Commentary for Taanit 51:5
התקינו נביאים הראשונים עשרים וארבעה משמרות על כל משמר ומשמר היה מעמד בירושלים של כהנים של לוים ושל ישראלים
NOW HOW CAN A MAN'S OFFERING BE BROUGHT [ON THE ALTAR] AND HE IS NOT PRESENT? [THEREFORE] THE EARLIER PROPHETS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Samuel and David. Cf. supra 27a.');"><sup>10</sup></span> INSTITUTED TWENTY-FOUR MISHMAROTH,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Twenty-four divisions of lay people as well as of priests and levites, v. supra 27b.');"><sup>11</sup></span>
Rashi on Taanit
When the gates close -- The Jerusalem Talmud, tractate Berachot, in the chapter [beginning with] "the morning prayer", defines when the "closing" occurs. One opinion is that it refers to the gates of the temple, and one opinion is that it refers to the gates of heaven, which are closed close to evening at the completion of prayers. And it was customary to add the Neilah prayer on all public fast days the same way we do on Yom Kippur.
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