifri #2: Just as storm-winds blow on the blades of grass, ³ nurture them and cause them to grow, so too, does Torah nurture those who learn it makes them great, ⁴ and just as drops of rain fall on the blades of grass - some of them green, some red, some black and some white, and nurture them and cause them to grow, so too Torah produces Rabbanim, good Jews, Chachamim and Tzadikim and Chasidim. ⁵

Sifri #3: Just as drops of rain fall on the blades of grass and make them sweet, so too, do the words of Torah make those who learn them sweet and delicate. ⁶

Sifri #4: Just as storm-winds 'examine' the blades of grass and prevent it from rotting, so too shoukld one 'examine' the words of Torah (study them carefully) to avoid forgetting them.

Oznayim la'Torah #1: Refer to 32:2:3:17.

Oznayim la'Torah #2 (based on the Ramban in Bereishis, 1:11): "ki'Se'irim alei Deshe" - 'like a storm-rain on young plants that need rain to make them grow, and "ki'Revivim alei Eisev" - like rain-drops on large plants that have already grown; with reference a. to people who are so engrossed in materialism that dew and raindrops will not have an effect on them, and they require harsh Musar - which is compsred to storm-rain, and b. to people on a higher level. For whom dew and gentle rain-drops will suffice.