ESV Job [Iyov] 38:22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?

Orthodox Jewish Bible – Job 38:22 Hast thou entered into the otzrot (storehouses) of the snow? Or hast thou seen the otzrot of barad (hail),

23 Which I have reserved for the time of tzar, for the yom kerav (battle) and milchamah (war)?

BTW, tzar means being in a “distress or being in a tight, constricting place”.

http://galileegreen.com/snow-cause-for-celebration/

The Land of Israel is dependant on rain for God’s blessing. The sages consider rain a gift of God’s “Chesed” – lovingkindness. Water is the life-giving and life-sustaining force and it is given in a form that is immediately useful.

Snow, however, is “Frozen water,” and is not immediately useful. We don’t see it as a sign of Chesed. It actually is a sign of Divine Justice or Judgement. God is ‘holding back” (Gevura) part of the blessing of the water. Continue reading →