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text: English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
  ביאור אנגלי על משנה תענית
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp
  -
  
  English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
  
  Introduction
  
  Tractate Taanit is about the practice of fasting and offering special prayers in times of trouble, especially during a drought.  The Bible is full of examples of the Israelites fasting, praying and engaging in other forms of supplication in order to entreat God to respond to their needs.  The most famous of these cases is probably Esther who calls for a three-day fast to ensure her success and safety when entering in to speak to the king.  See also Joel 1:14; Jeremiah 14:11-12; Jonah 3:5-8; Nehemiah 9:1; Daniel 9:3 and others.  
  Numbers 10:9 was used by the rabbis as toraitic proof for this concept.  The verse states, “And when you come into battle in your land against the foe who assails you, you shall let out a long blast with the trumpets and be remembered before the Lord your God and be rescued from your enemies.”  According to the rabbis the specific example of blowing trumpets in times of war is a paradigm for all times of trouble.  There is a positive commandment in the Torah to cry out to God in all times of trouble, to blow shofars and to fast as well.  The days of fast described in our mishnah were accompanied by special prayers, by trumpet and shofar blasts and sometimes by work-stoppages.  
  As we study the tractate we shall constantly note how important rain was in the land of Israel in mishnaic times.  Rain is still critical to the well-being of those who live in this arid region, although modern technology has to a certain measure alleviated short-term crises.  In ancient times, a season with no or little rain would have been an utter disaster. Crops would have failed, livestock would have died or been in danger of dying, and people would not have had enough water to drink.  By the sheer amount of material that the rabbis devote to this subject, we can see just how important this was for their lives.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  During the rainy season during the second part of the Amidah, in the paragraph about God’s power, we add in the words “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.” In our mishnah Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua debate when we begin to say this phrase.
  From when do they mention the powers of [bringing] rain? Rabbi Eliezer says: from the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot]. Rabbi Joshua says: on the last day of the Festival [of Sukkot].  This is the question that is debated in this mishnah when do we begin to mention that God has the power to bring rain?  Both sages agree that we begin during Sukkot they argue over whether we begin mentioning rain on the first or on the last day of Sukkot.
  Rabbi Joshua said to him: Since rain on the Festival is nothing but a sign of [God’s] curse why should he mention it?  Rain on Sukkot is considered to be a rebuke by God (see Sukkah 2:9) because it prevents one from being able to dwell (eat and sleep) in the Sukkah. Therefore, Rabbi Joshua argues, it does not make sense to mention God’s rain-giving powers at this time.
  Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I also did not say to request [rain] but to make mention, “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall” in its due season.  Rabbi Eliezer agrees that rain on Sukkot is a curse.  However, he responds that he was not suggesting that we ask for rain at the beginning of Sukkot, but rather that we just mention that God has the power to bring rain in its due season.  We ask for rain in the ninth blessing of the Amidah when we say, “And provide dew and rain (ten tal umatar).”
  He replied to him: if so one should at all times make mention of it.  Rabbi Joshua responds that if all we are doing in this prayer is mentioning rain, why not mention it all throughout the year.  The fact that Rabbi Eliezer agrees that we only mention it during the rainy season means that he too agrees that it is connected with actual rain.  If so, then he should also agree that we shouldn’t mention it until the time when we hope that the rainy season will actually begin, that is at the end of Sukkot when we are done sitting in the sukkah. The halakhah is according to Rabbi Joshua.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  The previous mishnah discussed the concept of “mentioning rain.”  This mishnah adds in a discussion of the subject of “asking for rain.” This refers to the addition of the words “and give dew and rain (veten tal umatar)” in the ninth blessing of the Amidah, which is called “The Blessing of the Years.”
  They don’t pray for rain except close to the rainy season.  In Israel there is a clearly defined rainy season, which lasts roughly from Sukkot to Pesah. It does not rain in the summer in Israel.  The mishnah teaches that we request rain only in the season in which it is normal for it to rain.  There are probably two reasons for this.  First of all, rain in the wrong season can destroy crops, so one shouldn’t ask for something if it will cause damage.  Secondly, we ask God for nature to perform in a predictable and stable fashion, for it to run its course. We do not ask God for miracles, nor do we rely on them or expect them.
  Rabbi Judah says: One who goes down before the ark on the last day of Sukkot the last one mentions [rain], the first does not; on the first day of Pesah, the first mentions, the last does not.  This section returns to discuss the “mentioning of rain” that comes during the second blessing of the Amidah.  In yesterday’s mishnah Rabbi Joshua said that we begin to mention rain on the last day of Sukkot.  Rabbi Judah in our mishnah agrees and merely points out that there are two prayer leaders on a festival, one for Shacharit and one for Mussaf.  On the last day of Sukkot the prayer leader, one who “goes down before the ark” for Mussaf begins to mention rain. The prayer leader for Shacharit does not.  The opposite is true at the other end of the spectrum.  On the first day of Pesah, the prayer leader for Shacharit still mentions the rain, but the prayer leader for Mussaf does not.  In other words, at both times the change is made during Mussaf.  This means that there is almost no point in the festival during which rain is mentioned rather dew is basically mentioned all of the time.  This is because dew, which falls during the summer months, is a blessing during the festival because it doesn’t disrupt people’s travel. While rain is good for the land, we all still love a bright sun shiny day!
  Up until when do they request rain? Rabbi Judah says:  Until Pesah is over. Rabbi Meir says:  Until Nissan is over, as it says, “Now He makes the rain fall in the first month, early rain and late rain” (Joel 2:23).  In this section two sages disagree with regard to how long in the season we ask for rain.  Rabbi Judah says that we ask until Pesah is over.  We should note that Rabbi Judah’s opinion in this section seems to disagree with what he said before, that we stop mentioning rain on the first day of Pesah.  The Talmud resolves this problem by saying that there are two different versions of Rabbi Judah’s opinion within this mishnah. Rabbi Meir says that we ask for rain until the entire month of Nissan is over. He uses the verse from Joel as a prooftext that rain is a blessing in the entire first month, the month of Nissan.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah teaches when we begin to ask for rain in the ninth blessing of the Amidah.  We should note that at the very beginning of the rainy season we begin to mention rain but we do not yet ask for it.  Later, when the rainy season should really begin in full force, we begin to ask for rain.  In our prayers we slowly build up to really petitioning God for rain.
  On the third of Marheshvan they [begin to] ask for rain.  The third of Marheshvan (today called Heshvan), the second month of the year, is when we begin to ask for rain. This is when the rainy season is supposed to begin.
  Rabban Gamaliel says: on the seventh, fifteen days after the Festival [of Sukkot] so that the last of the Jews reaches the river Euphrates.  Rabban Gamaliel delays asking for rain until the seventh of Marheshvan, which gives pilgrims who were making their way back from Israel time to reach the river Euphrates in Babylonia.  It would not be appropriate to begin to ask for rain while Jews were still returning from performing the important mitzvah of making a pilgrimage to the land of Israel and to the Temple in Jerusalem.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  Our mishnah proceeds chronologically from the last mishnah.  There we learned that on either the third or seventh of Marheshvan they add into the Amidah a request for rain.  If that prayer has not been answered by the seventeenth of Marheshvan, then a series of progressively more stringent fasts begins.
