Torah Community Connections

Week 42 - Friday - 15 September 2000

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 5

Rosh Hodesh of Kislev arrived and the rains did not fall, the Court decrees three fasts for the community. They may eat and drink from when it became dark, and are permitted to work and bathe, and anoint themselves and wear shoes, and marital relations.

Kehati

Rosh Hodesh of Kislev arrived and the rains did not fall, the Court decrees three fasts - on Monday, Thursday, and Monday, for the entire community.

They may eat and drink from when it became dark - the night preceding the fast (see the preceding mishnah), and are permitted to work, and bathe, and anoint themselves and wear shoes and marital relations - as in the law regarding the fasts of individuals (see the preceding mishnah).

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 1: MISHNAH 6

These passed and they were not answered, the Court decrees three other fasts for the community. They may eat and drink while it is yet day, and are prohibited to work, and bathe, and anoint themselves and wear shoes, and marital relations, and they close the bathhouses. If these passed and they were not answered, the Court decrees an additional seven, which are thirteen fasts for the community. Indeed, these surpass the first ones, for in these they sound the alarm and they close the shops. On Mondays they turn with darkness, and on Thursdays they are permitted because of the honor of the Shabbat.

Kehati

If these - the first three fasts decreed by the Court for the community, passed and they were not answered - from Heaven, and rain did not fall, the Court decrees three other fasts for the community - on Monday, Thursday, and Monday. On these three fasts, they may eat and drink while it is yet day - i.e., they stop eating and drinking while it is yet day, and begin the fast with nightfall, as is the practice on Yom Kippur and the ninth of Av, and on these fastdays, are prohibited to work - as it is written, "Sanctify you a fast, call a solemn assembly [atzarah]" (Joel 1:14), from which it was adduced, "atzarah" - as atzeret (Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret - Rashi): just as it is prohibited to work on atzeret, so, too, is it prohibited to work on the fast (Gemara), and bathe - the entire body in hot water, but it is permitted to wash one's face, hands, and feet (Gemara; Rambam, Hil. Ta'aniyot 3:4), and anoint themselves, and wear shoes, and marital relations - these fasts are more stringent as they prohibited things which are pleasurable, and they close the hot bathhouses - to prevent people from bathing.

If these passed and they were not answered - the rains still did not fall, the Court decrees an additional seven - fasts: Monday and Thursday, and Monday and Thursday, and Monday and Thursday and Monday, which - together with the previous six, are thirteen fasts for the community - the mishnah emphasizes the number in order to teach that no more than thirteen fasts because of drought may be decreed for the community. (see Tosefot Yom Tov).

Indeed these - the latter seven fasts, surpass the first ones - the three fasts before them, for in these they sound the alarm - and they blow on the shofarot, and close the shops - but only shops which do not sell food are closed for the entire day. Regarding food shops, on fasts on Mondays they turn with darkness - they open the doors slightly towards the evening, to enable the purchase of food for the night, and on Thursdays they are permitted - to open the shops the entire day, because of the honor of Shabbat - to purchase items for the Shabbat (Tosefot Yom Tov).

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