Taanit 3

Chapter 3

א מתני׳ <big><strong>מאימתי</strong></big> מזכירין גבורות גשמים רבי אליעזר אומר מיום טוב הראשון של חג ר' יהושע אומר מיום טוב האחרון של חג
1 <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>WHEN DO WE [BEGIN TO] MAKE MENTION OF THE POWER OF RAIN?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The term 'power of Rain' is applied to the phrase 'He causeth the wind to blow and the rain to fall' inserted in the second benediction of the prayer known as 'the Eighteen Benedictions' - The Tefillah (v. Glos.) On the expression POWER OF RAIN v. infra. djv');"><sup>1</sup></span> R'ELIEZER SAYS: ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FEAST.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Feast, , the name by which the festival of Tabernacles is referred to in Mishnah and Talmud. Cf. I Kings VIII, 2, 65; Neh. VIII, 14, 15.');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב אמר לו ר' יהושע הואיל ואין הגשמים אלא סימן קללה בחג למה הוא מזכיר אמר לו ר' אליעזר אף אני לא אמרתי לשאול אלא להזכיר משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם בעונתו אמר לו א"כ לעולם יהא מזכיר
2 R'JOSHUA SAYS: ON THE LAST DAY OF THE FEAST. R'JOSHUA SAID TO HIM: SEEING THAT RAIN ON THE FEAST IS A SIGN OF [GOD'S] ANGER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., curse , v. Suk. 28b.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ג אין שואלין את הגשמים אלא סמוך לגשמים ר' יהודה אומר העובר לפני התיבה ביו"ט האחרון של חג האחרון מזכיר הראשון אינו מזכיר ביו"ט הראשון של פסח הראשון מזכיר האחרון אינו מזכיר
3 WHY MAKE MENTION OF IT? THEREUPON R'ELIEZER SAID TO HIM: I ALSO DID NOT SAY TO PRAY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to insert in the ninth benediction the words, 'Give dew and rain for a blessing upon the face of the earth'.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ד <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנא היכא קאי דקתני מאימתי תנא התם קאי
4 BUT TO MAKE MENTION [IN THE WORD] 'HE CAUSETH THE WIND TO BLOW AND THE RAIN TO FALL'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. n. 1.');"><sup>5</sup></span> -IN ITS DUE SEASON.
ה דקתני מזכירין גבורות גשמים בתחיית המתים ושואלין בברכת השנים והבדלה בחונן הדעת וקתני מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים
5 HE [R'JOSHUA] REPLIED TO HIM: IF THAT IS SO ONE SHOULD AT ALL TIMES MAKE MENTION OF IT. WE PRAY FOR RAIN ONLY CLOSE TO THE RAINY SEASON.
ו וליתני התם מ"ש דשבקיה עד הכא
6 R'JUDAH SAYS: THE LAST TO STEP BEFORE THE ARK<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To step before the Ark (tebah) , a technical term denoting the recitation of the tefillah or the Amidah by the reader. V. R.H., Sonc. ed. p. 160, n. 9.');"><sup>6</sup></span> ON THE LAST DAY OF THE FEAST MAKES MENTION, THE FIRST DOES NOT; ON THE FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER THE FIRST MAKES MENTION, THE LAST DOES NOT.
ז אלא תנא מראש השנה סליק דתנן ובחג נידונין על המים ואיידי דתנא ובחג נידונין על המים תנא מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים
7 <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>What has the Tanna [in mind] when he teaches WHEN etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What is the Tanna's authority that the power of rain has to be mentioned at all?');"><sup>7</sup></span> ? -The Tanna refers to [a Mishnah] elsewhere which teaches: We make mention of the Power of Rain in the [benediction of] the Revival of the Dead,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The second benediction.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ח וליתני מאימתי מזכירין על הגשמים מאי גבורות גשמים א"ר יוחנן מפני שיורדין בגבורה שנאמר (איוב ה, ט) עושה גדולות עד אין חקר ונפלאות עד אין מספר וכתיב (איוב ה, י) הנותן מטר על פני ארץ ושולח מים על פני חוצות
8 and we pray for [rain] in the Benediction of the Years<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ninth benediction.');"><sup>9</sup></span> and [we insert] the Habdulah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Additional prayer inserted in the fourth benediction in the evening service at the termination of Sabbath and festivals.');"><sup>10</sup></span>
ט מאי משמע אמר רבה בר שילא אתיא חקר חקר מברייתו של עולם
9 in [the benediction] 'Thou favourest man with knowledge'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ber. 33a.');"><sup>11</sup></span> [With that passage in mind] the Tanna now teaches: When do we [begin] to make mention of the Power of Rain?