  If the seventeenth of Marheshvan came and no rain fell, individuals begin to fast three fasts.  The first set of fasts is not observed by the entire community, but rather only by individuals, probably rabbis and other public figures.
  They eat and drink after it gets dark and they are permitted to do work, to bathe, to anoint themselves with oil, to wear shoes, and to have marital relations.  The lightness of the fasts is expressed in the fact that the night before the fast they can eat the fast only begins in the morning. Furthermore, the only prohibition that they take upon themselves is eating and drinking.  All of the other prohibitions that sometimes apply on fast days do not apply here. The idea of progressively making the fasts more stringent is an interesting idea.  We relate to God as we would to another human being.  If we really want something, but it is something that we are going to need frequently, we don’t pull out all of the stops immediately.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah continues with the next series of fasts.
  If Rosh Hodesh Kislev came and no rain fell the court ordains upon the community three fasts; they may eat and drink while it is still dark and it is permissible to do work, to bathe, to anoint oneself with oil, to wear shoes, and to have marital relations. The only difference between these fasts and the previous three is that these are observed by the entire community.  Other than that, everything is still the same.  They eat and drink the night before, and only eating and drinking is prohibited.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah continues with the series of increasingly more stringent fasts.
  If these passed and there was no answer, the court decrees three more fasts on the community.  If after the first three communal fasts there is still no rain, then the court decrees another set of three fasts on the community.
  They may eat and drink [only] while it is still day; they may not work, bathe, anoint themselves with oil, wear shoes, or have marital, relations.  And the bathhouses are closed.  These fasts are stricter because they begin the night before.  The mishnah refers to the day before the fast and rules that one can eat only while it is still day. On these fasts all of the major prohibitions apply. These are the same prohibitions that apply on Yom Kippur. The bathhouses are closed because there is no need for them to be open.  Also, this is a very public sign of mourning.
  If these passed and there was no answer the court decrees upon the community a further seven, making a total of thirteen.  If these three fasts are not effective, then another seven are decreed, bringing the total number of communal fasts to thirteen.
  These are greater than the first, for on these they blast the shofar and they lock the shops.  All of the prohibitions from the previous three fasts still apply and new practices are added.  They blow the shofar as a sign of distress (on this practice see the introduction to the tractate).  They also close the shops as a further sign of communal mourning and distress.
  On Mondays the shutters [of the shops] are opened a little when it gets dark, but on Thursdays they are permitted [the whole day] because of the Shabbat.  The problem with closing the stores is that people need to buy supplies for the next day.  Therefore they allow the stores to open their shutters a little bit towards the end of the day on Monday.  On Thursday the stores are allowed to be opened all day because people need to buy food for Shabbat.  We can see a value statement being made here.  As important as it is to pray for rain and as dire as the situation of drought may be, people must remember and be able to honor the Shabbat.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  In the final mishnah of this chapter we learn what the community would do if all of their fasts had not worked and God still had not sent rain.
  If these passed and there was [still] no answer then they restrict engaging in business, and in building, planting, betrothal and marriage, and in greeting one another, as if they were people undesirable to God.  By this point, it seems that the fasts just aren’t going to be effective.  They therefore go into a state of semi-mourning. They cut back on the normal creative activities of life, perhaps as a symbol that all around them there is death.  By this point, the crops have probably died, many animals have probably died and people’s health and wellbeing is in great danger.  Indeed, it seems that God has rejected the entire community; it is as if He put them into a state of excommunication. The community is in despair and until things are set aright, they make few plans for the future.
  The individuals go back to fasting anew until the end of Nisan.  The community no longer takes upon itself more fasts.  Only those individual leaders, those who began fasting at the outset, go back to fasting.  These are people whose merit was supposed to help bring rain in the first place.  In essence, the failure to achieve rain is partially seen as being their fault.
  If Nisan passes and then rain falls this is a sign of a curse, as it is written, “It is the season of the wheat harvest.  [I will pray to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain; then you will take thought and realize what a wicked thing you did in the sight of the Lord when you asked for a king” (I Samuel 12:17).  If Nisan, the last rainy month passes, and then it rains, this too is perceived as a curse.  Rain in Nisan in the land of Israel will further damage the crops.  It is if God is being particularly cruel, not giving rain at the proper time and then giving it at the improper time.  The prooftext demonstrates quite clearly that rain at the improper time is a way of God rebuking the people of Israel.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  In the previous chapter we learned about the series of fast days declared in order to petition God for rain.  In this chapter we learn the rituals that were observed on those days.
  What is the order [of service] for fast days?They take the ark out to the open space of the city.  They bring the ark with the Torah or Torahs outside to the open space where they will have a very public ceremony.  This is part of their attempt to achieve as broad of a spectrum of involvement as possible.
  And they put ashes on the ark and on the head of the Nasi and on the head of the head of the court (av bet.  The leaders of the community ceremonially put ashes on the heads of the two main leaders of the community and on the ark as well.  It seems that by putting ashes on the ark, it is as if they were putting ashes on God’s head as well.  Perhaps they might even be trying to show that God is sharing in Israel’s distress.  Theologically, this creates somewhat of a paradox we are praying to God for rain, rain that God is withholding, and yet at the same time we believe and we demonstrate that God is sharing in our distress.  The image is one of a parent, punishing a child and yet at the same time feeling the child’s pain.
  And everyone [else] puts ashes on his own head.  Everyone else puts ashes on their own heads.  The ritual application of the ashes is performed only for the two leaders and for the ark.
  The elder among them says in front of them words of admonition, “Brothers, it does not say of the people of Nineveh, ‘And God saw their sackcloth and their fasting,’ but, ‘And God saw their deeds, for they turned from their evil way. (Jonah 3:10)’ And in the prophets it says, ‘And rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13).  The elder among the people now reminds them that the external motions are meant to invoke inner teshuvah, repentance.  When God sees that Nineveh has repented, He says that He has seen their deeds and not that He has seen their external signs.  Similarly, Joel tells the people that they should rend their hearts, meaning tear their hearts so that they repent, and not merely their external garments.  Note that the mishnah emphasizes this message at the very point at which they are describing the intricate ritual of the Taanit.  It is as if they wish to warn us of the danger of slipping into “ritualism” a fixation on the external at the expense of the more important internal.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  Today’s mishnah continues to set the scene for the prayers recited on the special fast days.
  [When] they stand up to pray they bring down before the ark an old man conversant [with the prayers], one who has children and whose house is empty [of food], so that his heart is complete prayer.  This section describes the shaliah tzibbur, the prayer leader. It is critical for the success of the community’s prayers for them to choose a qualified shaliah tzibbur.  Their prayers will be mediated through him so as a community this is a consequential choice. The person chosen is not one who sings the best, but one whose prayers will be the most heart felt and who knows the liturgy.  The person has to be old, one who has gone through many of life’s experience and is therefore wiser.  The person has to have children.  A man who has children will pray even harder during a drought because he knows that without rain he will not be able to provide food for them.  As hard as it is for a person to suffer, it is even harder for one to watch his/her children suffer.  Finally, his house must be empty, for if his house were full, his prayers would be less personal.  In short, they would find an old poor person who has children.
