Rainstorms/ downpour/ torrential (stormy) rain
Rainfalls descending with great strength and liable to cause damage to agriculture (זַעַף means anger).
(“He said: I did not ask for such rain, but for rains that fill cisterns, ditches, and caves. They began to fall with fury. He said: I did not ask for such rain, but for rains of favor, blessing, and generosity.” — Tractate Ta'anit 23a; and likewise: “Here they turned into rains of wrath and terror, until Honi’s disciples recoiled and said, it seems to us that ‘the rains are falling only to destroy the world,’ and he had to pray again that they should cease.” — Shevet HaLevi Responsa, Part IX, no. 148.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
גִּשְׁמֵי זַעַף
Definition (Hebrew)
גְּשָׁמִים הַיּוֹרְדִים בְּחָזְקָה וַעֲלוּלִים לִגְרֹם לִנְזָקִים לְחַקְלָאוּת (זַעַף מַשְׁמָע כַּעַס).
("אָמַר לֹא כָּךְ שָׁאַלְתִּי אֶלָּא גִּשְׁמֵי בּוֹרוֹת שִׁיחִין וּמְעָרוֹת הִתְחִילוּ לֵרֵד בְּזַעַף אָמַר לֹא כָּךְ שָׁאַלְתִּי אֶלָּא גִּשְׁמֵי רָצוֹן בְּרָכָה וּנְדָבָה"- תַּעֲנִית ג ח, וְכֵן:"אֵלּוּ כָּאן נֶהֶפְכוּ לַגַּשְׁמִי זַעַף וְאֵימָה, עַד שֶׁנִּרְתְּעוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חוֹנִי, וְאָמְרוּ, כִּמְדֻמְיָן אָנוּ "שֶׁאֵין גְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין אֶלָּא לְאַבֵּד הָעוֹלָם", וְהֻצְרַךְ שׁוּב לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁיִּפְסְקוּ"- שׁוּ"ת שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי חֵלֶק ט סִימָן קֶמַח)