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text: Mishnah Taanit
  משנה תענית
  Eighteen Treatises from the Mishna
  
  
  Mishnah Taanit
  
  
  
  
  
  From what time is the mention of God's power, as manifested in the descent of rain, to be commenced [in the prayers]? R. Eleazar says from the first day of tabernacles; R. Joshua says from the last day of that festival: for said R. Joshua to [R. Eleazar], "Since the descent of rain on the festival of tabernacles is to be considered an unpropitious event, 1 why should it be mentioned [in the prayers]?" To this R. Eleazar answered, "I also am not of opinion that they should be prayed for, but only that they should be mentioned with the words, 'Thou causedst the wind to blow, and the rain to descend in its proper time.'" "If so," replied R. Joshua, "this mention might be made at all seasons of the year."
  Prayers for rain are not to be said sooner than shortly before the commencement of the rainy season. R. Jehudah says, "The last of the ministers of the congregation who on the last day of the feast of tabernacles officiates at the reading-desk [‏תיבה‎], shall mention the rain, but not he who officiates first. On the first day of Passover the first minister still mentions it, but not he who officiates last." Till how long is the rain to be prayed for? R. Jehudah says till after the Passover; R. Meir says till the month of Nissan is passed, because it is said [Joel 2:23], "And he will cause to come down for you the rain, the early rain and the late rains in the first month."
  On the third of Mar-Cheshvan prayers for the rain are to be said, but according to Rabbon Gamaliel, on the seventh of the same month, namely, fifteen days after the feast of tabernacles, in order that the last Israelites might have reached the river Euphrates.
  If the seventeenth of Mar-Cheshvan has come without the rain having yet descended, private individuals commence to keep three fast-days, on the preceding nights of which it is lawful to eat and drink, to work [on the fast-day], to bathe, to anoint the body, to wear [leather] shoes, and to perform the marriage duty.
  If the new moon of Kislev has arrived without the rain having yet descended, the tribunal of justice [‏בית דין‎] shall order three public and general fast-days, on which it is lawful to eat and drink on the nights preceding them, to work [on the days of the said fasts] to bathe, to anoint the body, to wear [leather] shoes, and to perform the marriage duty.
  When these have passed, without their prayers having been favorably answered, the Beth Din shall decree three more public and general fasts, on which it will be lawful to eat and drink on the nights preceding them; but on which it is prohibited to work, to bathe, anoint the body, wear [leather] shoes, and to perform the marriage duty, the [public] bathing places are also to be closed. Should these fasts also have passed over without their prayers having been favorably answered, the Beth Din shall decree seven more fast-days, which altogether make thirteen public and general fasts, these last fasts differ from the [six] preceding, inasmuch as on them an alarm is sounded [on the shophar], and the shops remain closed, excepting that on Mondays, towards the evening, the shop-shutters [of those who sell articles of food] may be [loosely] leaned on [that is, not fully closed, but in a slanting position], and on Thursdays, they may be entirely taken off, in honor of the [approaching] Sabbath.
  When these have also passed without their prayers having been favorably answered, they are to lessen or withdraw themselves from engaging in joyful transactions, the erecting of buildings, and planting of gardens for pleasure; from betrothings, weddings, and mutual greetings, like men who are under the displeasure of the Almighty; [pious] private individuals recommence fasting till the end of the month Nissan. When Nissan has elapsed without rain it must be considered as a curse, for thus it is written [I Samuel 12:17], "Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain."
  
  
  
