Responsa for Taanit 24:1
נים ולא נים תיר ולא תיר דקרו ליה ועני ולא ידע אהדורי סברא וכי מדכרי ליה מדכר
A sleep which is no sleep, a wakefulness which is no wakefulness, he answers when he is called, but cannot recall an argument; when, however, he is reminded of something he remembers it. R'Kahana said in the name of Rab: An individual who has undertaken a fast is forbidden to wear shoes because we fear that perhaps he has undertaken a public fast.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore he must observe the fast with all the strictness of a public fast. V. supra 10a. hhct');"><sup>1</sup></span>
Teshuvot HaRosh
Regarding their protest against petitioning on the grounds that it portends curse—even in their opinion [rain] does not portend curse until the month of Nisan [=early spring] has ended, as the Mishna states (Ta’anit 12b): “If Nisan ended and rains fell, they portend curse.” Moreover, in the source for their words, have they not realized that it is derived from a verse (I Samuel 12:17): “Is it not the wheat harvest today? [I will call out to the Lord, and he will bring thunder and rain, and you will know and see that your wickedness before the Lord, in that you asked for a king, is excessive]”? And so which harvest is set for right now, that would mean that we do not need rain? Moreover, the Talmud states on this [Mishna]: “R. Yose b. Avin said: this only applies if no rain had yet fallen, but if rain had previously fallen, the present rain portends blessing.”
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