Taanit 37
אותה העיר מתענה ומתרעת וכל סביבותיה מתענות ולא מתריעות רבי עקיבא אומר מתריעות ולא מתענות וכן עיר שיש בה דבר או מפולת אותה העיר מתענה ומתרעת וכל סביבותיה מתענות ולא מתריעות רבי עקיבא אומר מתריעות ולא מתענות
IN SUCH A CASE THAT CITY FASTS AND SOUNDS THE ALARM, BUT THOSE [IN THE PLACES] AROUND IT FAST BUT DO NOT SOUND THE ALARM. R'AKIBA SAYS: THEY SOUND THE ALARM BUT DO NOT FAST.
איזהו דבר עיר המוציאה חמש מאות רגלי ויצאו ממנה ג' מתים בג' ימים זה אחר זה הרי זה דבר פחות מכאן אין זה דבר
AND SO TOO IF A PLAGUE RAGES IN A CITY OR [ITS BUILDINGS] COLLAPSE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the collapse is caused by an earth-quake or by some other extraordinary natural phenomena.');"><sup>1</sup></span> THEN THAT CITY FASTS AND SOUNDS THE ALARM, BUT THE PEOPLE [IN THE PLACES] AROUND IT FAST BUT DO NOT SOUND THE ALARM.
מעשה שירדו זקנים מירושלים לעריהם וגזרו תענית על שנראה כמלא פי תנור שדפון באשקלון ועוד גזרו תענית על שאכלו זאבים שני תינוקות בעבר הירדן רבי יוסי אומר לא על שאכלו אלא על שנראו:
IF IN A CITY THAT CAN SUPPLY FIVE HUNDRED FOOT-SOLDIERS THREE DEATHS TAKE PLACE ON THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THIS CONSTITUTES A PLAGUE; LESS THAN THIS IS NO PLAGUE. THE ALARM IS SOUNDED EVERYWHERE ON ACCOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING [VISITATIONS]: BLAST, MILDEW, LOCUST, CRICKET, WILD BEASTS AND THE SWORD, AS THEY ARE ALL PLAGUES LIKELY TO SPREAD.
על אלו מתריעין בשבת על עיר שהקיפוה נכרים או נהר ועל הספינה המיטרפת בים ר' יוסי אומר לעזרה ולא לצעקה שמעון התימני אומר אף על הדבר ולא הודו לו חכמים:
IT HAPPENED THAT ELDERS WENT DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO THEIR OWN CITIES AND ORDERED A FAST BECAUSE THERE WAS OBSERVED IN ASKELON BLAST WHICH AFFECTED AS MUCH GRAIN AS WOULD FILL AN OVEN [WITH LOAVES MADE THEREOF]. THEY ALSO ORDAINED A FAST BECAUSE WOLVES DEVOURED TWO CHILDREN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN; R'JOSE SAID: NOT BECAUSE THEY DEVOURED [THE CHILDREN] BUT [MERELY] BECAUSE THEY WERE SEEN.
על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור מתריעין עליהן חוץ מרוב גשמים מעשה שאמרו לו לחוני המעגל התפלל שירדו גשמים אמר להם צאו והכניסו תנורי פסחים בשביל שלא ימוקו התפלל ולא ירדו גשמים
THE ALARM IS SOUNDED ON THE SABBATH ON ACCOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING MISHAPS: IF A CITY IS BESIEGED BY HOSTILE TROOPS OR [INUNDATED BY] THE RIVER, OR IF A SHIP IS FOUNDERING ON THE SEA, R'JOSE SAYS: [THE ALARM IS SOUNDED] FOR HELP BUT NOT FOR A CALL TO PRAYERS. SIMEON THE TEMANITE SAYS: [THE ALARM IS SOUNDED] ON ACCOUNT OF PLAGUE, BUT THE SAGES DID NOT AGREE WITH HIM.
מה עשה עג עוגה ועמד בתוכה ואמר לפניו רבש"ע בניך שמו פניהם עלי שאני כבן בית לפניך נשבע אני בשמך הגדול שאיני זז מכאן עד שתרחם על בניך התחילו גשמים מנטפין אמר לא כך שאלתי אלא גשמי בורות שיחין ומערות התחילו לירד בזעף אמר לא כך שאלתי אלא גשמי רצון ברכה ונדבה
THE ALARM IS SOUNDED ON ACCOUNT OF ANY VISITATION, THAT COMES UPON THE COMMUNITY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Aliter: 'that may not come etc.' a euphemism for 'that may come etc.']');"><sup>2</sup></span> EXCEPT ON ACCOUNT OF AN OVER-ABUNDANCE OF RAIN.
ירדו כתיקנן עד שיצאו ישראל מירושלים להר הבית מפני הגשמים באו ואמרו לו כשם שהתפללת עליהם שירדו כך התפלל שילכו להן אמר להם צאו וראו אם נמחית אבן הטועין
IT HAPPENED THAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO HONI THE CIRCLE DRAWER, PRAY FOR RAIN TO FALL. HE REPLIED: GO AND BRING IN THE OVENS [ON WHICH YOU HAVE ROASTED] THE PASCHAL OFFERINGS SO THAT THEY DO NOT DISSOLVE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These ovens were usually made of clay and were portable.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
(מתני') היו מתענין וירדו להם גשמים קודם הנץ החמה לא ישלימו לאחר הנץ החמה ישלימו ר"א אומר קודם חצות לא ישלימו לאחר חצות ישלימו
HE DREW A CIRCLE AND STOOD WITHIN IT AND EXCLAIMED, MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, THY CHILDREN HAVE TURNED TO ME BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE ME TO BE AS A MEMBER OF THY HOUSEHOLD; I SWEAR BY THY GREAT NAME THAT I WILL NOT MOVE FROM HERE UNTIL THOU HAST MERCY UPON THY CHILDREN. RAIN THEN BEGAN TO DRIP, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED: IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN [TO FILL] CISTERNS, DITCHES AND CAVES.
