Si ces [jeûnes] sont passés et n'ont pas reçu de réponse [favorable], le Beth Din décrétera trois autres jeûnes publics. La veille au soir, nous pouvons manger et boire, mais [le jour du jeûne lui-même] il est interdit de travailler, de se baigner, d'oindre le corps, de porter des chaussures [en cuir] et d'accomplir le devoir du mariage. De plus, nous verrouillons les bains publics. Si ces [jeûnes] sont passés et n'ont pas reçu de réponse [favorable], le Beth Din décrétera sept jours de jeûne de plus, ce qui fait en tout treize jeûnes publics. Ceux-ci sont plus [stricts] que les premiers [jours de jeûne], parce que [sur ces nouveaux jeûnes] nous crions (soit avec le Shofar, soit avec la prière supplémentaire d' Anenu ), et nous fermons les magasins. Le lundi, vers le soir, les volets des magasins [de ceux qui vendent des denrées alimentaires] peuvent être [vaguement] appuyés sur [c'est-à-dire pas complètement fermés, mais en position oblique, de manière à décourager mais pas complètement interdire l'achat ], et le jeudi, ils peuvent être entièrement enlevés, en l'honneur du sabbat [qui approche].
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
שהן שלשה עשר תעניות על הציבור – for they already have fasted six [times] and the individual fasts are not part of the count.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Introduction
This mishnah continues with the series of increasingly more stringent fasts.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
מתריעין – with Shofars
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
If these passed and there was no answer, the court decrees three more fasts on the community. If after the first three communal fasts there is still no rain, then the court decrees another set of three fasts on the community.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
בשני מטין – on the second of the fasts, they open the doors of the stores slightly towards evening. But they don’t take their wares outside.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
They may eat and drink [only] while it is still day; they may not work, bathe, anoint themselves with oil, wear shoes, or have marital, relations. And the bathhouses are closed. These fasts are stricter because they begin the night before. The mishnah refers to the day before the fast and rules that one can eat only while it is still day. On these fasts all of the major prohibitions apply. These are the same prohibitions that apply on Yom Kippur. The bathhouses are closed because there is no need for them to be open. Also, this is a very public sign of mourning.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
ובחמישי מותרים – to open [the stores] all day long.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
If these passed and there was no answer the court decrees upon the community a further seven, making a total of thirteen. If these three fasts are not effective, then another seven are decreed, bringing the total number of communal fasts to thirteen.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
These are greater than the first, for on these they blast the shofar and they lock the shops. All of the prohibitions from the previous three fasts still apply and new practices are added. They blow the shofar as a sign of distress (on this practice see the introduction to the tractate). They also close the shops as a further sign of communal mourning and distress.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
On Mondays the shutters [of the shops] are opened a little when it gets dark, but on Thursdays they are permitted [the whole day] because of the Shabbat. The problem with closing the stores is that people need to buy supplies for the next day. Therefore they allow the stores to open their shutters a little bit towards the end of the day on Monday. On Thursday the stores are allowed to be opened all day because people need to buy food for Shabbat. We can see a value statement being made here. As important as it is to pray for rain and as dire as the situation of drought may be, people must remember and be able to honor the Shabbat.
