Taanit 12

Chapter 12

א הנודר עד הגשמים משירדו גשמים עד שתרד רביעה שניה
1 If one interdicts himself by a vow [from the enjoyment of anything] until the rainy season or until rain has fallen, then his vow remains operative until the second rainfall.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ned. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> R'Zebid said: It has to do with Olives - We have learnt: When is it permissible for any man to take of the gleanings<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 9.');"><sup>2</sup></span> [of the field] and of the forgotten sheaves<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIV, 19.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ב רב זביד אמר לזיתים דתנן מאימתי כל אדם מותרין בלקט בשכחה ובפאה משילכו הנמושות בפרט ובעוללות משילכו עניים בכרם ויבואו בזיתים משתרד רביעה שניה
2 and of the corners of the field?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 9.');"><sup>4</sup></span> After the nemushot have departed. When [is it permissible to take] of the grapes that have fallen off the branches and of the gleanings of the vine?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 10.');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ג מאי נמושות אמר ר' יוחנן סבי דאזלי אתיגרא ר"ל אמר לקוטי בתר לקוטי
3 After the poor have left the vineyard and have come back again. When of the olives?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIV, 20.');"><sup>6</sup></span> After the second rainfall.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pe'ah VIII, 1.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ד רב פפא אמר כדי להלך בשבילי הרשות דאמר מר מהלכין כל אדם בשבילי הרשות עד שתרד רביעה שניה
4 Who are the nemushoth? - R'Johanan said: Old People who walk on a staff.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These walk slowly and usually leave nothing behind them.');"><sup>8</sup></span> Resh Lakish said: Those who glean behind the gleaners.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The poor who come for the second gleanings. ,uarv hkhca');"><sup>9</sup></span> R'Papa said: [The date of the second rainfall is necessary] so that travellers should know whether they may walk on private paths<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., (a) 'paths of permission', i.e., paths which the court has sanctioned for the use of the public (Rashi) ; (b) 'paths of');"><sup>10</sup></span>
ה רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר לבער פירות שביעית דתנן עד מתי נהנין ושורפין בתבן ובקש של שביעית עד שתרד רביעה שניה
5 [across the fields]. For a Master said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.K. 81a. Till then no injury can be done to the seeds sown.');"><sup>11</sup></span> It is permissible for any one to walk on private paths until the second rainfall.
ו מאי טעמא דכתיב (ויקרא כה, ז) ולבהמתך ולחיה אשר בארצך כל זמן שחיה אוכלת בשדה האכל לבהמתך בבית כלה לחיה מן השדה כלה לבהמתך מן הבית
6 R'Nahman B'Isaac said: [The date is necessary] for the disposal of the produce grown during the sabbatical year. For we have learnt: Until when is it permissible to derive benefit from the burning of straw and stubble grown in the sabbatical year? Until the second rainfall.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sheb. IX, 7.');"><sup>12</sup></span>
ז אמר רבי אבהו מאי לשון רביעה דבר שרובע את הקרקע כדרב יהודה דאמר רב יהודה מיטרא בעלה דארעא הוא שנאמר (ישעיהו נה, י) כי כאשר ירד הגשם והשלג מן השמים ושמה לא ישוב כי אם הרוה את הארץ והולידה והצמיחה
7 Why? Because it is written, And for thy cattle, and for the beasts that are in thy land;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 7.');"><sup>13</sup></span> so long as there is food for the beast in the field you may feed your cattle in the house, but when there is no more food in the field for the beast to eat, you must withhold food that is in your house from the cattle.
ח ואמר רבי אבהו רביעה ראשונה כדי שתרד בקרקע טפח שניה כדי לגוף בה פי חבית אמר רב חסדא גשמים שירדו כדי לגוף בהן פי חבית אין בהן משום ועצר
8 R'Abbahu said: What is the meaning of rebi'ah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 20 n. 7.');"><sup>14</sup></span> That which fructifies the ground - This is according to the teaching of Rab Judah who said: Rain is the husband of the soil, for it is written, For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither except it water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. LV, 10.');"><sup>15</sup></span> R'Abbahu further said: The first rainfall [to be beneficial] should be sufficient to penetrate the soil one handbreadth deep, the second should be sufficient to make of it a stopper for a cask.