מעשה שגזרו תענית בלוד וירדו להם גשמים קודם חצות אמר להם ר' טרפון צאו ואכלו ושתו ועשו יו"ט ויצאו ואכלו ושתו ועשו יום טוב ובאו בין הערבים וקראו הלל הגדול:
THE RAIN THEN BEGAN TO COME DOWN WITH GREAT FORCE, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED; IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN OF BENEVOLENCE, BLESSING AND BOUNTY. RAIN THEN FELL IN THE NORMAL WAY UNTIL THE ISRAELITES IN JERUSALEM WERE COMPELLED TO GO UP [FOR SHELTER] TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT BECAUSE OF THE RAIN.
<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> סדר תעניות האלו האמור ברביעה ראשונה ורמינהי רביעה ראשונה ושניה לשאול שלישית להתענות
THEY CAME AND SAID TO HIM: IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR [THE RAIN] TO FALL PRAY [NOW] FOR THE RAIN TO CEASE. HE REPLIED: GO AND SEE IF THE STONE OF CLAIMANTS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a stone of the losers'. A stone in Jerusalem from which announcements of property lost and found were made. (Cf. B.M. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
אמר רב יהודה ה"ק סדר תעניות האמור אימתי בזמן שיצאה רביעה ראשונה ושניה ושלישית ולא ירדו גשמים אבל ירדו גשמים ברביעה ראשונה וזרעו ולא צמחו אי נמי צמחו וחזרו ונשתנו מתריעין עליהן מיד
HAS BEEN WASHED AWAY. THEREUPON SIMEON B. SHETAH SENT TO HIM [THIS MESSAGE]: WERE IT NOT THAT YOU ARE HONI I WOULD HAVE PLACED YOU UNDER THE BAN, BUT WHAT CAN I DO UNTO YOU WHO IMPORTUNE GOD AND HE ACCEDES TO YOUR REQUEST AS A SON THAT IMPORTUNES HIS FATHER AND HE ACCEDES TO HIS REQUEST; OF YOU SCRIPTURE SAYS, LET THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER BE GLAD, AND LET HER THAT BORE THEE REJOICE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXIII, 25. [With this story cf. Josephus, Ant. XVI, 2,1 and v. Buchler, Types, 198ff for a fine analysis of Honi's prayer.]');"><sup>5</sup></span>
אמר רב נחמן דוקא נשתנו אבל יבשו לא פשיטא נשתנו תנן לא צריכא דאקון מהו דתימא אקנתא מילתא היא קמשמע לן:
IF WHILST THEY ARE FASTING RAIN FALLS, IF IT IS BEFORE SUNRISE THEY DO NOT COMPLETE THE FAST,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because strictly speaking the fast had not yet begun.');"><sup>6</sup></span> IF AFTER SUNRISE, THEY DO COMPLETE THE FAST.
וכן שפסקו גשמים בין גשם לגשם כו': מאי מכת בצורת אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מכה המביאה לידי בצורת אמר רב נחמן נהרא אנהרא
R'ELIEZER SAYS: IF BEFORE NOON THEY DO NOT COMPLETE THE FAST, AFTER NOON THEY DO COMPLETE IT. IT HAPPENED THAT THE RABBIS ORDAINED A FAST IN LYDIA AND RAIN FELL BEFORE NOON. THEREUPON R'TARFON SAID TO THEM: GO, EAT AND DRINK AND OBSERVE THE DAY AS A HOLIDAY. THEY WENT AND ATE AND DRANK AND OBSERVED THE DAY AS A HOLIDAY AND AT EVENING TIME THEY CAME AND RECITED THE GREAT HALLEL.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXXVI. Cf. Ber. 4b.');"><sup>7</sup></span> <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>THE ORDER OF PUBLIC FASTS AFOREMENTIONED IS OBSERVED ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH [THE WITHHOLDING] OF THE FIRST RAIN. A contradiction was raised against this Mishnah: [If rain is withheld at the time of] the first and second rainfalls prayers are offered; if at the thir rainfall, fasts are observed!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here it is stated that fasts are ordained after these three rainfalls had failed, whereas the Mishnah says that the fasts are observed immediately after the first expected rainfalls had failed. vbuatr vghcr vruh');"><sup>8</sup></span> Rab Judah replied: The Mishnah means this: The order of fasts aforementioned is observed only when the time for the first, second and third fructification rainfalls has passed and no rain fell, but if rain fell at the time for the first fructification rainfall and they sowed but nothing sprouted for or if the [plants] did sprout forth but they had undergone an unusual change the alarm is sounded at once.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The phrase does not denote, as it was assumed, the first fructification rain but the whole of the former rain season () which comprises three fructification rains as stated supra 6a.');"><sup>9</sup></span> R'Nahman said: Only when they had undergone an unusual change, but not if they merely withered away. Is not this self-evident? We clearly learned, HAVE UNDERGONE A CHANGE[R'Nahman's statement] is needed to cover the case of seeds that have already shot up into stalks. You might have thought that this is a sign of recovery, he therefore informs us [that it is not]. THE SAME TOO IS DONE IF FORTY DAYS ELAPSED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND RAINFALLS AND NO RAIN FELL etc. What is the nature of the plague of drought? Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: A plague which leads to scarcity. R'Nahman said: When [grain] has to be transported by river