Yerushalmi Taanit 2 ירושלמי תענית ב׳

MISHNAH: How is the order of the fast days? One removes the Ark¹This statement confirms that in Mishnaic times the Ark containing the Torah scrolls was a movable chest, not part of the synagogue building. This is confirmed by the archeological evidence that in early Galilean synagogues the entrance was in the South. For prayers the Ark was moved from the storage room to the entrance; the reader stood before the Ark, and everybody was praying in the direction of Jerusalem, facing the Ark. In Amoraic times the Ark became part of the building in the South wall and the entrance was moved to the North. to the town plaza²The town square accommodating a maximum number of people. and gives burnt ashes³The Mishnah explicitly excludes dust which is not ash. on top of the Ark, and on the head of the Patriarch, and on the the head of the presiding judge; also each individual takes and puts on his head. The Elder among them gives an exhortatory sermon: Our brothers, it is not said about the people of Nineveh, God saw their sackcloth and their fasting, but God saw their deeds that they repented their evil ways⁴Jonah3:10., and what does it say in prophecy? And tear your hearts and not your clothes, and return to the Eternal, your God⁵Joel2:13..

HALAKHAH: “How is the order of the fast days,” etc. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, why does one move to the town plaza? To say, we are considered as if exiled before You. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, because they prayed in privacy and were not answered; therefore they went public and were publicized. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, why does one bring the Ark to the town plaza? To say that we had one precious vessel and our sins caused it to become debased. The Elder Rebbi Ḥuna of Sepphoris said, our forefathers covered it with gold and we covered it with ashes. Rebbi Jacob the Southerner said, why does one blow horns? To say, we are considered as if bellowing like animals before You. Rebbi Levi said, and why does one visit graves? To say, we are considered like dead before You. Rebbi Tanḥuma says, all of this is included. If we are guilty to die there are the dead, if exile there is exile, if hunger there is hunger⁶All these texts are sermon concepts. Babli 16a..

“One gives burnt ashes³The Mishnah explicitly excludes dust which is not ash. on top of the Ark.” Because of with him I am in trouble⁷Ps.91:15. Babli 15b.. Rebbi Ze`ira said, any time that I saw them doing this my body shuddered. In the days of Rebbi Ila they left the Ark standing and went away. Rebbi Ze`ira said to him, was it not stated: they should not take turns during the day but one person should sit there and watch it during the entire day⁸One has to date the abolition of this ceremony to his days.?

Rebbi Yudan ben Rebbi Menashe and Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman. One said, to mention the merit of Abraham; the other one said, to mention the merit of Isaac⁹His willingness to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah.. He who said, to mention the merit of Abraham, either ashes or dust, because of I am dust and ashes¹⁰Gen. 18:27. Cf. Gen. rabba49(23), Babli 16a.. He who said, to mention the merit of Isaac, only ashes. One sees the ashes of Isaac as if his ashes were collected on the altar¹¹Since the only reason that he was not burned was the intervention of the angel, his merit is to have been burned.. When Rebbi Judah bar Pazi went on a fast day; he said before them, our Brethren, anybody whom the beadle does not reach should take dust and put it on his head¹²The Mishnah requires that the synagogue personnel distribute ashes to everybody; but if the supply of ashes runs out one may substitute dust for ashes since according to one opinion the two are equivalent..

“And on the head of the Patriarch.” Rebbi Taḥlifa Caesarean said, to give it prominence. One cannot compare self-abasement with abasement by the hands of others¹³Since the Mishnah requires that the ashes be applied by others..