  He recites before them twenty-four benedictions, the eighteen recited daily, to which he adds six.  This section begins to describe the contents of the prayers themselves.  The Amidah for fast days is made up of the 18 benedictions that are recited every week day, plus another six special blessings, which shall be enumerated in the following mishnah.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  These are they [the six additional benedictions:Zikhronot,“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence” (I Kings 8:37).Shofarot,“The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts” (Jeremiah 14).“In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me” (Psalm 120).“I turn my eyes to the mountains” (Psalm 121).“Out of the depths I call you, O Lord” (Psalm 130).“A prayer of lowly man when he is faint” (Psalm 102). Rabbi Judah says: he need not recite the zikhronot and shofarot, but instead he should recite [the following]: And he ends each [of the additional six] sections with its appropriate concluding benediction.There are six additional benedictions listed in our mishnah.  Our mishnah provides the scriptural verses that are recited as part of these benedictions.  In the following mishnah we will learn the additional liturgy attached to each benedictions, liturgy based on verses but composed by the rabbis.Section A:  The first two benedictions are the same as two of the three benedictions recited on Rosh Hashanah zikhronot, remembrances and shofarot.  These are appropriate for fast days because we are asking God to remember us and deliver us rain and we blow the shofar.  Malkhuyot, kingship, the other special benediction for Rosh Hashanah would not be appropriate for a fast day.The other four benedictions consist of Psalms.  While the mishnah only mentions the first verse, the meaning is that the entire Psalm is recited.Section B:  Rabbi Judah disagrees with the recitation of the zikhronot and shofarot and instead offers two other appropriate biblical verses.Section C:  Each section is ended with an appropriate concluding benediction.  These are explicated in tomorrow’s mishnah.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  Today’s mishnah provides liturgical conclusions to the six additional benedictions for the Taanit Amidah.  Each conclusion here correlates with one of the seven benedictions in the previous mishnah.
  The basic structure of this liturgy is quite simple.  After having read a Psalm or other biblical passage, the benediction concludes by reminding God of another incident in which He answered Israel’s prayers.  It then ends with a concluding benediction.
  There are actually seven benedictions in our mishnah, but only six are additional. The first “who redeems Israel” is the seventh benediction in every weekday Amidah.  The following six are additional.
  For the first he says:  He who answered Abraham on Mt. Moriah, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord who redeems Israel.  This first benediction is part of the weekday Amidah.  It refers to the binding of Isaac.
  For the second he says:  He who answered our fathers at the Sea of Reeds, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord who remembers all forgotten things.  This is the additional benediction called “zikhronot”, remembrances, in the previous mishnah. It refers to the splitting of the Sea of Reeds.
  For the third he says: He who answered Joshua in Gilgal, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord who hears a blast.  This is the additional benediction called “shofarot”.  The reference is to Joshua 6-7, when he blew shofarot to destroy the walls of Jericho.  In Joshua 5:10 we learn that the Israelites were encamped in Gilgal.
  For the fourth he says:  He who answered Shmuel in Mitzpah, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord who listens to cries.  This is a reference to I Samuel 7:5-9 where Shmuel leads the people to a decisive victory over the Philistines.
  For the fifth he says: He who answered Elijah on Mt. Carmel, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord who hears prayer.  This refers to I Kings 18:26-39 where Elijah challenges the false prophets and God sends a fire from heaven to demonstrate that He is the true and only God. Since this episode takes place on Mt. Carmel, it is appropriate for Psalm 121 which begins, “I lift my eyes up to the hills” (Psalms 121).  This Psalm is the heart of this benediction, as we learned in yesterday’s mishnah.
  For the sixth he says:  He who answered Jonah in the belly of the fish, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord who answers in time of trouble.  A reference to Jonah in the belly of the whale is appropriate to Psalm 130 used in this fifth benediction, since it begins, “Out of the depths I called to You Lord”.
  For the seventh he says:  He who answered David and Shlomo his son in Jerusalem, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Blessed are You Lord Who has mercy upon the land.  God rescued David in a time of famine (II Samuel 21: 1-14).  Shlomo prays to God for rain (I Kings 8:35) and to stop a famine (ibid, 37) and God answers him (ibid 9:3). The liturgist mentions David and Shlomo at the end because they were answered in the very type of occasion in which this liturgy was being recited famine or drought.  Had the benedictions gone in simple chronological order, David and Shlomo should have been before Elijah and Jonah. The concluding formula, “Who has mercy on the land” is appropriate because Psalm 102 which is part of the benediction includes the verse, “You will surely arise and have mercy on Zion” (v. 14).
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction
  Our mishnah relates a story in which some people used slightly different liturgy than was dictated in yesterday’s mishnah, and the rabbis objected to this liturgy.
  It happened in the days of Rabbi Halafta and Rabbi Hanina ben Tradyon that a man passed before the ark [as shaliah tzibbur] and completed the entire benediction and they did not respond, “amen.” [The hazzan called out]:  Sound a tekiah, priests, sound a tekiah. [The shaliah tzibbur continued]:  He who answered Abraham on Mt. Moriah, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day. Then [the hazzan called out]:  Sound a teru'ah, sons of Aaron, sound a teru'ah. [The shaliah tzibbur continued]:  He who answered our fathers at the Sea of Reeds, He shall answer you and hear the voice of your cry on this day.  There seem to be several differences between the customs mentioned here and those in the previous mishnah. First of all the people did not answer “Amen.” According to the Talmud they answered “Blessed is the name of His Kingship forever and ever” instead (this is the line we say after the first line of the Shema).  Another difference, according to some commentators, is that they blew the shofar after every benediction, instead of blowing once at the end of the entire Amidah.
  And when the matter came up before the sages, they said:  they only practiced in this way at the eastern gates on the Temple Mount.  When the sages heard the report about these practices, they objected.  Note that they didn’t say that this practice was completely illegitimate, just that now that the Temple has been destroyed, our practice has changed slightly.  To me this seems very typical of rabbinic activity they preserve many earlier practices, but modify them slightly to denote the radical change in the world that occurred during the destruction of the Second Temple.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  The priests were divided into twenty-four guards called “mishmarot.”  Each guard served in the Temple for one week.  Each guard was divided into subsections by the father’s house, and on each day a different father’s house would serve in the Temple.  Our mishnah deals with how these guards and father’s houses would act on fast days decreed because of rain.
  On the first three fasts the men of the guard fast but do not complete their fast, and the men of the father’s house do not fast at all. On the second three fasts the men of the guard fast and complete their fast and the men of the father’s house fast but do not complete their fast. On the last seven both fast and complete their fast, the words of Rabbi Joshua.  The fasts are divided into three sets, each set of fasts more serious than the previous one (see above 1:5).  The general principle in the mishnah is clear.  The “men of the guard” fast less than normal people. Thus during the first three fasts, while other people complete their fast, meaning they fast until the end of the day, the men of the guard end their fast early.  The reason is that since they are serving in the Temple, the day is somewhat of a personal holiday for them.  However, according to Rabbi Joshua, by the second set of fasts they are already acting like all other people. The “men of the father’s house” are those who are actually serving in the Temple on that day. Since they are actually working, it is an even greater day of celebration for them. To denote this, they don’t fast at all during the first three fasts, they semi-fast during the second set and only begin to fully fast during the last seven fasts.
