Why Do Water Clouds Hover Above Us Without Falling?

In the previous two articles of this series, we explored the secrets of the universe's marvelous substance—water. We explained its liquid and solid states. Now, let's delve into the most astonishing miracle to behold: the vast reservoirs of water hovering above our heads.

The Marvel of Water Evaporation:

The seasons and the water cycle are essential to our existence, so much so that we often forget how indispensable they are. How does this extraordinary phenomenon occur, where water recycles itself, cleanses, moves around the globe as if they are messengers of His will, nourishing the world's plant life like gardeners?

On one hand, water molecules can freeze—transforming into a miraculous solid that expands. Yet, on the other hand, they can also evaporate. Not all substances evaporate when heated, nor at all temperatures (for instance, metals become liquid).

Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius and evaporates at 100 degrees. When temperatures rise, water molecules spread out, but instead of vanishing into the air, they turn into clouds, which move with the wind across the Earth's surface, showering clean, distilled rain on all living things and plants in need of survival.

Would you believe that an average-sized rain cloud floating above us contains more than 300,000 tons (or about 300 million liters) of water?!

Clouds are undoubtedly a curious and astounding phenomenon that we cannot imagine life without.

How Does This Miracle Happen?

The sun heats the oceans, causing water to evaporate. These dispersed water molecules are lighter than air, climbing high into the atmosphere where the cold temperatures above 2000 meters cause them to condense into tiny droplets, forming clouds. This complex process also involves additional factors, like 'nucleation,' referring to microscopic dust particles around which water can condense. Clouds consist of a collection of tiny water droplets, ice crystals, and dust particles moving together as a group.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: all clouds are equally white, though thicker ones appear darker due to their size—the upper layers cast a shadow on the base, making them look gray. This is an optical illusion caused by shadows. Those flying above would find even gray clouds are entirely white.

Despite the vast amounts of water clouds hold, rain falls on us as droplets. Imagine the chaos if rain poured down like destructive waterfalls from the sky. So why doesn't it?

Well, the tiny water droplets and ice crystals within the cloud collide and merge into larger drops. The friction between millions of droplets generates an electrical charge resulting in lightning. As a drop becomes heavier, gravity strengthens its pull downward, resulting in the sprinkling of fine raindrops on us. When the air is cold, these droplets freeze into hail on their descent, and if the air is very cold, they form ice crystals and fall as snow. In this way, water reaches even the smallest plants without harming a soul.

How surprising it is that this substance, which evaporates into a gas lighter than air, can simultaneously re-condense into clouds in the atmosphere—a miraculous intermediate state: lighter than air and slender enough to hover in the atmosphere, yet not too thin to dissipate in it, and not too thick to plummet to the ground. They are light enough to be moved by winds from place to place collectively. Massive rivers and oceans of water hover above our heads, aiming to hydrate the vegetation and cleanse the earth with pure, refreshing rain, of course, continually replenishing our water supplies. The water cycle is undoubtedly one of the world's greatest wonders.

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Strengthening and Praying for Rain

It's well-known that the remarkable fertility of Israel depends on blessing rains, as it is stated in the Torah: "The land you are crossing to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven" (Deuteronomy 11:11). Rains come in response to our deeds, to encourage us to strengthen and pray for them.

It is worth mentioning this fact, as this year seems to be a drought year, requiring us to increase our prayers. Don't let the recent rains mislead you. Experts say the last month of Tevet was the driest we've seen in 20 years (as of late December, only 40-50% of average rainfall had fallen across the country). The reason we have water in the pipes is due to water desalination, but it cannot replace the blessing rains needed both by farmers and for all nature in Israel.

Thus declared the Water Authority: "The state of the streams and water sources is in unprecedented decline. The main springs nurturing the Jordan—the Dan and the Banias—are at an extreme low, and groundwater levels in Galilee have dropped to a historical minimum. The shortage of water sources is climbing past 2.5 billion cubic meters." Farmers in Israel have been told not to plant new orchards, for water will be rationed.

The Chief Rabbi, Rabbi David Lau, has already called upon the public to pray for rain this year (Ashkenazim traditionally add this in the Amidah prayer, in the "Shomea Tefillah" blessing, but it can be recited at any time). The prayer reads:

“Answer us, Creator of the world, in Your measure of mercy, Chooser of His people Israel to announce His greatness and majesty, Hearer of prayer, give dew and rain upon the face of the earth, satisfy the whole world from Your goodness, and fill our hands with Your blessings and from the wealth of Your beneficent hand. Guard and save this year from all evil, and from all forms of destruction, and from all kinds of calamities, fulfill it with hope and a peaceful end, have mercy on us and on all our produce and fruits, and bless us with rains of blessing and generosity for life and abundance and peace, like the good years, and remove from us pestilence and sword and famine, and evil beasts and captivity and looting, and the evil inclination and bad and tough illnesses, and bad and tough events, and decree for us good decrees before You, and uncover Your mercy upon Your attributes, and deal with Your children in the measure of mercy, and accept our prayer with mercy and favor.”

How wonderful are water, and how much should we be grateful for their existence.

So transparent, so pure and sparkling, and with so many forms. Within them are embedded such a variety of properties, different from each other, all enabling our existence. Water makes up our bodies, allows our movement, protects the vegetation and fish as a protective layer, while simultaneously floating in the skies, moving from place to place, cleaning and hydrating the world. This is significant proof of the existence of the Blessed Creator—a miracle occurring constantly before our eyes, needing only the opening of eyes to see and filling with love for the great name that gives us such a precious gift.

For the first article in the series on the proof of Hashem's existence from a glass of water, click here.

For the second article in the series on the only substance in the world that expands in the cold, click here.