En los tres primeros ayunos, los sacerdotes que tenían la vigilancia semanal del Templo ayunaron, pero no todo el día; y los sacerdotes ministrantes no ayunaron en absoluto. En los segundos tres ayunos, los sacerdotes en el servicio semanal ayunaron todo el día; y los sacerdotes ministrantes ayunaron, pero no todo el día. Pero en los últimos siete, ambas clases de sacerdotes ayunaron todo el día. Tal es la opinión de R. Joshua; pero los sabios dicen: "Los tres primeros ayunos no fueron guardados por ninguno de los sacerdotes mencionados: en los segundos tres, los sacerdotes que tenían el deber semanal solían ayunar, pero no todo el día; y los sacerdotes que ofician no ayunaron al todos. En los últimos siete, los sacerdotes en el servicio semanal ayunaron todo el día; y los sacerdotes oficiantes ayunaron, pero no todo el día ".
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
אנשי משמר – there were twenty-four priestly divisions and each division serves on its week.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Introduction
The priests were divided into twenty-four guards called “mishmarot.” Each guard served in the Temple for one week. Each guard was divided into subsections by the father’s house, and on each day a different father’s house would serve in the Temple. Our mishnah deals with how these guards and father’s houses would act on fast days decreed because of rain.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
אנשי בית אב – Each division is divided into seven distinct units corresponding to the days of the week. Each one serves on its particular day.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
On the first three fasts the men of the guard fast but do not complete their fast, and the men of the father’s house do not fast at all. On the second three fasts the men of the guard fast and complete their fast and the men of the father’s house fast but do not complete their fast. On the last seven both fast and complete their fast, the words of Rabbi Joshua. The fasts are divided into three sets, each set of fasts more serious than the previous one (see above 1:5). The general principle in the mishnah is clear. The “men of the guard” fast less than normal people. Thus during the first three fasts, while other people complete their fast, meaning they fast until the end of the day, the men of the guard end their fast early. The reason is that since they are serving in the Temple, the day is somewhat of a personal holiday for them. However, according to Rabbi Joshua, by the second set of fasts they are already acting like all other people. The “men of the father’s house” are those who are actually serving in the Temple on that day. Since they are actually working, it is an even greater day of celebration for them. To denote this, they don’t fast at all during the first three fasts, they semi-fast during the second set and only begin to fully fast during the last seven fasts.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
מתענין ולא משלימין – The first fasts were not so stringent. Therefore they would not complete them for if the service was that weighty on the men of a particular priestly division that they were doing that day, others would come to help them so that they would have the strength to serve [appropriately].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
The sages say: on the first three fasts neither fast at all. On the second three, the men of the guard fast but do not complete their fast, and the men of the father’s house do not fast at all. On the last seven, the men of the guard fast and complete their fast and the men of the father’s house fast but do not complete their fast. The sages agree with the general principles of Rabbi Joshua, they are just more lenient than he is at every stage. For instance, on the first three fasts, even the men of the guard don’t fast at all. And even on the last seven, the men of the father’s house don’t fully fast. Assumedly, the other sages hold that serving in the Temple is a greater celebration than Rabbi Joshua thinks.