  The sages say: on the first three fasts neither fast at all. On the second three, the men of the guard fast but do not complete their fast, and the men of the father’s house do not fast at all. On the last seven, the men of the guard fast and complete their fast and the men of the father’s house fast but do not complete their fast.  The sages agree with the general principles of Rabbi Joshua, they are just more lenient than he is at every stage.  For instance, on the first three fasts, even the men of the guard don’t fast at all.  And even on the last seven, the men of the father’s house don’t fully fast.  Assumedly, the other sages hold that serving in the Temple is a greater celebration than Rabbi Joshua thinks.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  In the previous mishnah we learned that the men of the guard have to fast more on a Taanit then the “men of the father’s house.”  Today’s mishnah teaches another distinction between the two groups, one that has nothing to do with fast days.
  The men of the guard are permitted to drink wine in the evenings but not during the day, but the men of the father’s house may not [drink wine] either on the day or on the preceding evening.  A kohen may not be drunk while serving in the Temple.  Our mishnah discusses when during his week of service in the Temple a priest may drink. The men not serving in the Temple on a given day may drink at night.  Since there is little work to be done in the Temple at night, they are allowed to drink.  However, during the day they may not drink. This is because these kohanim may be asked to replace or supplement those members of the father’s house who are serving on that day. Since they might end up serving in the Temple, they may not drink. The men of the father’s house, who are actually serving in the Temple may not drink either at night or in the day.  Even though there is not much work to be done at night, there may be some work so they may not drink.
  Both the men of the guard and the men of the ma'amad may not cut their hair nor wash their clothes, but on Thursday they may [do so] in honor of Shabbat.  Corresponding to the twenty-four divisions of priests, there were twenty-four divisions of Israelites who would offer up special prayers while their corresponding division of priests were serving in the Temple.  These groups are called ma’amadim or a ma’amad.  The purpose of this set-up is to allow all of Israel to take part in the sacrificial service.  This week is special holiday-like time for each group.  In order to encourage the men of the ma’amad to cut their hair and wash their clothes before their week, they are not allowed to do so during this week.  As an aside, we should note that this is similar to the laws concerning the intermediate days of the festival (we shall learn these when we learn Tractate Moed Katan).  However, they may cut their hair and wash their clothes on Thursday in preparation for the coming of Shabbat.  Again we see what an important place Shabbat played in their lives.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Introduction
  In mishnaic times there existed a scroll called “Megillat Taanit”, which literally translates as “Scroll of Fasts.”  Despite its name, the scroll does not contain a list of fasts but rather a list of days on which it is forbidden to eulogize at funerals and/or fast.  Most of these days were commemorations of various military victories that occurred throughout the Second Temple period, from the Hasmonean period in the mid-second century B.C.E. through the Roman period in the subsequent centuries.  By Talmudic times these days were mostly forgotten and neglected. The only two that were still observed were Hannukah and Purim.
  [With regard to every day] about which it is written in the Scroll of Fasts (Megillat “One may not eulogize” on the preceding day it is prohibited but on the following day it is permitted. Rabbi Yose says: it is forbidden [to mourn] both on the preceding day and on the following day.  Concerning some of the days listed in Megillat Taanit, it says that one may not eulogize because eulogies are a sign of mourning.  For these days it is prohibited to eulogize also on the previous day, but not on the subsequent day. Rabbi Yose holds that for these days one may not offer a eulogy on the preceding or on the following day.
  [On days about which it is written], “One may not fast” on the preceding day and on the following day it is permitted. Rabbi Yose says: on the preceding day it is forbidden but on the following day it is permitted.  Days concerning which it is written “One may not fast” are somewhat lesser than days concerning which it is written “One may not eulogize.”  Therefore, for these days one may fast on both the preceding and following days. Rabbi Yose is again slightly stricter and allows fasting only on the following day but not on the preceding day.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah discusses on what day the series of fasts can begin.
  They do not decree upon the community a fast to begin on a Thursday in order not to cause a rise in the market prices.  There are several explanations as to why the market prices will rise if a series of fasts is decreed on Thursday.  One explanation is that if the store owners see people buying big meals on a Thursday, a meal for the end of the fast and large meals for Shabbat, they will think that a famine has struck and they will raise the prices. This is not a problem on Monday which is not next to Shabbat and so people are buying less food. Another explanation is that fasting so close to Shabbat will cause the storeowners to think that there will be a great panic and they will raise the prices. Yet another explanation is that since the villagers bring the food to sell in the market on Thursday, and they will not know that there is a fast ahead of time, they will not bring enough food for the Shabbat and the break-fast meal and the great demand will cause a rise in the prices. What I find interesting is that in times of crisis the rabbis were cautious not to impose additional financial hardships by decreeing fasts.
  Rather the first three fasts are held [in this order], Monday, Thursday, and Monday; the second three, Thursday, Monday, and Thursday. Rabbi Yose says: just as the first three [fasts] should not begin on a Thursday so too neither the second [three] nor the last [seven].  According to the first opinion, while the first three fasts do not begin on Thursday, the second set does.  Since the second set is not the beginning of the entire series but rather just a continuation of it, they need not fear that starting on Thursday will cause prices to rise. Rabbi Yose holds that none of the series of fasts begins on Thursday.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah deals with fast days that come into conflict with other various holidays.
  They do not ordain upon the community a fast on Rosh Hodesh, on Hanukkah, or on Purim, but if they had already begun [a series of fasts and one of these days intervened] they do not interrupt [their fasts], the words of Rabban Gamaliel.  According to Rabban Gamaliel, the court may not decree that a series of fast days begins on any of these holidays.  However, if a series of fast days had begun and then one of these holidays landed on a Monday or Thursday on which people were supposed to fast, they do indeed fast.
  Rabbi Meir said: even though Rabban Gamaliel said that the [fasts] should not be interrupted he agrees that they should not complete their fasts.  Rabbi Meir says that when Rabban Gamaliel said that Rosh Hodesh, Hannukah and Purim do not interrupt if the series of fasts had already begun, he nevertheless agrees that on these days they should not complete their fasts until the evening.  In this way people will signify in at least some way that the day still has some celebratory character to it.
  And the same applies to the Ninth of Av should it fall on Friday.  In the days in which the monthly calendar was not predetermined, the Ninth of Av (Tisha B’av) could fall on Friday.  Today this cannot happen.  If this happens they do not complete the fast, due to the honor accorded to Shabbat, so that they shouldn’t begin Shabbat with ravenous hunger.  Another reason seems to be that there is a mitzvah to add on to Shabbat at both the beginning and at the end.  If one fasts during this period he is diminishing the joy of a time of day when he should already be celebrating.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah teaches that sometimes we skip the order of fasts that was taught in the previous two chapters and we proceed straight to the last set of fasts, when we blow the shofar and fast for the entire day.
  The order of public fasts mentioned above is enacted because of [lack of] the first rain, but if the crops have undergone [an unusual] change they sound a blast immediately.  If it doesn’t rain during the first season in which rain should come, then we begin the series of fasts that was described in the previous two chapters.  However, if the crops start to look as if they are going bad, then the situation is obviously more serious.  In such a case we skip the first two sets of fasts and go right to the third set, the set where we blast the shofar.  The change of the crops appearance is far more serious and therefore it calls for an immediate sounding of the alarm.