  What is the order of the [seven last] fast-days? The ark containing the rolls of the law is to be brought in an open place of the city; ashes of burnt [substances] are to be strewed on the heads of the [‏נשיא‎] prince, and of the chief of the tribunal of justice, and other persons shall also put ashes on their heads; the eldest among them shall then address them in heart-moving terms: "My brethren, consider that it is not written in respect to [the repentance of] the Ninevites, that God regarded their having wrapped themselves in sackcloth, and considered their fast-days, but that 'God saw their acts, and that they had turned from their evil ways' (Jonah 3:10), and the tradition of the prophets also is, 'Tear your hearts, and not your garments' (Joel 2:13)."
  When they have stood up to pray, they shall place at the reading-desk to minister an old experienced person, who has children, and whose house or family is free [from transgression], so that his mind may be entirely devoted to his prayer: he shall say twenty-four blessings, namely, the eighteen blessings of the daily prayer [Amidah], to which he shall add six more.
  Which are as follows:—texts of ‏זכרונות‎ and ‏שופרות‎ [Psalms 120, Psalms 121, Psalms 130, and Psalms 102], "In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he answered me," &amp;c., "I raise my eyes unto the hills," &amp;c., "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord," &amp;c., "A prayer for the afflicted when he is overwhelmed," &amp;c. R. Jehudah says it was not necessary to mention the ‏זכרונות‎ and ‏שופרות‎, but the following passages instead are to he read, "When there is famine in the land, when there is pestilence in the land," &amp;c. (First Kings 8:37), and, "The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth," &amp;c. (Jer. 14:1), the concluding blessing is then added to each.
  To the first blessing he shall say [in addition], "May he who answered Abraham on Mount Moriah answer you, and listen to your [petition and] cry on this day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, Redeemer of Israel!" To the second he shall say, "May he who answered our ancestors on the Red Sea answer you, and listen favourably this day to your cry. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who rememberest all things forgotten [by man]!" To the third he shall say, "May he who answered Joshua in Gilgal answer you, and listen [favourably] this day to your cry. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who deignest to listen to the sound of the shophar!" To the fourth he shall say, "May he who answered Samuel in Mizpah answer you, and listen [favourably] to your cry on this day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hearkenest to [our] cry!" To the fifth he shall say, "May he who answered Elijah on Mount Carmel answer you, and listen [favourably] to your cry on this day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hearkenest to prayer!" To the sixth he shall say, "May he who answered Jonah in the entrails of the fish answer you, and listen [favourably] to your cry on this day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who answerest in the time of distress!" To the seventh he shall say, "May he who answered David, and his son Solomon, in Jerusalem answer you, and listen [favourably] to your cry on this day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast compassion on the earth!"
  It happened in the times of R. Halaphta and R. Hanina, son of Teradion, that a minister advanced to the reading-desk and finished the whole of the blessing without any [of the congregation] answering thereupon, "Amen:" [a minister called], "Sound, O priests! sound!" [the minister who said the prayers continued], "May he who answered our father Abraham on Mount Moriah answer you, and listen [favourably] to your prayer this day:" [a minister called] "Sound an alarm, sons of Aaron! sound an alarm!" [the minister who said the prayers continued], "May he who answered our ancestors on the Red Sea answer you, and listen [favourably] to your cry this day." When the sages were informed of this, they said, "This was not our custom, except at the eastern door [of the Temple], and on the Temple-mountain [Mount Moriah]."
  On the three first fasts, the priests who had the weekly watch of the Temple fasted, but not the whole day; and the ministering priests did not fast at all. On the second three fasts, the priests on the weekly duty fasted the whole day; and the ministering priests fasted, but not the whole day. But on the last seven, both classes of priests fasted the whole day. Such is the opinion of R. Joshua; but the sages say, "The three first fasts were not kept by any of the said priests: on the second three, the priests who had the weekly duty used to fast, but not the whole day; and the officiating priests did not fast at all. On the last seven, the priests on the weekly duty fasted the whole day; and the officiating priests fasted, but not the whole day."
  The priests on the weekly duty may drink wine at night, but not during the day; the officiating priests may not drink it either by day or night. The priests of the weekly watch, and the standing men are prohibited from shaving their beards, and washing their clothes; but, on Thursday, they are allowed to do so, in honour of the [approaching] Sabbath.
  Wherever it is mentioned in "The Roll of Fasts," that "no lamentation and mourning is to be made" on certain days, it is also prohibited to do so on the day preceding, but allowed on the day following them; but R. José says, "It is prohibited to do so on the day preceding, and on the day following; where it is said, that 'no fasts are to be kept thereon,' it is allowed to fast on the day preceding and following days." R. José says, "It is prohibited on the preceding, but allowed on the following day."
  Public fasts are not to be ordered to commence on a Thursday, in order not to raise the price of victuals in the markets; but the first fasts are to be on Monday, Thursday, and [the following] Monday; but the second three fasts may follow on Thursday, Monday, and [the following] Thursday. R. José says, "Even as the first fasts are not to be commenced on Thursday, so also are the second and last fasts not to commence on that day."
  Public fasts are not to be ordered to take place on the feast of new moon, nor on that of dedication and of lots [pureem]; but if the fast has been already commenced thereon, it need not be broken. Such is the opinion of Rabbon Gamaliel. R. Meir says, "Although Rabbon Gamaliel has said that the fast need not be broken, he agrees that on these days they are not to fast the whole of the day; and thus is it with the [fast of the] ninth of Ab, when it happens on a Friday."
  