It is written¹⁴Joel2:16. Babli 15b/16a.: May the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her bridal chamber. May the bridegroom leave his room, that is the Ark, and the bride her bridal chamber, that is the Torah¹⁵In A: the Torah scroll.. Another word: May the bridegroom leave his room, that is the Patriarch, and the bride her bridal chamber, that is the presiding judge. Rebbi Ḥelbo said to Rebbi Yudan the Patriarch¹⁶R. Judah II, Rebbi’s grandson., come with us and your pain will be gone¹⁷In A and the quote by R. Nission Gerondi ad loc.: will be effective.. Rebbi Yose said, this implies that our fasts are no real fasts. Why? since the Patriarch is not with us¹⁸Since the Patriarch resided in Sepphoris but the Academy was in Tiberias. The implication seems to be that other details of the Mishnah also do not have to be executed exactly as described..

One verse says, in front of the cover¹⁹Lev. 16:2. (But maybe Lev. 4:17 was intended.), but another verse says, in front of the holy gobelin²⁰Lev. 4:6, the purification offering of the anointed High Priest.. Rebbi Aḥa said, Rebbi Abbahu and the rabbis disagree. One said, if the Patriarch sins, majesty remains in place. If the community sinned, majesty is not in place²¹In the Babli, Zevaḥim41b, the idea is formulated so: If an individual revolts, the king’s government is unchanged; if an entire country revolts, the king’s government is abolished.. But the other one said, because teacher and student sinned, they have to go public and be noticed, following and he shall remove the bull to outside the camp²²Lev. 4:21.. Ḥizqiah stated: it is a hint. Anywhere there is an anointed one there is the Ark²³As long as anointed High Priests officiated in the Temple, the Ark was in the Holiest of Holies. In the Second Temple, whose High Priests were invested but not anointed, there was no Ark.. Anywhere there is no anointed one there is no Ark. This follows what Rebbi Samuel ben Aina said in the name of Rebbi Aḥa²⁴Makkot2:7 (Notes 124–130), Horaiot3:2, Babli Yoma21b: Five things was the last Temple missing which were in the first Temple, as it is written²⁵Hag.1:8.: I shall be pleased with it and I will be honored. It is written I will be honored, without the letter he²⁶Ketib וְאֶכָּבֵד, Qere וְאֶכָּֽבְדָ֖ה. Both spellings make sense. The missing ה is interpreted in the Alexandrian system of numeration as “5”.. These are the five things which the last Temple was missing which were in the first Temple. They are: The {heavenly} fire, the Ark, Urim and Tummim, anointing oil²⁷It is stated in Ex.30:23 that only Moses himself could compound this oil and in v. 31 that it should be used for all subsequent generations. By tradition, Josia buried the oil flask together with the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple Mount (2Chr.35:3) after the prophetess Hulda informed him of the imminent destruction of the Temple., and the Holy Spirit.

Explanation²⁸Greek δήλωμα. A shortened version is in Thr. rabba3(33).. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda, Rebbi Tanḥum bar Ilai, and Rebbi Joshia came to the fast. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda preached: Let us lift our hearts on the palms²⁹Thr. 3:41.. Is this possible? May a person take his heart and put it on his hand? So what means “let us lift”? Let us treat our hearts equal to our hands³⁰Which one always washes to keep them clean., and then to God in Heaven. So if somebody would hold a crawling animal³¹A dead crawling animal as enumerated in Lev. 11:29–30, as source of original impurity. Babli 16a. in his hand, even if he immerses himself in the waters of Siloam or of the ocean, he never can become pure³²In A one reads: even if he immerses himself in all oceans he never will be pure. If he throws it from his hands, even if he only immerses himself in the waters of the Siloam which are 1x1x2 cubits, he immediately is pure.. But if he throws it³³The dead crawling animal. from his hand he immediately is pure. Rebbi Tanḥum bar Ilai preached: The ministers of Israel and the King submitted and said, the Eternal is just. And when the Eternal saw that they submitted, the Eternal’s word was to Shemaya as oracle³⁴2Chr. 12:6–7.. It is not written “their fast” but they submitted, I shall not destroy them. Rebbi Joshia preached: Become improved and improve³⁵Zeph. 2:1., let us purify ourselves before we purify others³⁶Babli Sanhedrin18a,19a, Bava batra 60b, Bava meṣi`a107b.. Since here are people present who calumniate me before Rebbi Joḥanan. But every single one is called to justice. Attending were Rebbi Ḥiyya³⁷Bar Abba., Rebbi Issy³⁸Usually he is called Yasa, in the Babli Assi., and Rebbi Immi. They got up and left³⁹What offended them in R. Joshia’s sermon is everybody’s guess; each commentator has his own opinion..