  Similarly, if the rain has stopped for forty days between one rainfall and the next, they sound a blast immediately, because it is a plague of drought.  Another case in which we skip immediately to blowing the shofar and fasting for the entire day is a situation in which it began to rain but then stopped raining for forty days.  Such a situation foreshadows drought and therefore it is especially dangerous.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah continues to discuss situations in which they would immediately skip to the latter stages of fasting.
  If [rain] falls for crops but not for the trees, for the trees but not for crops, for both of these but not for cisterns, ditches and caves they sound a blast immediately. Light rain is good for the crops because crops don’t need the rain to penetrate deep into the land.  However, it is not good for the trees.  Heavy rain is good for the trees but not good for the crops.  Finally, it requires very heavy rain to fill up the cisterns, ditches and caves so that people will have drinking water.  According to the mishnah if it rains but there is not sufficient or appropriate rain for every one of these categories, they skip the first stage and go immediately to the stage of more serious fasting, as we described in yesterday’s mishnah.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah teaches that if the drought was local, then the fasts are only performed locally as well.
  And so too a city, upon which no rain has fallen  as it is written, “And I caused it to rain upon one city, and I caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon…” (Amos 4:7) that city fasts and they sound a blast, but those [in the places] around it fast but do not sound the alarm. Rabbi Akiva says: they sound the alarm but do not fast. The quote from Amos shows that droughts can be localized and that God can send a drought upon one city, but not upon another.  In such a case that city fasts and performs the entire ritual.  The surrounding cities partially join in the fast as a show of support.  However they do not fully join in, because it is, after all, raining in their city.  It seems that partial fasting/sounding the shofar is to show both their empathy for their fellow Israelites and yet at the same time show their gratitude to God for causing it to rain on their town.  The sages and Rabbi Akiva debate concerning which part of the fasting ritual is observed by those in the neighboring town. The sages say that they fast but do not blow the shofar whereas Rabbi Akiva holds the opposite.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah continues to discussed localized fasts, the topic begun in yesterday’s mishnah.
  And so too a city which has a plague or [its buildings] collapse that city fasts and they sound a blast, but those [in the places] around it fast but do not sound the alarm. Rabbi Akiva says: they sound the alarm but do not fast.  This section is basically the same as yesterday’s mishnah, it just mentions plagues and building collapse as opposed to rain. Just as Rabbi Akiva and the sages debated what the surrounding cities do in the case of drought, so too they debate these cases.
  What constitutes a plague? If in a city that can supply five hundred foot-soldiers and three deaths occurred on three consecutive days, behold this constitutes a plague, less than this is not a plague.  This section differentiates between a plague and isolated instances of death.  For something to be a plague a certain percentage of the people of a town must die within a certain amount of time.  The mishnah’s answers its question by stating that if the town is large enough to send out 500 foot-soldiers, meaning 500 men who are at an age capable of fighting in the army, and three people die of disease in three days, then they can declare an official plague and observe a fast.  If less people die then it is not a plague and they need not fast. We should note that it is not clear if the law would be different if the city could produce 1,000 soldiers, or 10,000 soldiers.  Would more people have to die in the same time period in order for it to be a plague?  Can a plague be declared in a town with fewer people?  These questions are not directly addressed by the mishnah.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction
  In the previous mishnayot we learned of situations in which the people of the town effected by the plague fast and sound the shofar and the people in the neighboring towns do not fully participate.  In our mishnah we learn for certain plagues, not only the people of the town directly effected participate, but also the people of all the surrounding towns as well.
  For these they sound a blast in all places:  for the drying up of crops (shidafon), for plant disease, for locusts, and for the hasil (a type of locust), for wild beasts and for the sword they sound a blast for these are plagues likely to spread. All of these plagues are likely to spread; therefore, even though they may have directly effected only one part of the region, everyone must fast and sound the shofar.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah gives two concrete cases in which sages decreed fasts.
  It once happened that elders went down from Jerusalem to their own cities and ordered a fast because there was seen in Ashkelon a shidafon which affected as much grain as would fill an oven [with loaves].  A shidafon is a drying up of the crops, an event referred to in the previous mishnah.  This story teaches that the amount of shidafon-effected crops necessary to justify decreeing a fast is enough grain to bake sufficient loaves to fill an oven.  While I do not know exactly how much grain this is, it does not seem to be a particularly large amount.
  They also decreed a fast because wolves devoured two children on the other side of the Jordan. Rabbi Yose says: not because they devoured [the children] but [merely] because they were seen.  This is another case addressed by yesterday’s mishnah a plague of wild beasts.  There is a debate about whether the wolves were merely seen or whether they actually devoured two children.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  Generally, one does not fast or sound a shofar blast in alarm on Shabbat.  However, sometimes disaster is so imminent that they sound a blast even on Shabbat.
  We should note that there is a debate concerning whether they fast on Shabbat.
  For these matters they sound a blast even on Shabbat: if a city is besieged by Gentile [troops] or a river, or if a ship is foundering on the sea.  The impending disasters referred to here are so immediate that they would blow the shofar even on Shabbat.  However, on all other occasions they would wait until after Shabbat to begin blowing the shofar and fasting.
  Rabbi Yose says: [they sound a blast] for help but not for an outcry (for the sake of.  Rabbi Yose says that they blow the shofar so that people will come and help but that they don’t blow the shofar on Shabbat as part of a prayer ritual.  Accordingly, the special prayers are not added on Shabbat.
  Shimon the Yemenite says: also for a plague, but the sages did not agree with him.  Rabbi Yose says that a plague should also belong on this list.  However, the other sages do not agree with him.  According to their opinion, a plague is less of an imminent danger and hence they mention it above in mishnah four.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains the famous story of Honi the circle drawer, who demanded that God bring rain and his prayers were effective.
