Ta'anit 9 Precocious Youth and Predicting Rain

As they discuss the interpretation of verses, we are introduced to the youngest son of Reish Lakish.  Rabbi Yochanan, Reish Lakish's teacher, colleague and brother-in-law, challenges Reish Lakish's son.  This child is thought to be 7 or 8 years old at the time, and he holds his own in a debate about Torah.  However, the child's responses strike me as somewhat rude.  At the end of their conversation, the wife of the late Reish Lakish pulls her son inside, saying, "Come away from Rabbi Yochanan, so that he does not do to you as he did to your father."  Reish Lakish died following an angry look from Rabbi Yochanan after a heated argument.

We are told about the three good providers in the desert: Miriam with the well, Aaron with the cloud, and Moshe with the manna.  Proof texts back the arguments of our rabbis.

We are told about Rav Pappa, who was often hurt because he was treated disrespectfully by other scholars.  Rav Shimi bar Asha once witness Rav Pappa fall asleep after prayer.   He heard Rav Pappa pray to save him from embarrassment of Shimi.  Following this, Rav Shimi bar Asha was more respectful of Rav Pappa.

The rabbis question how our prayers for rain are answered.  If a righteous person prays for rain, his prayer should be answered.  But his neighbour's field would also benefit from that rain, and the neighbour might not be deserving of this blessing.  Does the rain fall for the sake of an individual, or for the sake of the community?  This questioning brings the rabbis to explain how the clouds tell us about rainfall.  One philosophy includes the concept of upper waters, the oceans, vapour, and rainfall. The Gemara alludes to the functional understanding of the water cycle in antiquity.