Commentary for Taanit 3:3
וְכֵן עִיר שֶׁלֹּא יָרְדוּ עָלֶיהָ גְשָׁמִים, דִּכְתִיב (עמוס ד) וְהִמְטַרְתִּי עַל עִיר אֶחָת וְעַל עִיר אַחַת לֹא אַמְטִיר, חֶלְקָה אַחַת תִּמָּטֵר וְגוֹ', אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר מִתְעַנָּה וּמַתְרַעַת, וְכָל סְבִיבוֹתֶיהָ, מִתְעַנּוֹת וְלֹא מַתְרִיעוֹת. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מַתְרִיעוֹת וְלֹא מִתְעַנּוֹת:
And thus if no rain should have fallen over any particular city similar to that which is written (Amos 4:7), "I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city, one piece was rained upon," &c., [the inhabitants of] such a city must fast, and sound an alarm, and those of the circumjacent places shall fast, but not sound. Rabbi Akivah says, "they are to sound, but not to fast."
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
וכל סביבותיה מתענות – since that city where rain did not fall would have to go to buy grain in a city where [rain] fell and there would be famine.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Introduction
This mishnah teaches that if the drought was local, then the fasts are only performed locally as well.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
And so too a city, upon which no rain has fallen as it is written, “And I caused it to rain upon one city, and I caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon…” (Amos 4:7) that city fasts and they sound a blast, but those [in the places] around it fast but do not sound the alarm. Rabbi Akiva says: they sound the alarm but do not fast. The quote from Amos shows that droughts can be localized and that God can send a drought upon one city, but not upon another. In such a case that city fasts and performs the entire ritual. The surrounding cities partially join in the fast as a show of support. However they do not fully join in, because it is, after all, raining in their city. It seems that partial fasting/sounding the shofar is to show both their empathy for their fellow Israelites and yet at the same time show their gratitude to God for causing it to rain on their town. The sages and Rabbi Akiva debate concerning which part of the fasting ritual is observed by those in the neighboring town. The sages say that they fast but do not blow the shofar whereas Rabbi Akiva holds the opposite.
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