  For every trouble that should not come upon the community they sound a blast except on account of too much rain. It happened that they said to Honi the circle drawer: “Pray for rain to fall.” He replied: “Go and bring in the pesah ovens so that they do not dissolve.” He prayed and no rain fell. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and exclaimed before Him:  “Master of the universe, Your children have turned their faces to me because I am like one who was born in Your house.  I swear by Your great name that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children.” Rain then began to drip, and he exclaimed:  “I did not request this but rain [which can fill] cisterns, ditches and caves. The rain then began to come down with great force, and he exclaimed:  “I did not request this but pleasing rain of blessing and abudance.” Rain then fell in the normal way until the Jews in Jerusalem had to go up Temple Mount because of the rain. They came and said to him: “In the same way that you prayed for [the rain] to fall pray [now] for the rain to stop.” He replied:  “Go and see if the stone of people claiming lost objects has washed away.” Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah sent to him: “Were you not Honi I would have excommunicated you, but what can I do to you, for you are spoiled before God and he does your will like a son that is spoiled before his father and his father does his request.  Concerning you it is written, “Let your father and your mother rejoice, and let she that bore you rejoice” (Proverbs 23:25). “That should not come upon the community” is a euphemism. The mishnah is actually referring to troubles that do come upon the community. An overabundance of rain is not a blessing and can actually destroy the crops and endanger people’s lives.  However, since rain is usually a blessing and is so scarce in the land of Israel, one doesn’t pray for rain to stop.  It’s as if we don’t want to risk God’s anger by asking him to stop the rain, after having already asked for it to begin to rain. The story itself probably needs little explaining. The people turn to Honi the circle maker, so named because in order to bring rain he would draw a circle around himself and not move until rain came.  Assumedly, Honi was famous as a rainmaker, a well-known profession in pre-modern societies dependant upon rainfall.  Honi responds with exaggerated confidence, telling them that he will bring so much rain that even the ovens used to roast the pesah offerings, the strongest ovens that they usually had, would begin to melt.  Honi proceeds to draw his circle and demand that God bring rain. God answers his call, but then Honi refines his request and demands proper rain, rain which is not too weak and not too strong (but just right!).  Eventually, the necessary type of rain does begin to fall and continues to fall until the people must abandon the lower places in Jerusalem and flee to the Temple Mount for safety.  Heeding the halakhah with which this mishnah began, Honi refuses to pray for rain to stop until a famous stone has dissolved, which is an exaggerated way of saying that he will not pray for the rain to stop, even though it is endangering their lives.  This is a key point in the mishnah. Even though Honi is a miracle worker, someone who seems to be outside the normal circle of rabbis, he still obeys the halakhah and there is a limit to what even he will ask for. Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah’s rebuke to Honi is probably even more telling as to the point of this mishnah than Honi’s prayer itself.  Indeed, in my opinion the rebuke is the reason that the mishnah is here in the first place. In the beginning of this mishnah we learned that people should not act with chutzpah when asking for rain.  Honi, who God treats like a son, is somewhat of an exception.  He can have that chutzpah in front of God, because God spoils Honi like a son.  We often let our children get away with things that we won’t allow others to get away with.  Others who would act like Honi will probably not have their requests answered and may indeed be rebuked for their presumptuous behavior. One might go so far as to say that the message of this mishnah is one of simultaneous nearness and distance.  Certain human beings do have the possibility of drawing close enough to God that God will heed their every request.  Humanity as a whole can achieve true closeness to God. However, such a relationship cannot be expected or presumed. As individuals we should not look at ourselves as being on the level of Honi.  For most of us, we must respect the fact that there is a vast distance separating us from God and that if we were to make a demand, it might very well be ignored.  Indeed, the entire tractate has been consistently cognizant with the fact that prayers are often simply not answered.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah discusses what happens if they begin to fast and then it rains on the fast day.
  If while they are fasting rain falls: If before sunrise they do not complete the fast, If after sunrise, they do complete the fast.  The fast actually begins at sunrise.  Therefore if it rains before sunrise then the rain has begun before the fast and there is no reason to fast.  However, if it rains after sunrise they must continue and complete the fast.
  Rabbi Eliezer says: if before noon they do not complete the fast, if after noon they do complete it.  Noon is when most people eat their mid-day meal, the main meal of the day.  One who does not eat until noon is not really fasting, even though he may not have eaten.  Therefore, according to Rabbi Eliezer, if it rains before noon it is as if they have not yet begun the fast and they do not have to complete it.  If it rains after noon they must complete the fast.
  It happened that the rabbis decreed a fast in Lod and rain fell before noon. Rabbi Tarfon said to them: go, eat and drink and make a holiday. They went and ate and drank and observed the day as a holiday and at evening time they came and recited the Hallel Hagadol.  In this section we have a story that illustrates Rabbi Eliezer’s halakhah and goes even further.  Not only did they end their fast, but they went out and celebrated the arrival of the rain.  In the evening they recited Hallel Hagadol, which is Psalm 136, which contains the line “He provides food for all living creatures”, a line especially significant on the day when it begins to rain.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  During regular weekday prayers, the priests offer a priestly benediction as part of the Amidah.  This consists of their lifting up their hands and reciting Numbers 6:24-26.  The priestly benediction is normally done only during Shacharit, the morning service and not at Minhah.  On Shabbatot and holidays that have a Mussaf service, it is also done during Mussaf.  It is not normally done during Minhah because it is feared that the kohen may have drunk some wine during the day and it is forbidden to recite the priestly blessing while drunk. Such a concern does not exist on fast days, when the priests would not be drinking wine.
  The mishnah also teaches that on fast days another service is added, Neilah, which means “closing [of the gates].”  This service is added as a special additional supplication.
  On three occasions during the year, on fast days, on ma’amadot,  and on Yom Kippur the priests lift up their hands to bless [the people] four times during the day--at Shaharit, at Mussaf, at Minhah and at Neilah. Ma’amadot is an institution that was mentioned in passing above in 2:7 and will be explained in greater detail in tomorrow’s mishnah. On these three types of days the priests offer the priestly blessing every time there is a prayer service.  According to the Babylonian Talmud, the mishnah is not entirely accurate since there is no Mussaf service on fast days or on ma’amadot.  What the mishnah means to say is that every time there is a prayer service, the priests lift up their hands four times on Yom Kippur and three times on the other occasions. However, other sources seem to hold that there is a Mussaf service on fast days and on ma’amadot.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah explains what the “ma’madot” were and their origins.
  What are the ma’amadot?  Since it is said, “Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food” (Numbers 28:2).  Now how can a man’s offering be offered and he is not present?  [Therefore] the former prophets instituted twenty-four mishmarot (guards).  For each mishmar there was a ma’amad [at the Temple] in Jerusalem consisting of priests, Levites and Israelites. When the time came for the mishmar to go up [to Jerusalem] the priests and Levites went up to Jerusalem and the Israelites of that mishmar assembled in their cities and read the story of creation. Numbers 28:2 states, “Command the Children of Israel saying:  Of my near-offering, my food, as my fire-offerings, my soothing savor, you are to be in charge, bringing it near to me at its appointed time” (this translation is from Everett Fox, who translates very literally.)  This verse is said in reference to the tamid offering.  The verse seems to imply that each Israelite is to offer the tamid and yet it is obviously impossible for all of Israel to be personally responsible for one offering.  The ma’amadot are a means through which all of Israel is able participate in the tamid, the one offering that is offered twice every day. The ma’amadot correspond to the mishmarot, the twenty-four groups of priests each of which serves one week in the Temple.  It is not entirely clear what made up the maamad.  According to one interpretation the maamad a group of priests and Levites who were not serving in the Temple together with some Israelites who would go to Jerusalem. According to another interpretation the priests and Levites were part of the mishmar and the Israelites were part of the maamad. When time came for the mishmar to go to Jerusalem, the priests and Levites would go to Jerusalem and the Israelites from that mishmar, those who were not part of the maamad, would gather together in their cities and begin to read the story of the creation of the world, as we shall learn tomorrow. We should note just how foundational this institution may have been in rabbinic thought. The sacrificial service is the most elitist element in Judaism in order to participate one must be a kohen; even Levites can only partially participate.  Since one can only be born a kohen, there is no way for most of Israel to participate in this most central aspect of Judaism. By instituting the “ma’amadot” the rabbis seem to have found a way to make Judaism far more egalitarian.  While it is still true that Israelites are limited as to what they can do, they are allowed to take part in this type of worship of God and it seems that their participation is not considered less significant than that of the kohanim themselves.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  The men of the maamad fasted on four days of that week, from Monday to Thursday; they did not fast on Friday out of respect for Shabbat or on Sunday in order not to switch from the rest and delight [of Shabbat] to weariness and fasting and [thereby] die.On Sunday [they read], “In the beginning,” and, “Let there be a firmament;”On Monday, “Let there be a firmament,” and, “Let the waters be gathered together;”On Tuesday, “Let the waters be gathered together,” and, “Let there be lights;”On Wednesday, “Let there be lights,” and, “Let the waters swarm;”On Thursday, “Let the waters swarm,” and, “Let the earth bring forth;”On Friday, “Let the earth bring forth,” and, “And the heavens [and the earth] were completed.”For a long section two people read and for a short section one person.  [This is how they would read] at Shacharit and Mussaf.And at minhah they assemble and read the section by heart, as they recite the Shema.On Friday at minhah they did not assemble out of respect for Shabbat.This mishnah mostly discusses what portions of the Torah were read during the maamad.Section one:  The men of the maamad fasted most of the week every day from Monday through Thursday.  They only fasted from the morning until the night.  Fasting on Friday was not considered to be respectful to Shabbat because they that would cause them enter Shabbat with a ravenous appetite. They didn’t fast on Sunday because it was considered dangerous to eat a lot on Shabbat and then fast on Sunday.Sections two-seven: Every day of the week they would read two portions concerning the creation.  This allowed them to read about all seven days within six days.Section eight:  A long section, one with more than three verses is read by two people, but a portion of only three verses is read by one person.  Every day there were three aliyot to the Torah. If the first section was more than three verses, let’s say it was five verses, the first person would read the entire section and then the second person would read the third through the sixth verse.  This way there would always be three aliyot and never an aliyah of less three verses.Section nine:  At minhah (the afternoon service) they would assemble but they would read by heart without using a Torah scroll.Section ten:  On Friday at minhah they wouldn’t gather together because people were getting ready for Shabbat.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah teaches that on certain days they wouldn’t do the special maamad prayers at certain services.
