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Week 44 - Monday - 25 September 2000

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 8

For any trouble which should occur to the public, they sound for it; except for an excess of rain. It once happened that they said to Honi HaMe'agel: "Pray that rains may fall." He said to them, "Go out and bring in the ovens of the Passover sacrifices, so that they will not become soft." He prayed, and rains did not fall. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it, and said before Him, "Master of the Universe, Your children have turned their faces to me, for I am like a son of the house before You. I swear by Your great name that I will not move from here until You will have mercy upon Your children." The rains began in a drizzle. He said, "Not thus I asked, but rains of pits, cavities, and caves." They began to fall in a tempest. He said, "Not thus I asked, but acceptable, blessed, and generous rains." They then fell in their proper manner, until Israel went forth from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount because of the rains. They came and said to him, "Just as you prayed for them that they would fall, so pray that they should cease." He said to them, "Go out and see if Even HaTo'im has been washed away." Shimon ben Shetah sent to him: "If you were not Honi, I would decree ostracization upon you. But what shall I do to you, that you indulge yourself before the Omnipresent and He does your will, as a son who indulges himself before his father, and he does his will. And about you the Scripture says, 'Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her that bore you rejoice' (Prov. 23:25)."

Kehati

For any trouble which should occur - i.e., which might occur; the mishnah employs euphemistic wording, to the public, they sound - they fast and blow the shofar, for it; except for an excess of rain - for even though people suffer from this, they nevertheless do not sound for it, because rain in general is a blessing for man, and we do not pray to cancel an excess of bounty. It once happened that they said to Honi HaMe'agel: "Pray that rains may fall." He said to them, "Go out and bring in the ovens of the Passover sacrifices - which stood in the courtyards, and served to roast the Passover sacrifices; since they were earthenware, he gave instruction to bring them inside, so that they will not become soft" - so they would not dissolve in the rains, for he was certain that rain would fall soon after his prayer (Hameiri).

He prayed, and rains did not fall. What did he do? He drew a circle on the ground and stood within it, and said before Him - the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, Your children have turned their faces to me, for I am like a son of the house before You. I swear by Your great name that I will move from here until You will have mercy upon Your children."

The rains began in a drizzle - in a slow drizzle. He - Honi HaMe'agel, said, "Not thus I asked, but plentiful rains of - that will fill - pits, cavities, and caves."

They began to fall in a tempest. He - Hone HaMe'agel, said, "Not thus I asked, but acceptable, blessed, and generous rains."

They then fell in their proper manner, until Israel went forth from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount because of the rains - the low places were inundated by the excess of rain, so they ascended to the Temple Mount. They came and said to him, "Just as you prayed for them that they would fall, so pray that they should cease" - that the rains will cease.

He said to them, "Go out and see if Even HaTo'im - a large boulder in Jerusalem. The finder of a lost object would stand on it and announce, "I found a lost object," and its owner would come, provide identifying marks, and take possession. The rock was named "Even HaTo'im" (the rock of those wandering), for those who were wandering and searching for their lost objects would assemble at this rock. According to another version, its name was "Even HaTo'en" (the rock of the claimer), for it was here that claims were made regarding lost objects, has been washed away" - exaggerating, Honi HaMe'agel said that as long as the Even HaTo'im was not washed away, he would not pray for the rain to cease; according to Rabbeinu Nissim, following the Jerusalem Talmud, Honi HaMe'agel said that just as it is impossible for a rock to be washed away, so is it impossible to pray against an excess of bounty. Similarly, the Gemara states: "He said to them, 'Thus I have it as a tradition that people do not pray against an excess of bounty. Nevertheless, bring me a bullock for a thanksgiving offering!' They brought him a bullock for a thanksgiving offering, he placed his two hands upon it, and he said before Him, 'Master of the Universe, Your people Israel, that You brought forth from Egypt, cannot endure neither an excess of bounty nor an excess of tribulations…May it be Your will that the rains shall cease, and the world will be sated.' At once the wind blew, the clouds dispersed, and the sun shone."

Shimon ben Shetah sent to him - Honi HaMe'agel: "If you were not Honi, I would decree ostracization upon you - excessive aggrandization is punished by ostracization, and he spoke insolently by saying, "Not thus I asked" (Rashi); Hameiri states that the reason for Shimon ben Shetah's disapproval was because it is not proper for a righteous person to be so confident of the effects of his prayer that he expresses himself in decrees.

But what shall I do to you, that you indulge yourself before the Omnipresent - the Holy One, blessed be He, and He does your will, as a son who indulges himself before his father, and he does his will. And about you the Scripture says, 'Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her that bore you rejoice.'"

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 9

If they were fasting and rains fell for them before sunrise, they would not complete; after sunrise, they would complete. Rabbi Eliezer says, Before midday they would not complete, after midday they would complete. It once happened that they decreed a fastday in Lod, and rains fell for them before midday. Rabbi Tarfon said to them, "Go forth, and eat and drink, and observe a holiday." And they went forth, and they ate and they drank, and they observed a holiday, and in the afternoon they came and read the Great Hallel.

Kehati

If they were fasting - for rain, and rains fell for them - on the day of the fast, before sunrise, they would not complete - the fast, for it had not yet become incumbent upon them when the rain fell (Rashi); and if the rain fell after sunrise, they would complete - the fast. Rabbi Eliezer says, If rain fell for them before midday they would not complete - for the midday hour is the time when most people eat, and since the rain fell before midday, the fast had not yet begun for them (Rashi; Hameiri); and if the rain fell for them after midday they would complete - the fast. The Jerusalem Talmud explains the reason for this: "since most of the day had passed in sanctity." The law is in accordance with Rabbi Eliezer (Rambam, Hil. Ta'aniyot 1:16).

It once happened that they decreed a fastday in Lod - for rain, and rains fell for them before midday - on the day of the fast .

Rabbi Tarfon - who resided in Lod, said to them, "Go forth, and eat and drink, and observe a holiday." And they went forth, and they ate and they drank, and they observed a holiday, and in the afternoon they came - to the synagogue, and read the Great Hallel - Ps. 136 (which begins, "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever"), because it contains the verse, "Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever." The Gemara explains that they did not read this prior to eating, because "the Great Hallel is said only with a satisfied soul and contented body."

According to one opinion, this law applies to fasts which were decreed for other calamities, and if the danger passed before midday the fast is not completed. This law applies, however, only to communal fasts, for decrees are placed on the entire public only when necessary. However, if an individual fasts for some calamity, he completes his fast even if the danger passed before midday (Rambam, Hil. Ta'aniyot 1:15-16; Rabbeinu Nissim). Ravad, however, disagrees; he holds that no distinction is to be made between individual and community, and that, at any event, this law applies only to fasts for rain. Regarding fasts for other adversities, even though the danger passed before midday, the fast is to be completed, for the lack of rain, which is a transitory adversity, is the only one about which a person can be certain that it has passed.

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