Comentario sobre Taanit 3:13

סדר תעניות האלו – that are mentioned in the chapter above, are not observed other than for the rainfall in the autumn. If the three times of the early rainfall passed, which are the third of Marcheshvan, the seventh [of Marcheshvan] and the seventeenth [of Marcheshvan] and rain did not fall, then individuals would fast, and afterwards, the community would [observe] thirteen fasts according to the order that was mentioned.

Introduction This mishnah teaches that sometimes we skip the order of fasts that was taught in the previous two chapters and we proceed straight to the last set of fasts, when we blow the shofar and fast for the entire day.

אבל – if rains fell at their appropriate time and the seeds sprouted and changed, such as in place of wheat came thorns and in place of barley came the early stages of ripening, or another change.

The order of public fasts mentioned above is enacted because of [lack of] the first rain, but if the crops have undergone [an unusual] change they sound a blast immediately. If it doesn’t rain during the first season in which rain should come, then we begin the series of fasts that was described in the previous two chapters. However, if the crops start to look as if they are going bad, then the situation is obviously more serious. In such a case we skip the first two sets of fasts and go right to the third set, the set where we blast the shofar. The change of the crops appearance is far more serious and therefore it calls for an immediate sounding of the alarm.

מתריעין עליהם מיד – with the first fast, for all the stringency related to the latter fasts are practiced immediately on the first fast.

Similarly, if the rain has stopped for forty days between one rainfall and the next, they sound a blast immediately, because it is a plague of drought. Another case in which we skip immediately to blowing the shofar and fasting for the entire day is a situation in which it began to rain but then stopped raining for forty days. Such a situation foreshadows drought and therefore it is especially dangerous.

בין גשם לגשם—between the rainfall in the autumn and the second period.

מכת בצורת – it is a sign of drought [of rain in season].

ירדו לצמחים ולא לאילן – such as it would rain gently, which is good for plants and grasses but is not sufficient for trees.

Introduction This mishnah continues to discuss situations in which they would immediately skip to the latter stages of fasting.

לאילן ולא לצמחים – that [rain] fell with great force

If [rain] falls for crops but not for the trees, for the trees but not for crops, for both of these but not for cisterns, ditches and caves they sound a blast immediately. Light rain is good for the crops because crops don’t need the rain to penetrate deep into the land. However, it is not good for the trees. Heavy rain is good for the trees but not good for the crops. Finally, it requires very heavy rain to fill up the cisterns, ditches and caves so that people will have drinking water. According to the mishnah if it rains but there is not sufficient or appropriate rain for every one of these categories, they skip the first stage and go immediately to the stage of more serious fasting, as we described in yesterday’s mishnah.

for cisterns, ditches/pits and caves.

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.

Introduction This mishnah teaches that if the drought was local, then the fasts are only performed locally as well.

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.

מפולת – which have healthy walls fall, but those [walls] that were in disrepair/defective (Taanit 20b) are not the falling of houses [mentioned].

Introduction This mishnah continues to discussed localized fasts, the topic begun in yesterday’s mishnah.

And so too a city which has a plague or [its buildings] collapse 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. This section is basically the same as yesterday’s mishnah, it just mentions plagues and building collapse as opposed to rain. Just as Rabbi Akiva and the sages debated what the surrounding cities do in the case of drought, so too they debate these cases.

What constitutes a plague? If in a city that can supply five hundred foot-soldiers and three deaths occurred on three consecutive days, behold this constitutes a plague, less than this is not a plague. This section differentiates between a plague and isolated instances of death. For something to be a plague a certain percentage of the people of a town must die within a certain amount of time. The mishnah’s answers its question by stating that if the town is large enough to send out 500 foot-soldiers, meaning 500 men who are at an age capable of fighting in the army, and three people die of disease in three days, then they can declare an official plague and observe a fast. If less people die then it is not a plague and they need not fast. We should note that it is not clear if the law would be different if the city could produce 1,000 soldiers, or 10,000 soldiers. Would more people have to die in the same time period in order for it to be a plague? Can a plague be declared in a town with fewer people? These questions are not directly addressed by the mishnah.

בכל מקום – and even those cities that were very far away from it, as the reason explained at the end [of the Mishnah] because of a continuing plague.

Introduction In the previous mishnayot we learned of situations in which the people of the town effected by the plague fast and sound the shofar and the people in the neighboring towns do not fully participate. In our mishnah we learn for certain plagues, not only the people of the town directly effected participate, but also the people of all the surrounding towns as well.

שדפון – wind that destroys the grain and empties it of seed.

For these they sound a blast in all places: for the drying up of crops (shidafon), for plant disease, for locusts, and for the hasil (a type of locust), for wild beasts and for the sword they sound a blast for these are plagues likely to spread. All of these plagues are likely to spread; therefore, even though they may have directly effected only one part of the region, everyone must fast and sound the shofar.