  
  
  The order of fasts above-mentioned applies only when the first fructifying rains do not descend; but when the sprouts degenerate, they shall immediately commence to sound an alarm. It is also to be sounded immediately if there be an interval of forty days between each rain; because it is a general plague on the land, causing dearth.
  If rain sufficient for the growth of sprouts and herbage has fallen, but not for the growth of trees; or sufficient for the growth of trees, but inadequate to the growth of herbage; or sufficient for both, but not to fill the wells, cisterns, and caves, an alarm is immediately to be sounded.
  And thus if no rain should have fallen over any particular city similar to that which is written (Amos 4:7), "I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city, one piece was rained upon," &amp;c., [the inhabitants of] such a city must fast, and sound an alarm, and those of the circumjacent places shall fast, but not sound. R. Akivah says, "they are to sound, but not to fast."
  And thus, when pestilence reigns in a city, or when the [sound] walls fall down, [the inhabitants of] such a city must fast, and sound an alarm: and those of the circumjacent places shall fast, but not sound. R. Akivah says, "they are to sound, but not to fast." What must be considered as a pestilence? When in a city, capable of furnishing five hundred able men, three persons die in three consecutive days, it is a pestilence; less than this is not a pestilence.
  An alarm is to be sounded in all places for the following plagues:—For a corn-blast, mildew, locusts, caterpillars, attacks of ferocious animals, hosts of armed men; for all these an alarm must be sounded, because they are spreading evils.
  It once happened, that some elders went from Jerusalem, each to his own place, and they decreed a fast, because a corn-blast, of a size to cover therewith the mouth of an oven, had been seen near Ascalon. They also decreed a fast on account of two children having been devoured by wolves on the other side of the Jordan. R. José says, "it was not because the wolves actually devoured [children], but because they had appeared [in the towns prowling for food]."
  For the following calamities an alarm is to be sounded even on the Sabbath:—For a city surrounded by enemies; for a flood threatening to inundate the country; for a ship in imminent danger of being wrecked at sea [in a storm]. R. José says, This sounding is to be, to obtain assistance [from men], not as an imploring cry [to God]." Simeon the Temanite says, "They shall also sound on the Sabbath in case of pestilence;" but the sages did not agree with him [in this].
  For every plague—which may the community never be visited with! —an alarm is to be sounded, except for a superabundance of rain. It happened once, that they said to Honee, ‏המעגל‎, "Pray for us, that rain may fall." He told them, "Go and bring in the Passover ovens, that they may not be spoiled by the rain." He prayed, and the rain did not descend. What did he then? He marked out a circle, and placing himself within it, thus prayed, "Creator of the world! thy children have looked up to me as being peculiarly favoured by thee; I swear, by thy Great Name, that I will not move from this place until thou wilt have compassion on thy children." The rain began to drop down [gently]. He said, "It was not for this that I petitioned, but for rain [sufficient to fill] wells, cisterns, and caves." The rain then fell in violent torrents; when he said, "Not for such rains did I petition, but for mild, felicitous, and liberal showers." The rain then fell in the usual manner, until the Israelites of Jerusalem were obliged to go from the city to the Temple mountain, on account of the rain. They came and said to him, "Even as thou didst pray that the rains might come down, thus pray now that they may cease." He said to them, "Go and see whether the stone ‏טועים‎ is covered by the waters." Simeon, son of Shatach sent him word, "If thou wert not Honee, I would order thee to be anathematised; but what shall I do to thee? since thou sinnest against God, and yet he forgives and indulges thee like a favoured child, who sins against his father, and is yet forgiven and indulged. To thee may be applied the text, 'Thy father and mother shall rejoice, and they who begot thee shall be glad.' (Prov. 23:25)"
  If, while they are fasting, rain should fall before sunrise, they shall not continue to fast the whole day; but they must if after sunrise. R. Eleazar says, "If [it rains] before noon they need not continue to fast the whole day; but they must if the rain commenced after noon is passed." It happened once that a fast [for rain] was ordered in Lydda [‏לוד‎], and it rained before noon; when R. Tarphon said unto them, "Go, eat and drink, and make a feast." They went, eat and drank, and made a feast; but in the evening they returned, and sang the great Hallel. (Ps. 136, &amp;c.)
  
  
  