⁴⁰Tanḥuma Noaḥ 8, Tanḥuma Buber Noaḥ 13, Gen. rabba44(15), Eccl. rabba7(59). In a different context, Sanhedrin10:2 (Notes 169–171). Differently, Babli Roš Haššanah16b. The Tanḥuma text seems to be the source for Moses ben Kalonymos’s poem וּנְתַנֶּה תּוֹקֶף. Rebbi Eleazar said, three things annul the harsh decree. They are: prayer, charity and repentance. All three are from one verse⁴¹2Chr. 7:14.: My people, over whom My Name is called, will submit and pray, this is prayer, and desire my presence, this is charity as you are saying, by charity I shall see Your presence⁴²Ps. 17:15.. They will repent their evil ways, this is repentance. When they act in this way, what is written there? Then I shall hear in Heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.

Rebbi Ḥaggai always preached the following from Rebbi Eleazar. Rebbi Eleazar said, the end of the year is like the year. From the dust of summer to winter, if North wind blows⁴³At a time when the West wind should bring rain. take care of your children. Any year for which no shofar was blown at the start, one will have to blow at the end⁴⁴If one fails to obey the religious commandment to blow the shofar on New Year’s Day one will have to blow later as a call of calamity and emergency. Babli Roš Haššanah16b.. Any which does not care for the produce of the preceding will at the end lose its produce⁴⁵If heave and tithes are not given according to the rules after the harvest of the preceding year, the yield of the following year is in jeopardy.. Rebbi Aḥa said, and most of its wine will turn to vinegar. There were old men in Sepphoris who at the first rainy period⁴⁶The text A reads: רִבִיעֲתָא קַדְמִייָתָא נַחְתָּה “when the first rains came down”. The character of A makes it questionable whether this is text or a gloss. were smelling the dust and could tell the {amount of} rains of the year.

Rebbi Eleazar said: Is that a fast day which I would prefer, that is a day where a person deprives himself? This is not a day to my liking. What is a day to my liking? Is not this a day I would prefer, opening chains of evil, unbinding fetters of the yoke. Is it not breaking your bread for the hungry, and bring to the house the poor persecuted ones. What is written after this? Then you will call and the Eternal will answer,⁴⁷Is. 58:5,7,9. The spelling פרוש against masoretic פרס is confirmed by Babli Bava batra9a and is not to be explained away (cf. Mesoret Hashas Babli9a, Note 2.) etc.

Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, it is written⁴⁸Gen. 2:6.: and distress⁴⁹He identifies אֵד “fog” and אֵיד “dies ater”. In Gen. rabba13(15) the entire paragraph is attributed to R. Berekhiah. rose from the earth. If rupture rises from the earth, rain will fall immediately. Rebbi Berekhiah said, it is written⁵⁰Deut. 32:2.: may my teaching drip like rain, because if one confesses in repentance⁵¹The homily identifies ערף “to drip” (Accadic arapu“to be cloudy”) with another root ערף (Arabic ערף “to know”, אעתרף “to confess”.) rain will fall immediately. Rebbi Berekhiah made thirteen fast days but no rain fell; at the end locusts came. He went and said before them, our brethren, look at what we are doing. Is that not what the prophet needles us⁵²Micah7:3–4., from evil hands to profit, we damage one another with our hands and expect good things; the noble asks where is the bribe to be collected, and the judge in payment, pay me and I shall pay you, the great one speaks lies from his soul and they will distort it, they will turn it thick, they turned it into a plaiting of debts. And who can stop it? Their best one is like thorns, the best one among them is like thorns, the straight one like a hedge of thorns, the most upright among them is like those branches, on the day to which they looked comes their due, on the day which we expected relief locusts, this shall be their consternation! From the midst of their crying, and crying, and crying, there fell rain.

Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, the people of Nineveh repented in trickery. What did they do⁵³Babli 16a.? Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalfuta⁵⁴In A: R. Ḥanania in the name of Resh Laqish.: They put calves inside and their mothers outside, foals inside and their mothers outside; these were mooing from one side and those mooing from the other side. They said, if He does not have mercy on us we shall not have mercy on them. That is what is written⁵⁵Joel 1:18., how the animals groan, are cattle herds confused, etc. Rebbi Aḥa said, that is what they do in Arabia. They should be covered by sack-cloth, humans and animals, and call on God in force⁵⁶Jonah 3:8.. What means “in force”? Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalfuta said, the brash one wins over the proper one⁵⁷Cf. Babli Sanhedrin 105a., so much more if it is for the good of the world. Each man shall repent his evil ways and robbery in their hands. Rebbi Joḥanan said, what they had in their hands they returned, what was in a chest, a trunk and a cupboard they did not return.

It is written⁵⁸Joel 2:13., and tear your hearts instead of your garments and return to the Eternal, your God, for He is compassionate and merciful. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, if you tear up your hearts in repentance you will not have to tear your garments about your sons or daughters⁵⁹They will not die young., only about the Eternal, your God. Why? For He is compassionate and merciful, slow in anger, full of love, and sorrow about evil. ⁶⁰Babli Eruvin22a. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: It is not written here “slow in one anger” but “slow in anger”. He is slow in anger with the just ones, and slow in anger with the evil ones. Rebbi Aḥa, Rebbi Tanḥum ben Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: It is not written here “slow in one anger” but “slow in anger”. He is slow in anger before he starts to collect. Once He starts to collect he is slow to complete His collection. ⁶¹Šeqalim5:2 Note 39, Yom Tov3:9 Note 124; Babli Bava qamma50a/b. Rebbi Ḥanina said, anybody who says that the All-Merciful is indulgent, his intestines shall dissolve themselves; for He is forbearing and then collects His due. Rebbi Levi said, what means “forbearing”? He is far from being angry⁶¹Šeqalim5:2 Note 39, Yom Tov3:9 Note 124; Babli Bava qamma50a/b.. {A parable of} a king who had two violent legions. Said the king, if they dwell with me at the capital, if the people of the capital would anger me they would get up and decimate them. Therefore I shall send them to a faraway place. Then if the people of the capital would anger me, until I shall send for them the people of the capital will pacify me and I will accept their excuses. [So the Holy One, praise to Him, said, anger and rage are angels of destruction. Therefore I shall send them to a faraway place. Therefore if Israel would anger me, until I shall send for them and bring them, Israel will repent and I shall accept their repentance.]⁶²Corrector’s addition; no source known for it. That is what is written⁶³Is. 13:5., they come from a far country, from the ends of heaven⁶⁴The verse continues: The Eternal and the instruments of His rage, to destroy the earth., etc. Rebbi Isaac said, not only that but He locked them up. That is what is written⁶⁵Jer. 50:25., the Eternal opened His storehouse and removed the vessels of his wrath. By the time He opened and He took pains, His mercies take over. It was stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr: For the Eternal left His place⁶⁶Is. 26:21., He went from mode to mode. He left the mode of judgement and came to the mode of mercy⁶⁷The designation of the mode of judgment is the name Elohim“supreme power”, referring to His rule of the forces of nature. The designation of the mode of mercy is YHWH“Eternal”. for Israel.