ירקון – grain whose surface becomes pale; and there are those who explain [the word] ירקון as an illness that changes the face of man to be like the appearance of the vegetation of the field.

ועל חיה רעה – that appears in the daytime on the settlement.

ועל החרב – armies passing from place to place, and even though they are not coming to fight with that city.

לעריהן – to the Land of Israel

Introduction This mishnah gives two concrete cases in which sages decreed fasts.

כמלוא פי תנור – that was struck by blast (i.e., emptied of grain) of so much grain that it would been capable to make of it bread to fill [the mouth of] the oven.

It once happened that elders went down from Jerusalem to their own cities and ordered a fast because there was seen in Ashkelon a shidafon which affected as much grain as would fill an oven [with loaves]. A shidafon is a drying up of the crops, an event referred to in the previous mishnah. This story teaches that the amount of shidafon-effected crops necessary to justify decreeing a fast is enough grain to bake sufficient loaves to fill an oven. While I do not know exactly how much grain this is, it does not seem to be a particularly large amount.

באשקלון – in the land of the Philistines

They also decreed a fast because wolves devoured two children on the other side of the Jordan. Rabbi Yose says: not because they devoured [the children] but [merely] because they were seen. This is another case addressed by yesterday’s mishnah a plague of wild beasts. There is a debate about whether the wolves were merely seen or whether they actually devoured two children.

ועל שאכלו זאבים – which is an wild beast which continually does damage

על שנראה – that came in the city

המטרפת – beaten down and broken , like an egg that is beaten in a bowl

Introduction Generally, one does not fast or sound a shofar blast in alarm on Shabbat. However, sometimes disaster is so imminent that they sound a blast even on Shabbat. We should note that there is a debate concerning whether they fast on Shabbat.

לעזרה – to gather the people that they should come to help and save. Therefore, we do not sound the Shofar or trumpets regarding them on Shabbat, unless it is was [absolutely] necessary to sound the Shofar to gather the people [together]. But they would fast and cry out and supplicate [God] on their behalf on Shabbat.

For these matters they sound a blast even on Shabbat: if a city is besieged by Gentile [troops] or a river, or if a ship is foundering on the sea. The impending disasters referred to here are so immediate that they would blow the shofar even on Shabbat. However, on all other occasions they would wait until after Shabbat to begin blowing the shofar and fasting.

שמעון התימני – He was from Yemen.

Rabbi Yose says: [they sound a blast] for help but not for an outcry (for the sake of. Rabbi Yose says that they blow the shofar so that people will come and help but that they don’t blow the shofar on Shabbat as part of a prayer ritual. Accordingly, the special prayers are not added on Shabbat.

אף על הדבר – they would sound the Shofar on Shabbat.

Shimon the Yemenite says: also for a plague, but the sages did not agree with him. Rabbi Yose says that a plague should also belong on this list. However, the other sages do not agree with him. According to their opinion, a plague is less of an imminent danger and hence they mention it above in mishnah four.

ולא הודו לו חכמים - to sound the Shofar on Shabbat for [the plague of] pestilence, but they would sound the Shofar for it on weekdays.

חוץ מרוב גשמים – it did not rain so much that it ruined the grain, but it already rained a lot that we have no further need for them and they are troublesome for people.

Introduction This mishnah contains the famous story of Honi the circle drawer, who demanded that God bring rain and his prayers were effective.

תנורי פסחים – they are of earthenware and they are carried from place to place.

