Yerushalmi Nedarim 8:5 ירושלמי נדרים ח׳:ה׳

MISHNAH: ‘Until the rains, until there be rain,’ until the second rainy spell⁶¹A similar statement in Mishnah Ševi‘it 9:7, Note 93. A rainy spell is called רביע “fertilizing” if the total amount of water is one handbreadth for R. Jehudah, 3 for R. Meїr. The time of the expected second rainy spell is given in Ta‘aniot 1:3 (64a, 1. 64), Tosephta Ta‘aniot 1:3, Babli Nedarim 63a, as Marḥešwan 7 for R. Meїr, 17 for R. Jehudah, 23 for R. Yose.; Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, until the time of the second rainy spell. ‘Until the rains stop’, until the end of the Month of Nisan, the words of Rebbi Meїr; Rebbi Jehudah says, until after Passover⁶²The evening after Nisan 21..

HALAKHAH: “ ‘Until the rains,’ ” etc. Rebbi Ze‘ira asked: If one said ‘until the rain’, is he forbidden until another rainfall came down⁶³In the Babli, 62b, R. Ze‘ira is quoted to declare that the singular implies that one fertilizing rain only is meant.? There⁶⁴Mishnah S̄eqalim 6:6, Menaḥot 106b., we have stated: “One who said, I take upon me [the obligation to bring] wood⁶⁵A plural., should not bring less that two cut logs⁶⁶For the altar in the Temple. The logs used for the altar had to be prepared so that all branches were cut off and all worms taken out. This is the emphasis on cut logs..” Rebbi Yose the important said that Rebbi Abba bar Mamai asked, if he said, I take upon me [the obligation to bring] to bring wood⁶⁷Singular., does he bring one cut log? Rebbi Eleazar said, a Mishnah explains that each one is a separate sacrifice, as we have stated there⁶⁸Mishnah Yoma 2:5. While for the daily morning sacrifice only one Cohen brought wood to the altar, for the evening sacrifice there were two. R. Eleazar read the Mishnah to imply that each Cohen took only one log to the altar. This would imply that a single log is an acceptable gift to the altar.: “Two in whose hands are two cut logs.” In order to increase the number of logs⁶⁹There were four logs brought to the altar, two by each Cohen. This certainly implies that a person vowing “a log” has in fact to bring two, and probably that the person who vows not to taste something until the rains, is forbidden until the second batch of rain showers. (The Babli seems to disagree, 63a)..

It was stated⁷⁰Tosephta Ta‘aniot 1:4 (in the Erfurt ms.) The statements are switched in the Vienna ms. and editio princeps. The paragraph is from Ševi‘it 9:7, Notes 98–101.: “Rebbi Yose said, anything depending on the fertilizing rain⁷¹The vow mentions דביעה, the fertilizing aspect., until the second fertilizing rain comes. And anything not depending on the fertilizing rain⁷²The vow mentions simply גשם “rain”., until the time of the second fertilizing rain. It was stated: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, if rain came down for seven days without interruption, that includes the second fertilizing rain⁷³That is enough for two fertilizing periods; quoted in Babli 63a..” Why is it called fertilizing? Because it fertilizes the land.

“A qônām wine,” etc. Rebbi Meїr follows his opinion and Rebbi Jehudah follows his opinion, as we have stated there⁷⁸Mishnah Ta‘aniot 1:2.: “Until when does one pray for rain? Rebbi Jehudah says, until after Passover; Rebbi Meїr says until the end of the Month of Nisan.”