Honi ha-M’agel (Honi the Circle-Drawer), a Jewish scholar in the 1st-century BCE, is probably best-remembered for his ability to pray for rain.
In one story, there was a drought in Israel and the people asked Honi to pray for rain.
Here is the passage from the Mishnah describing that story:
Mishnah Taanit 3:8 (Translation by Herbert Denby, Oxford University Press, 1933)
They sound the shofar because of any public distress — may it never befall! — but not because of too great an abundance of rain.
Once they said to Honi the Circle-Drawer, “Pray that rain may fall.”
He answered, “Go out and bring in the Passover ovens [made of clay] that they be not softened.”
He prayed, but the rain did not fall. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and said before God, “O Lord of the world, your children have turned their faces to me, for I am like a son of the house before you. I swear by your great name that I will not stir from here until you have pity on your children.”
Rain began falling drop by drop. He said, “Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill the cisterns, pits, and caverns.”
It began to rain with violence. He said, “Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of goodwill, blessing, and graciousness.”
Then it rained in moderation, until the Israelites had to go up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount because of the rain. They went to him and said, “Just as you prayed for the rain to come, so pray that it may go away!”
He replied, “Go and see if the Stone of the Strayers has disappeared.”
Simeon ben Shetah sent to him, saying, “Had you not been Honi I would have pronounced a ban against you! But what shall I do to you? You importune God and he performs your will, like a son that importunes his father he performs his will. Of you the Scripture says, ‘Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her that bore you rejoice.'”