  At three periods of the year, the priests shall raise their hands [to bless the people], in each prayer, [and] four times [in one of them], in the morning, additional, afternoon, and closing [or concluding] prayers. [The three mentioned periods are] on the fast-days, on the fast of the standing men, and on the day of atonement.
  These are ‏מעמדות‎, standing men [and this is the cause of their institution]. It is written (Numbers 28:2), "Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, viz. my bread," &amp;c. How can an offering be brought for a person without his standing near it [at the time of its being sacrificed]? Therefore did the elder prophets institute twenty-four "mishmaroth" [or divisions of orders]; each mishmarah had always a "mahamad" [or section of standing men], composed of cohanim [priests], Levites, and Israelites, stationed at Jerusalem. When it came to the turn of each mishmarah to go up [from their cities to the Temple], the priests and Levites went up to Jerusalem, and the Israelites who belonged to that mishmarah, assembled in [the synagogues of] their cities to read the history of the creation [viz. the 1st chapter of Genesis].
  The standing men used to fast four times in the week, viz. from Monday till Thursday [inclusive], but they did not fast on Friday, on account of the honour due to the Sabbath, nor on Sunday, that they might not [suddenly] pass over from repose and pleasure to weariness and fasting, which might endanger their lives. On Sunday they read [the sections] ‏בראשית‎ and ‏יהי רקיע‎ (Gen. i. 1, &amp;c. and v. 6, &amp;c.); on Monday ‏יהי רקיע‎ (v. 6, &amp;c.) and ‏יקוו המים‎ (v. 9, &amp;c.); on Tuesday ‏יקוו המים‎ (v. 9, &amp;c.) and ‏יהי מאורות‎ (v. 14); on Wednesday ‏יהי מאורות‎ (v. 14) and ‏ישרצו המים‎ (v. 20); on Thursday ‏ישרצו המים‎ (v. 20) and ‏תוצא הארץ‎ (v. 24); on Friday ‏תוצא הארץ‎ (v. 24) and ‏ויכלו‎ (ii. 1–4). A long section was read by two persons, and a short one by one only; that is to say, in the morning and additional prayers, but at the afternoon prayers they entered [the synagogue] and read the mentioned sections by heart, even as the "Shemah" is read. On Friday [afternoon] they did not go [to the synagogue] at all, in honour of the Sabbath.
  On those days on which "Hallel" is sung, the standing men used not to attend during the morning prayer [in Jerusalem]. When there was an additional offering ‏קרבן מוסף‎, they did not assemble at the time of the closing prayer. When a wood-offering 6 was brought, they did not assemble during the afternoon prayer. Thus saith R. Akivah; but Ben Azzai said to him, "Rabbi Joshua taught as follows: When there was an additional offering, the standing men did not assemble during the afternoon prayers; when a wood-offering was brought, they did not assemble at the time of the closing prayer." Then R. Akivah changed [his opinion] and taught like Ben Azzai.
  The times [of the delivery] of wood [for the altar] by priests and people, were on nine appointed days; on the 1st of Nissan, the family Arah ben Jehudah [delivered]; on the 20th of Tamuz, the family of David ben Jehudah; on the 5th of Ab, the family of Parhos ben Jehudah; on the 7th, the family of Jonadab ben Rechab; on the 10th, the family of Sinha ben Benjamin; on the 15th, the family of Zatoo ben Jehudah, and with them priests and Levites, and all those who did not know from what tribe [they were descended], also the family of Gonebé Eli, and that of Kosehai Kesignot; and on the 20th, the family Pachat Moab ben Jehudah; on the 20th of Elul, the family Adeen ben Jehudah; on the 1st of Tebet, the family Parhos, for the second time. There was no meeting of the standing men on the 1st of Tebet; because "Hallel" was sung, and an additional sacrifice and wood-offering were brought [on that day].
  Five [calamitous] events happened to our ancestors on the 17th of Tamuz, and five on the 9th of Ab. On the 17th of Tamuz, the tables of the Holy Law were broken; on that day the continual sacrifice ceased, and the city of Jerusalem was stormed; on it Opostamos burned the Holy Law, and placed an idol in the Temple; on the 9th of Ab, it was decreed that our ancestors should not enter the Holy Land; on the same day the first and second Temples were destroyed the city of Bethar was taken, 12 and the site of [Jerusalem] was ploughed [like a field 13]. From the 1st of Ab a person is bound to lessen his participation in joyous occasions [till after the fast on the 9th].
  During the week in which the 9th of Ab happens, it is prohibited to a person to shave himself, or to wash [his clothes 14], but on Thursday it is allowed in honour of the Sabbath. On the day before the 9th of Ab, a person may not partake of two [different kinds] of cookeries [or dishes], eat meat, or drink wine thereon. Rabbon Simeon ben Gamaliel says "[It is sufficient to] alter [from one's customary mode of living]." R. Jehudah considers it obligatory to turn over the bed places, but the sages do not agree in this.
  Rabbon Simeon hen Gamaliel says, "Never were more joyous festivals in Israel than the 15th of Ab and the day of atonement, for on them the maidens of Jerusalem used to go out dressed in white garments—borrowed ones, in order not to cause shame to those who had them not of their own;—these clothes were also to be previously immersed, and thus they went out and danced in the vineyards, saying, Young men, look and observe well whom you are about to choose [as a spouse]; regard not beauty [alone], but rather look to a virtuous family, for 'Gracefulness is deceitful, and beauty is a vain thing, but the woman that feareth the Lord, she is worthy of praise' (Prov. 31:30); and it is also said (Prov. 31:31), 'Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.' And thus is it said [in allusion to this custom], 'Go out, maidens of Jerusalem, and look on King Solomon, and on the crown wherewith his mother has encircled [his head] on the day of his espousals, and on the day of the gladness of his heart' (Cant. iii. 11); 'the day of his espousals,' alludes to the day of the gift of the law, and 'the day of the gladness of his heart,' was that when the building of the Temple was completed." May it soon be rebuilt in our days. Amen!