ריש לקיש אמר מפני נשמה יתירה דאמר ריש לקיש נשמה יתירה ניתנה בו באדם בע"ש במוצאי שבת נוטלין אותה ממנו שנאמר (שמות לא, יז) שבת וינפש כיון ששבת וי אבדה נפש:
prayed over the sacrifice of their brethren that it may be favourably accepted, whilst the men of the Ma'amad assembled in their synagogues and observed four fasts, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week. On Monday [they fasted] for those that go down to the sea; on Tuesday for those who travel in the deserts; on Wednesday that croup may not attack children; on Thursday for pregnant women and nursing mothers, that pregnant women should not suffer a miscarriage, and that nursing mothers may be able to nurse their infants; on Friday they did not fast out of respect for the Sabbath; and certainly not on the Sabbath.
Tosefta Megillah
We do not read fewer than three verses from the Torah at one time. If there was a section with four [verses] or of five [verses] (i.e., which cannot be divided into two or more sections of three), behold, one person reads the whole thing. [If] there was a section of five and he read three and left out the other two, the one who stands up to read after him reads those two and another three from a different section. If there was a section of four or five [verses], behold, he reads everything. We may not read an additional [portion from the] Prophets (i.e., the haftarah) of less than three verses at one time. If there was a section of four or five verses, behold, he reads everything. One who cuts short [the reading], behold he is praised. If it was a short section, such as (Is. 42:3), "For thus says the Lord, you were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money," it is read by itself.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
