The four keys

Yesterday, I heard a lecturer ask the question as to why weather forecasters can not predict the weather with 100% accuracy. She answered that Hashem held on to four keys, one of which is the key to rain. She also shared with us an easy way to remember the four keys which can be found an in excerpt from an article about the same subject.

“Rabbi Yochanan said: ‘There are three keys in the hand of the Holy One Blessed is He that are not entrusted to an agent and they are: the key of rain, the key of childbirth and the key of revival of the dead.
In the West they said: ‘Also, the key of sustenance is not entrusted to an agent.’ …
Why did Rabbi Yochanan not list this one as well? He would answer that the key of rain is the same as the key of sustenance, because the world’s sustenance is provided through rain.” (Gemara Taanit 2a)
The Hebrew word for “key” is MaPhTeiaCH and it is fascinating to note that its letters stand for the four keys mentioned in our Gemara:
• M corresponds to Matar (rain),
• P for Parnassah (sustenance),
• T for Techiyah (revival of the dead) and
• CH for CHayah (childbirth)
Interestingly, the second blessing of the Amidah prayer, which is the blessing of Gevurot (God’s might), appears to allude to these four keys:
• Mechayeh Meitim (God is the resuscitator of the dead) is revival of the dead,
• Mechalkel Chaim (God sustains the living) relates to sustenance,
• Mashiv HaRuach UMorid HaGashem (God causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall) refers to rain, and
• Matir Asurim (God loosens the bound) alludes to releasing the foetus
Read full article: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2302287905&topic=3141