י כתיב הכא עושה גדולות עד אין חקר וכתיב התם (ישעיהו מ, כח) הלא ידעת אם לא שמעת אלהי עולם ה' בורא קצות הארץ לא ייעף ולא ייגע אין חקר לתבונתו וכתיב (תהלים סה, ז) מכין הרים בכחו נאזר בגבורה
10 Would it not have been more appropriate to teach it there, why did he leave it until now? - [Say] rather, because the Tanna had just completed [learning the Tractate] Rosh Hashanah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The order of the tractates of the Mishnah mentioned here is the same as given by the Gaon Sherira of Pumbeditha (968 C.E.) in the letter addressed by him to the community of Kairwan. (V. Neubauer Med. Jew. Chronicles, p. 13) . The same sequence is given by Maimonides in the Introduction to his Commentary on the MISHNAH:');"><sup>12</sup></span> where we have learnt: And on the Feast [the world] is judged through water.
יא ומנא לן דבתפלה דתניא (דברים יא, יג) לאהבה את ה' אלהיכם ולעבדו בכל לבבכם איזו היא עבודה שהיא בלב הוי אומר זו תפלה וכתיב בתריה (דברים יא, יד) ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו יורה ומלקוש
11 And, [as there] he taught: 'And on the Feast [the world] is judged through water,' therefore there he teaches: When do we [begin] to make mention of the Power of Rain. But let him teach: When do we [begin] to make mention of Rain: why, the Power of Rain? -R'Johanan said: Because Rain comes down by the Power [of God], as it is said, Who doeth great things und unsearchable, marvellous things without number.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job V, 9-10. The Gemara cites IX, 10, but the commentators substitute for it V, 9 which makes the sequence of ideas clearer.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
יב אמר ר' יוחנן ג' מפתחות בידו של הקב"ה שלא נמסרו ביד שליח ואלו הן מפתח של גשמים מפתח של חיה מפתח של תחיית המתים
12 And it is [further] written, Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra n. 5.');"><sup>14</sup></span> Where [in these verses is this idea] implied? - Rabbah B'Shila replied: It is derived from the analogous use of the word heker in verses treating of Creation.
יג מפתח של גשמים דכתיב (דברים כח, יב) יפתח ה' לך את אוצרו הטוב את השמים לתת מטר ארצך בעתו מפתח של חיה מנין דכתיב ויזכור אלהים את רחל וישמע
13 Here it is written, 'Who doeth great things and unsearchable'. And there it is written, 'Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, The Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? His discernment is past searching out.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XL, 28. rej');"><sup>15</sup></span> And [of Creation] it is [also] written, Who by Thy strength settest fast the mountains, Who art girded about with might.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXV, 7. Rabbah b. Shilah infers from the analogous use of the word , in Job (where it speaks of rain) and Isaiah (where it refers to Creation) that just as God displayed 'Power' at Creation so too 'Power is a concomitant of rain. Hence the expression, POWER OF RAIN.');"><sup>16</sup></span> Whence do we know that mention of Rain is to be made in the Prayer?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Tefillah.');"><sup>17</sup></span> - It has been taught: To love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XI, 13.');"><sup>18</sup></span> What is Service of Heart? You must needs say, Prayer. And the verse following reads, That I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 14.');"><sup>19</sup></span> R'Johanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be He has retained in His own hands and not entrusted to the hand of any messenger, namely, the Key of Rain, the Key of Childbirth, and the Key of the Revival of the Dead. The Key of Rain, for It is written, The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVIII, 12.');"><sup>20</sup></span> The Key of Childbirth, for it is written, And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened
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