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Week 43 - Sunday- 17 September 2000

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 2

They stood to pray, they send down before the Ark a person mature and experienced, and he has sons and his house is empty, so that his heart will be perfect in the prayer, and he says before them twenty-four blessings; eighteen as on every day, and he adds to them six more.

Kehati

They stood to pray - after the admonitory words by the elder, they would rise to pray in the same place, and they - would send down before the Ark - a Reader, a person mature and experienced - in the order of the prayer, and he has sons - whom he must support, and his house is empty - he has nothing with which to support them; according to another interpretation (in the Gemara), "and his house is empty" - of sins (see Tosafot Yom Tov), so that his heart will be perfect in the prayer - his prayer will be heartfelt, based on true humility and a broken heart,

And he says before them twenty-four blessings; eighteen as on every day, and he adds to them six more - blessings, between "the Redeemer of Israel" and "Heal us," as will be explained in detail below.

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 3

And these are: Zikhronot and Shofarot, "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me," "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains…," "Out of the depths have I called you, O Lord," "A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints." Rabbi Yehudah says, He did not have to say Zikhronot and Shofarot, but he says in their stead, "If there be in the land famine, if there be plague…," "The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts," and he says their conclusions.

Kehati

And these - the six additional blessings - are: (1 and 2) the two blessings of Zikhronot and Shofarot - which are said on Rosh Hashanah ("You remember the deed of the world…"; "You were revealed in the cloud of Your glory…");
(3) "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me" - Ps. 120, and he concludes with a blessing, as will be specified in the following mishnah;
(4) "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains…" - Ps. 121, and he concludes with a blessing;
(5) "Out of the depths have I called you, O Lord" - Ps. 130, and he concludes with a blessing;
(6) "A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints" - Ps. 102, and he concludes with a blessing.

Rabbi Yehudah says, He did not have to say Zikhronot and Shofarot - on the fasts they do not say Zikhronot and Shofarot, but he says in their stead, "If there be in the land famine, if there be plague…" - I K. 8:37ff.; this is instead of Zikhronot; "The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts" - Jer. 14: this is instead of Shofarot, and he says their conclusions - after each blessing he recites its conclusion, as listed below. According to Tiferet Yisrael, this last clause follows the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah, i.e., in any event, he recites the conclusions of Zikhronot and Shofarot, for he concludes the verses from I Kings with the blessing of Zikhronot, and he concludes the verses from Jeremiah with the blessing of Shofarot.

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