For every trouble that should not come upon the community they sound a blast except on account of too much rain. It happened that they said to Honi the circle drawer: “Pray for rain to fall.” He replied: “Go and bring in the pesah ovens so that they do not dissolve.” He prayed and no rain fell. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and exclaimed before Him: “Master of the universe, Your children have turned their faces to me because I am like one who was born in Your house. I swear by Your great name that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children.” Rain then began to drip, and he exclaimed: “I did not request this but rain [which can fill] cisterns, ditches and caves. The rain then began to come down with great force, and he exclaimed: “I did not request this but pleasing rain of blessing and abudance.” Rain then fell in the normal way until the Jews in Jerusalem had to go up Temple Mount because of the rain. They came and said to him: “In the same way that you prayed for [the rain] to fall pray [now] for the rain to stop.” He replied: “Go and see if the stone of people claiming lost objects has washed away.” Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah sent to him: “Were you not Honi I would have excommunicated you, but what can I do to you, for you are spoiled before God and he does your will like a son that is spoiled before his father and his father does his request. Concerning you it is written, “Let your father and your mother rejoice, and let she that bore you rejoice” (Proverbs 23:25). “That should not come upon the community” is a euphemism. The mishnah is actually referring to troubles that do come upon the community. An overabundance of rain is not a blessing and can actually destroy the crops and endanger people’s lives. However, since rain is usually a blessing and is so scarce in the land of Israel, one doesn’t pray for rain to stop. It’s as if we don’t want to risk God’s anger by asking him to stop the rain, after having already asked for it to begin to rain. The story itself probably needs little explaining. The people turn to Honi the circle maker, so named because in order to bring rain he would draw a circle around himself and not move until rain came. Assumedly, Honi was famous as a rainmaker, a well-known profession in pre-modern societies dependant upon rainfall. Honi responds with exaggerated confidence, telling them that he will bring so much rain that even the ovens used to roast the pesah offerings, the strongest ovens that they usually had, would begin to melt. Honi proceeds to draw his circle and demand that God bring rain. God answers his call, but then Honi refines his request and demands proper rain, rain which is not too weak and not too strong (but just right!). Eventually, the necessary type of rain does begin to fall and continues to fall until the people must abandon the lower places in Jerusalem and flee to the Temple Mount for safety. Heeding the halakhah with which this mishnah began, Honi refuses to pray for rain to stop until a famous stone has dissolved, which is an exaggerated way of saying that he will not pray for the rain to stop, even though it is endangering their lives. This is a key point in the mishnah. Even though Honi is a miracle worker, someone who seems to be outside the normal circle of rabbis, he still obeys the halakhah and there is a limit to what even he will ask for. Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah’s rebuke to Honi is probably even more telling as to the point of this mishnah than Honi’s prayer itself. Indeed, in my opinion the rebuke is the reason that the mishnah is here in the first place. In the beginning of this mishnah we learned that people should not act with chutzpah when asking for rain. Honi, who God treats like a son, is somewhat of an exception. He can have that chutzpah in front of God, because God spoils Honi like a son. We often let our children get away with things that we won’t allow others to get away with. Others who would act like Honi will probably not have their requests answered and may indeed be rebuked for their presumptuous behavior. One might go so far as to say that the message of this mishnah is one of simultaneous nearness and distance. Certain human beings do have the possibility of drawing close enough to God that God will heed their every request. Humanity as a whole can achieve true closeness to God. However, such a relationship cannot be expected or presumed. As individuals we should not look at ourselves as being on the level of Honi. For most of us, we must respect the fact that there is a vast distance separating us from God and that if we were to make a demand, it might very well be ignored. Indeed, the entire tractate has been consistently cognizant with the fact that prayers are often simply not answered.

שלא ימוקו – [they wouldn’t become soft] because of the [large amount of] rain

עג עוגה – he made the circular incision/tracing on the ground, like a circle

גשמי בורות – plenty of rain to fill the cisterns.

אם נמחית – if it was entirely covered with water

אבן טועים – a stone which was in Jerusalem – for whomever would find something had to stand on it and announce “I found this thing.” And [people] would come up and give its “signs” and take them, and that stone which was called “The Stone of Losers (Claims). And I found written that it was very high and that it was not possible for rains to cover it other than if a flood came to the world.

לנדות – that we excommunicate on account of his great honor.

מתחטא – on his rebellious conduct.

רבי אליעזר אומר: קודם חצות לא ישלימו – and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer.

Introduction This mishnah discusses what happens if they begin to fast and then it rains on the fast day.

צאו אכלו ושתו – and he did not say to them that they should first recite “The Great Hallel” (Psalm 136), for one should only say “The Great Hallel” with a full stomach and a satiated soul.

If while they are fasting rain falls: If before sunrise they do not complete the fast, If after sunrise, they do complete the fast. The fast actually begins at sunrise. Therefore if it rains before sunrise then the rain has begun before the fast and there is no reason to fast. However, if it rains after sunrise they must continue and complete the fast.

Rabbi Eliezer says: if before noon they do not complete the fast, if after noon they do complete it. Noon is when most people eat their mid-day meal, the main meal of the day. One who does not eat until noon is not really fasting, even though he may not have eaten. Therefore, according to Rabbi Eliezer, if it rains before noon it is as if they have not yet begun the fast and they do not have to complete it. If it rains after noon they must complete the fast.

It happened that the rabbis decreed a fast in Lod and rain fell before noon. Rabbi Tarfon said to them: go, eat and drink and make a holiday. They went and ate and drank and observed the day as a holiday and at evening time they came and recited the Hallel Hagadol. In this section we have a story that illustrates Rabbi Eliezer’s halakhah and goes even further. Not only did they end their fast, but they went out and celebrated the arrival of the rain. In the evening they recited Hallel Hagadol, which is Psalm 136, which contains the line “He provides food for all living creatures”, a line especially significant on the day when it begins to rain.