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Week 44 - Sunday- 24 September 2000

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 6

It once happened that Sages went down from Jerusalem to their cities, and decreed a fast because shidafon as the contents of the mouth of an oven was seen Ashkelon. And further, they decreed a fast because wolves devoured two children beyond the Jordan. Rabbi Yose says, Not because they devoured, but because they were seen.

Kehati

It once happened that Sages went down from Jerusalem to their cities, and decreed a fast because shidafon - the crops were destroyed by heat, as the contents of - an amount from which bread could be made to fill the mouth of an oven was seen in Ashkelon - in the area of the Philistines (a city close to the southern border of Eretz Yisrael).

And further, they decreed a fast because wolves devoured two children beyond the Jordan - because a wild beast is a "walking calamity," as was taught in the preceding mishnah.

Rabbi Yose says, The Sages decreed a fast, not because they - the wolves, devoured - the two children, but because they - wolves, were seen - in the city.

TA'ANIT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 7

For these they sound [matri'in] on Shabbat: for a city which was surrounded by non-Jews or a river, and for a ship tossed about in the sea. Rabbi Yose says, For help and not for prayer. Shimon HaTemani says, Even for plague. And the Sages did not admit to him.

Kehati

"They do not decree public fastdays on Shabbatot or on holidays. And similarly, they do not sound on them, neither with the shofar, nor with trumpets, and they do not cry out and plead in prayer on them" (Rambam, Hil. Ta'aniyot). This mishnah cites the calamities for which it is permitted to sound, even on Shabbat.

For these they sound [matri'in] on Shabbat: for a city which was surrounded - placed under siege, by non-Jews or a river - which overflowed its banks, endangering the city, and for a ship tossed about in the sea - because of a storm, and the ship is about to break up.

Rabbi Yose says, They sound on Shabbat to summon people for help and not for prayer - the Gemara explains that the intent of this mishnah is not to blow on shofarot (as was explained in the preceding mishnayot), because it is prohibited to blow on Shabbat, but the intent in the statement of the First Tanna, is to raising their voices in the anenu prayer. Rabbi Yose holds that they cry out for people to come and help, and they do not cry out in prayer, i.e., they do not recite supplicatory prayers on Shabbat, for we are not sure these prayers will be accepted on Shabbat (Rashi; Hameiri; Tiferet Yisrael). Similarly, regarding the matter of fasting: according to one opinion, although the wording matri'in ("sounding") refers to fasting, the hatra'ah in this mishnah does not include fasting which is prohibited on Shabbat (Rabbeinu Nissim). Rambam, however, writes that they may fast for these things on Shabbat, and they cry out and plead for them in prayer (Hil. Ta'aniyot 1:6; see also Tosefot Yom Tov, who writes that according to one opinion, the wording "they fast" is to be deleted from Rambam). According to another opinion (as cited in Hameiri), even in this mishnah the wording matri'in means blowing on the shofar; the First Tanna states that it is permissible to blow on Shabbat, but Rabbi Yose objects, permitting only gathering the people to provide help, but not crying out in prayer (Hameiri's conclusion, however, is that the first interpretation is correct).

Shimon HaTemani says, They sound on Shabbat even for plague. And the Sages did not admit to him - they did not agree with him. On Hol Hamoed, however, the Sages permit sounding (Bartenura). According to one interpretation, the Sages do not permit sounding for plagues at all (Rambam; see also Tosefot Yom Tov).

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