  On any day when there is Hallel there was no maamad at Shaharit; [On the day when] there is a Musaf-offering, there was no [maamad] at Ne'ilah. [On the day of] the wood-offering, there was no [maamad] at Minhah, the words of Rabbi Akiva.  According to Rabbi Akiva, on days when there is Hallel but no Musaf, such as Hannukah, they wouldn’t do the maamad at Shacharit, but they would do it at Minhah and Neilah.  On days when there is a Musaf offering, they wouldn’t do the maamad at Neilah. This is understood to mean that even at Neilah they wouldn’t do the service, all the more so at Shacharit, Musaf and Minhah. Most commentators explain that this mishnah refers to those people of the maamad who were in Jerusalem. They were so busy on these days that they didn’t have time to take care of their duties and recite all of the maamad prayers.  The previous mishnah, according to which maamad prayers were recited on days which have Musaf, refers to those people of the maamad who were outside of Jerusalem. The wood-offering refers to the bringing of wood to the Temple by certain families who would volunteer to do so.  On this day they would offer a special sacrifice and they would make it into a holiday.  According to Rabbi Akiva on these special days there was no maamad at Minhah but there was at Neilah.  The next mishnah will discuss this at greater length.
  Ben Azzai said to him: Thus did Rabbi Joshua learn: [On the day when] there is a Musaf-offering, there was no [maamad] at Minhah; [On the day of] the wood-offering, there was no [maamad] at Ne’ilah. Rabbi Akiva retracted and learned like Ben Azzai.  Ben Azzai tells Rabbi Akiva that Rabbi Joshua disagrees with him concerning two of the three halakhot which he stated.  On days with Musaf, there is no maamad at Minhah but there is at Neilah.  However, on days when there was a wood-offering, there was no maamad even at Neilah. Upon hearing Rabbi Joshua’s tradition, Rabbi Akiva retracted his statement.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  The times of the wood of the priests and the people was nine:On the first of Nisan the family Arah of Yehudah.On the twentieth of Tammuz the family of David of Yehudah.On the fifth of Av the family of Parosh of Yehudah.On the seventh of the same month, the family of Yonadav of Rechav.On the tenth of the same month, the family of Snaah of Benjamin.On the fifteenth of the same month, the family of Zattu of Yehudah, and with them were the priests and Levites and all those who were not certain of their tribe and the family of Gonve Eli and the family of Kotze Ketizot.On the twentieth of the same month the family of Pahat Moav of Yehudah.On the twentieth of Elul the family of Adin of Yehudah.On the first of Tevet the family of Parosh of Yehudah [offered] a second time.On the first of Tevet there was no maamad for there was Hallel, Musaf and the wood-festival.This mishnah teaches that there were nine fixed dates during the year upon which certain families would bring wood to the altar.  The mishnah seems to relate and expand upon what is stated in Nehemiah 10:35 by those who returned to the land of Israel after the first exile, “We have cast lots [among] the priests, the Levites and the people, to bring the wood-offering to the House of our God by clans annually at set times in order to provide fuel for the altar of the Lord our God, as is written in the Teaching.”  The name for these donations, “The wood of the priests and the people” comes from the beginning of this verse.  The Talmud teaches that even if there was already enough wood in the Temple, the wood donated by these families took priority, and would be used first.We might also note that the very idea of celebrating and commemorating the bringing of wood to the Temple attests to how valuable and scarce wood was at those times in the land of Israel.  It remains to this day a relatively scarce commodity.Section one:  This family is mentioned in Ezra 2:5 and Nehemiah 7:10.Section three:  Mentioned in Ezra 2:3, Nehemiah 7:5.Section four:  The “Rechavites” seem to have been some sort of separatist sect that existed during the First Temple period and continued to exist as a family in the Second Temple period. Jeremiah 35 is mostly about this sect. For more information you can look up the article on them in the Encyclopedia Judaica.Section five:  Mentioned in Ezra 2:35; Nehemiah 7:38.Section six:  Zattu is mentioned in Ezra 2:8 and Nehemiah 7:13.  On this day other priests and Levites brought wood as well as anyone who didn’t know what tribe they were from.  There were also two other families who donated wood on that day.Section seven:  Mentioned in Ezra 2:6; Nehemiah 7:11.Section eight: Ezra 2:15; Nehemiah 7:20.Section nine:  This is the same family that already gave on the fifth of Av.Section ten:  The first of Tevet is both Rosh Hodesh and Hannukah. Because of Hallel (recited because of Hannukah) there was no maamad during Shacharit, as we learned in yesterday’s mishnah.  The Mussaf and wood-offerings meant that there would be no other maamad either.  This seems to be the only day during the year that could have both a wood-offering, mussaf and a full Hallel.  Note that during those days Hallel was not recited on Rosh Hodesh.  Today half a Hallel is recited.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah lists events that occurred and are therefore commemorated on two fast days the seventeenth of Tammuz and the ninth of Av.  There are two connections between this mishnah and the rest of the tractate.  First of all, this is tractate Taanit, so it is a natural place for the mishnah to discuss fast days. Secondly, the previous mishnah dealt with the importance of specific dates.
