Aux trois premiers jeûnes, les prêtres qui avaient la garde hebdomadaire du Temple jeûnaient, mais pas toute la journée; et les prêtres en service ne jeûnaient pas du tout. Aux trois seconds jeûnes, les prêtres en service hebdomadaire jeûnaient toute la journée; et les prêtres serviteurs jeûnèrent, mais pas toute la journée. Mais sur les sept derniers, les deux classes de prêtres ont jeûné toute la journée. Telle est l'opinion de R. Joshua; mais les sages disent: "Les trois premiers jeûnes n'ont été observés par aucun desdits prêtres: sur les trois seconds, les prêtres qui avaient le devoir hebdomadaire avaient l'habitude de jeûner, mais pas toute la journée; et les prêtres officiants ne jeûnaient pas à Tous. Les sept derniers, les prêtres en service hebdomadaire jeûnaient toute la journée; et les prêtres officiants jeûnaient, mais pas toute la journée. "
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
אנשי משמר – there were twenty-four priestly divisions and each division serves on its week.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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].
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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.