It is written⁶⁸Num. 23:19. In this verse Balaam seems to proclaim an extreme doctrine of predestination which negates the possibility of effective repentance, against the homiletics described in the Halakhah. Tanḥuma Mas`e6., God is no human that He would lie. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman and the rabbis. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, if the Holy One, praise to Him, says to give a benefit, God is no human that He would lie. If he said to make a detriment, He would say but not do it, and speak but not keep it. But the rabbis are saying, there is no man who could make God’s words as if nonexistent. Why should Your anger burn against Your people⁶⁹Ex. 32:11. Num. rabba23(8).? Or a human and He be sorrow. Not the son of Amram who made God to have second thoughts: the Eternal had second thoughts about the evil He had said to bring over His people⁷⁰Ex. 32:14..

Rebbi Abbahu said, if a man says to you, I am a god, he lies. I am the Son of Man⁷¹The expression, in imitation of Accadic awelum, “free man”, by which Ezechiel was addressed by God as true prophet., at the end he will regret it. That I ascend to heaven, “this he says but cannot fulfill.⁷²An imitation of Num. 23:19.”

Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rav: Today there is no fast-day¹⁸Since the Patriarch resided in Sepphoris but the Academy was in Tiberias. The implication seems to be that other details of the Mishnah also do not have to be executed exactly as described.. Rebbi Yose said, does this mean that the fast-days which we are arranging are not those? He said to him, so says Rav: The verse says about any fast-day which does not follow its rules, she was noisy around me, therefore I hated her⁷²An imitation of Num. 23:19..

MISHNAH: After they stood to pray they place before the Ark an old knowledgeable man who has children but his house is empty⁷³He has to be poor but must be knowledgeable enough to be able to recite all prayers without slowing down or interruption, and must have young children who are dependent on him. so that his mind should be concentrated on prayer. He recites before them 24 benedictions, eighteen of the daily prayers and additional six. These are they, Zikhronot and Shofarot⁷⁴The two additional benedictions in the musaf prayer of New Year’s Day; each one accompanied by the blowing of the shofar. The text of each addition is followed by an invocation and a doxology as spelled out in Mishnaiot 4–10.. To the Eternal in my straights⁷⁵Ps. 120.. I lifted my eyes to the Mountains⁷⁶Ps. 121.. From the depths I called on You, Eternal⁷⁷Ps. 130.. Prayer of the poor who is fainting⁷⁸Ps. 102.

HALAKHAH: It was stated: “And modest, easy on youth, used to study, used to preaching and owner of house and field⁷⁹Babli 16a..” We have stated, “but his house is empty”, and you are saying so⁸⁰The Mishnah seems to imply that he is a renter and does not own anything.? If nobody is available one may place anybody one wants⁸¹Since usually nobody available fills all qualifications stated in Mishnah and baraita, the community organizer may appoint any person to be reader..

⁸²The remainder of this Halakhah is parallel to Halakhah 4:3 in Berakhot(Notes 138–181, ב). The text is quoted at length in Tanḥuma Wayyera and from there in midrashic literature. Babli Berakhot28b And why eighteen? Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, corresponding to the eighteen psalms that are written from the start of Psalms to May the Eternal listen to you on the day of trouble⁸³Ps. 20:2.. If somebody would say to you they are nineteen, tell him Why are<the Gentiles>in upheaval⁸⁴Ps. 2:1. is not in the count⁸⁵In most Talmudic sources Psalms 1 and 2 form one song. To compensate, Ps. 116 is split into two. Babli Berakhot9b.. From here they said that one who prayed and was not answered needs to fast⁸⁶Since the “trouble” referred to in the Psalm is interpreted as fasting.. Rebbi Mana said, a hint that a Torah student must say to his teacher: May your prayers be answered⁸⁷Since Ps. 20 is read as addressed to David..