ט ואמר רב חסדא גשמים שירדו קודם ועצר אין בהן משום ועצר
9 R'Hisda said: When it has rained sufficient to make [of the soil] a stopper for a cask then [the curse contained in the words 'and He will shut up'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XI, 17.');"><sup>16</sup></span> does not apply. R'Hisda further said: If rain came down before [the time for reciting in the Shema'], 'and He will shut up' then the curse contained in these words does not apply.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although there most of the rain required has not yet fallen.');"><sup>17</sup></span>
י אמר אביי לא אמרן אלא קודם ועצר דאורתא אבל קודם ועצר דצפרא יש בהן משום ועצר דאמר רב יהודה בר יצחק הני ענני דצפרא לית בהו מששא דכתיב (הושע ו, ד) מה אעשה לך אפרים מה אעשה לך יהודה וחסדכם כענן בקר וגו'
10 Abaye thereupon interjected: This only holds good when the rain fell before [the time for the recital of the words,] 'and He will shut up' in the evening [Shema'], but if rain fell before [the time for their recital in] the morning [Shema'] then the curse can still said to apply.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since they did not fall during the day they are not beneficial.');"><sup>18</sup></span> For R'Judah B'Isaac said: The morning clouds have no significance, for it is written, O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as the morning cloud, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hos. VI, 4.');"><sup>19</sup></span>
יא א"ל רב פפא לאביי והא אמרי אינשי במפתח בבי מיטרא בר חמרא מוך שקך וגני לא קשיא הא דקטיר בעיבא הא דקטיר בענני
11 Said R'Papa to Abaye: But people say, if it rains when the gates are opened [in the morning], 'lay down thy sack ass-driver and sleep'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rain will continue to fall and there will be plenty of supplies available and consequently the prices will fall.');"><sup>20</sup></span> - This is no contradiction. In the one case the heavens are overcast with thick clouds and the other with light clouds.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such have no significance.');"><sup>21</sup></span>
יב אמר רב יהודה טבא לשתא דטבת ארמלתא איכא דאמרי דלא ביירי תרביצי ואיכא דאמרי דלא שקיל שודפנא איני והאמר רב חסדא טבא לשתא דטבת מנוולתא לא קשיא הא דאתא מיטרא מעיקרא הא דלא אתא מיטרא מעיקרא
12 Rab Judah said: Happy is the year wherein [the month of] Tebeth is widowed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., without rain. Cf. supra the statement of Rab Judah, Rain is the husband of the soil. tmhcr,');"><sup>22</sup></span> Some say it is so because the gardens do not lie waste<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As there is no rain people are able to attend undisturbed to the cultivation of the soil. , a garden. The word is also applied figuratively to mean, School or College Assembly. As the roads are in good condition the scholars are able to attend the lectures at the School Assembly.');"><sup>23</sup></span> [or, because the schools are not empty]; others say, Because the grain will not become subject to blast.
יג ואמר רב חסדא גשמים שירדו על מקצת מדינה ועל מקצת מדינה לא ירדו אין בהן משום ועצר איני והכתיב (עמוס ד, ז) וגם אנכי מנעתי מכם את הגשם בעוד שלשה חדשים לקציר והמטרתי על עיר אחת ועל עיר אחת לא אמטיר חלקה אחת תמטר וגו' ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב שתיהן לקללה
13 Is that so? Did not R'Hisda say: Happy is the year wherein [the month of] Tebeth is muddy!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heavy rains fall.');"><sup>24</sup></span> - This is no contradiction.
יד לא קשיא הא דאתא טובא הא דאתא כדמבעי ליה אמר רב אשי דיקא נמי דכתיב תמטר תהא מקום מטר ש"מ
14 The former is the case when rain had already fallen [in the previous months] and the latter when it had not yet fallen. R'Hisda further said: If rain falls on some parts of the country and not on others then [the curse containe in the words], 'and He will shut up' cannot be said to apply. Is that so?
טו א"ר אבהו מאימתי מברכין על הגשמים משיצא חתן לקראת כלה
15 Is it not written, And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amos IV, 7. ryn, ryn ouen tv,');"><sup>25</sup></span> ? And referring to this verse, Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: Both are a curse! - There is no contradiction.
טז מאי מברך אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מודים אנחנו לך ה' אלהינו על כל טפה וטפה שהורדת לנו ור' יוחנן מסיים בה הכי אילו פינו מלא שירה כים ולשוננו רנה כהמון גליו כו' עד אל יעזבונו רחמיך ה' אלהינו ולא עזבונו ברוך רוב ההודאות
16 In the one case [Scripture speaks of] abnormal rain and in the other of normal rain. R'Ashi said: This can in fact be proved from the use of the word timoter in the verse, that is to say, it will be a place [flooded by] rain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' rendered as if the word were made up of the three words, .');"><sup>26</sup></span> And thus [the interpretation] is proved.
יז רוב ההודאות ולא כל ההודאות אמר רבא אימא אל ההודאות אמר רב פפא הלכך
17 R'Abbahu said: When do we [begin to] recite the benediction over rain?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Ber. 54a.');"><sup>27</sup></span> When the bridegroom goes forth to meet the bride.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the accumulated rain-water rebounds to meet every additional drop of rain as it falls.');"><sup>28</sup></span> What benediction should one recite? - Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: 'We give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, our God for every single drop which thou hast caused to fall upon us'. And R'Johanan concluded the benediction thus: 'Though our mouths were full of song as the sea, and our tongues of exultation as the multitude of its waves, etc. !' until, 'Let not Thy mercies forsake us O Lord, our God, even as they have not forsaken us. Blessed art Thou to Whom abundant thanksgivings are due'.' Abundant thanksgivings' and not 'all the thanksgivings'? - Raba replied: Read, 'The God to Whom thanksgivings are due'. R'Papa said: Therefore
Previous ChapterNext Chapter