Rainbows - Notifying Others

QUESTION: If I see a rainbow in the sky, may I tell others about it?

ANSWER: The Chayei Adam (63:4) and Mishnah Berurah (229:1) write that it is not proper to inform others that there is a rainbow, because doing so is considered spreading negative news. The presence of a rainbow indicates that the generation is lacking sufficient merits (see Kesubos 77b). However, Yalkut Yosef cites sefer Bris Kehuna (kaf, 3) who writes that the custom is to inform others when you see a rainbow, so that they too can recite the beracha. He explains that this is not considered spreading bad news, so long as one’s intention is to motivate others to do teshuva and to recognize the great kindness of Hashem that He sustains the world even when we are unworthy.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.