  There were five events that happened to our ancestors on the seventeenth of Tammuz and five on the ninth of Av.On the seventeenth of Tammuz: The tablets were shattered; The tamid ( offering was cancelled; The [walls] of the city were breached; And Apostomos burned the Torah, and placed an idol in the Temple.  There were five events that occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz, which is considered a “minor” fast day, because the fast begins only at sunrise and the only prohibition is eating and drinking. 1)  Moshe broke the first set of tablets.  2)  On the seventeenth of Tammuz, shortly before the Second Temple was destroyed, they ran out of sheep to sacrifice and hence they had to cancel the tamid, the daily offering. 3) The Romans breached the walls of the city of Jerusalem.  4)  Apostomos, an unidentified Greek or Roman burned a Torah scroll and 5) placed an idol in the Temple.  The placing of an idol in the Temple by foreign rulers happened on several occasions throughout both the First and teh Second Temple period and hence it is impossible to identify with precision who Apostomos was.  Indeed, according to the Yerushalmi it was not Apostomos who put the idol in the Templ but rather Menashe, the king of Israel see II Kings 21:7.
  On the ninth of Av It was decreed that our ancestors should not enter the land, The Temple was destroyed the first And the second time, Betar was captured, And the city was plowed up.  There were five events that occurred on the ninth of Av, which besides Yom Kippur is the only major fast in the Jewish calendar.  1)  After the people of Israel believed the bad report of the ten spies over that of Joshua and Caleb, God decreed that no one over the age of twenty would make it into the land of Canaan (see Numbers 14:29).  2 +3)  Both Temples were destroyed, the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.  The first Temple was set aflame on the ninth and burnt on the Tenth see Jeremiah 52:12-13.  4) Betar, an important Jewish stronghold during the Bar-Kochba revolt fell to the Romans.  5)  After the Bar Kochba rebellion was defeated, the Romans plowed over the city, destroying any remaining buildings and quashing any hopes that the Temple would be rebuilt.
  When Av enters, they limit their rejoicing.  Av is the counterpart to Adar. When the month of Adar begins we increase our celebration, in anticipation of Purim, a holiday of salvation.  When the month of Av enters, we decrease celebrations, on account of Tisha B’av, the greatest day of mourning on the Jewish calendar.  In tomorrow’s mishnah we will learn of some mourning practices customary during the first nine days of Av.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah talks about the week which leads up to Tisha B’av and the day before.
  During the week in which the ninth of Av falls it is forbidden to cut the hair and to wash clothes but on Thursday it is permitted in honor of Shabbat.  Starting in the week in which Tisha B’av falls one begins to mourn by not cutting hair (this includes shaving) or washing clothes.  However, if Tisha B’av falls on Friday then it is permitted to cut one’s hair and wash one’s clothes on Thursday in preparation for Shabbat. In today’s calendar Tisha B’av can never fall on Friday or on Shabbat. We should also note that in Ashkenazi tradition these prohibitions begin with the seventeenth of Tammuz, three weeks before Tisha B’av.
  On the eve of the ninth of Av one should not eat a meal of two cooked dishes, nor should he eat meat or drink wine. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: one should make change [his diet.]  The meal before Tisha B’av is supposed to be a simple meal, one that does not consist of two cooked dishes, nor meat or wine.  This sharply contrasts with Yom Kippur, before which one is mandated to have a large meal in celebration of the coming holiday. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel is more flexible with regard to this meal.  He just mandates that one change his normal eating habits.  If one normally has two cooked dishes, one should have only one.  If one normally eats a lot of meat, one should just have a little.
  Rabbi Judah obligated turning over the bed, but the sages did not agree with him.  Turning over the bed is a sign of mourning.  In the time of the mishnah it was the custom of mourners to turn over their beds as a sign of the overturning of their worlds which occurred when they lost a relative.  Rabbi Judah says that on Tisha B’av everyone should turn over their beds as a sign of the collective mourning of the people.  However, the other sages disagree with him.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Introduction
  Tractate Taanit, a sad tractate which deals with drought and other distressful events and the fasts that Jews take upon themselves to ask for forgiveness from their sins, ends with a mishnah about the two happiest days in the Jewish calendar, the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur.
  Section one:  Rabbi Shimon ben Gamaliel said: There were no days of joy in Israel greater than the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur. Section two:  On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in borrowed white garments in order not to shame any one who had none. All these garments required immersion.  The daughters of Jerusalem come out and dance in the vineyards. What would they say?  Young man, lift up your eyes and see what you choose for yourself. Do not set your eyes on beauty but set your eyes on the family. “Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).  And it further says, “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates” (ibid, 31:31). Section three:  Similarly it says, “O maidens of Zion, go forth and gaze upon King Solomon wearing the crown that his mother gave him on his wedding day, on the day of the gladness of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11).  “On his wedding day”:  this refers to Matan Torah (the Giving of the Torah). “And on the day of the gladness of his heart”: this refers to the building of the Temple; may it be rebuilt speedily in our days, Amen.  There are several reasons why the fifteenth of Av became a day of celebration. First of all, as we learned in mishnah five above, this is the date when most families would have made their wood donation.  The Talmud provides several other reasons.  One of these is that on this day people from different tribes were allowed to intermarry.  Another explanation is that on this day the Israelites in the desert who were to die before they entered into the land of Israel stopped dying.  Anyone who made it through this day in the fortieth year in the desert knew that he was going to make it to the land of Canaan. Yom Kippur is a day of celebration for on it Jews receive atonement for their sins.  Yom Kippur, in sharp contrast with Tisha B’av, is not a day of mourning, but rather a day of celebration. Furthermore, according to tradition, the second set of the Tablets were given to Israel on Yom Kippur, which is in essence collective forgiveness for the sin of the golden calf.
  These two days were like an ancient Sadie Hawkins day (if you don’t know what this is, you can google it to find out), except instead of the girls chasing the boys, the girls would go out to the field and let the boys come and chase them.  The girls would go out to the field in white clothes and dance and let the boys choose for themselves brides.  These clothes were borrowed so that girls who could not afford a nice white garment would not be embarrassed.  The garments would be immersed before they were worn so that they would be pure.  The whole ceremony seems to be geared towards encouraging the boys to choose their girls not based on their looks or wealth but based on their families and piety.  In mishnaic times, and indeed in many traditional cultures, “yihus” being from a good family was probably the most important consideration in arranging marriages.
  Taanit ends with a midrash which which was originally not part of the mishnah as it is missing in manuscripts.  It was probably added to the end of Taanit as a prayer for the restoration of the Temple, and to end a depressing tractate on an upbeat note of hope and consolation.  It connects to the previous section because of its reference to girls going out.  Furthermore, the day under discussion in this midrash is understood to be Yom Kippur, the day on which the second set of Tablets was given.  Yom Kippur commemorates the past, and gives us hope for the future as well, for a time in which the Temple will be rebuilt. Congratulations!  We have finished Taanit. It is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. Taanit is perhaps one of the most “theological” of tractates for it is all about how God responds to our misdeeds and how we respond to God’s rebuking.  One can look at the fasts as a way for Jews to remind themselves that they constantly need to be checking their own behavior, to looking at how we relate to each other and to the rest of the world and that our actions have an effect on our world. While it is probably hard for us to share an overly simplistic theology we do bad things, God punishes us directly and immediately, we pray and fast and things get better the deeper message of the tractate seems to be a push for our own atonement and for our own sensitivity to crisis in the world.  According to the tractate there is meaning in history and events and it is up to humans to learn how to respond properly.  There is also a lot in the tractate about the cycles of rejoicing and mourning. As always, congratulations on learning another tractate of Mishnah. Tomorrow we begin Megillah.  