⁸⁸Here starts an extensive Genizah text edited by Ginzberg in his Yerushalmi Fragments, New York 1909 (G). Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi⁸⁹While the name of R. Joshua ben Levi is missing in G and the parallel text ב, in the Babli Berakhot28b the statement is ascribed to the school of R. Joshua ben Levi, whose great authority turns this haggadic statement into halakhic prescription.: corresponding to the eighteen bones in the spine since when a person prays he has to bend all of them bowing down. What is the reason? All my bones shall say, Eternal, who is like You⁹⁰Ps. 35:10.?

Rebbi Levi⁹¹In the Tosephta (Berakhot3:25) this is a tannaitic text together with the later quote about composite benedictions; in the Babli (loc. cit.) it is attributed to the school of R. Samuel bar Naḥman, and by implication to the latter’s teacher, the first generation Amora R. Jonathan. said, corresponding to the eighteen Divine Names⁹²In biblical language, אזכרה is the part of a cereal sacrifice burned on the altar (Lev. 2:2). It is best explained from Accadic zekrun“pronounced name”, since the part to be burned is taken ceremoniously in God’s Name. The same explanation applies here; the word is used exclusively to refer to the Name YHWH. written in Give to the Eternal, sons of the mighty⁹³Ps. 29.. Rebbi Ḥuna said: If it were said that they are seventeen, tell him the one against sectarians the Sages fixed already at Jabneh⁹⁴Rebbi Ḥuna’s question is an attack against all who try to find a reason for the eighteen benedictions by pointing out that in the 500 years between the institution of formalized prayer by the Men of the Great Assembly and the Synhedrion of Rabban Gamliel, the Amidah prayer consisted of only 17 benedictions. Rebbi Ḥuna’s answer is that the eighteenth benediction also is an institution of the Synhedrion, the legal successor of the Great Assembly, and, therefore, all eighteen benedictions have the same status.. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yose objected before Rebbi Yose, but is it not written the God of Glory thundered⁹⁵Ps. 29:3. This Divine name is not an askara.? He said to him: Has it not been stated: “He takes together the one against sectarians and sinners in ‘He Who subdues offenders’, the one for elders and proselytes in ‘Assurance to the righteous’, and the one for David in ‘He Who builds Jerusalem.’⁹⁶This implies that the benediction containing the curse upon apostates and sectarians (i. e., Christians) was not newly introduced at Jabneh but that it was a modification of an old benediction directed at those who wantonly transgress the commandments of the Torah. Hence, the original number of benedictions instituted by the Great Assembly was 18. The Palestinian version had no separate benediction asking for the return of the Davidic rulers. The Babylonian version has no mention of the Davidic dynasty in the prayer for the rebuilding of Jerusalem; it is retained in today’s Yemenite prayerbook. Current Ashkenazic and Sephardic versions combine the Palestinian prayer for Jerusalem and the Davidic dynasty in benediction 14, with the Babylonian one for the Davidic dynasty alone in benediction 15. Hence, Psalm 29 accommodates both the Galilean 18 benedictions based on the number of mentions of the Tetragrammaton, and the 19 of the Babylonian version, based on all invocations of the Deity in the Psalm.” Then you have enough to have ˂a Divine Name˃⁹⁷Added from G and ב. for each one of them.

Rebbi Ḥanania in the name of Rebbi Phineas: Corresponding to the eighteen times the Patriarchs are mentioned together in the Torah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. If somebody will tell you that there are nineteen, tell him that Behold, the Eternal was standing on it⁹⁸Gen. 23:13. In this verse Jacob is not mentioned by name. is not counted. If somebody will tell you that there are seventeen, tell him that My name should be called over them, as well the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac⁹⁹Gen. 48:16. Jacob’s name is mentioned implicitly. is counted.

Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: Corresponding to the eighteen times “commandment” is mentioned in the second description of the Tabernacle¹⁰⁰The description of the actual building of the Tabernacle.. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada said, only from And with him Aholiab ben Aḥisamakh¹⁰¹Ex. 38:32. From the start of the section, v. 21, there would be 19 times mention of the Eternal commanded to Moses. to the end of the book.

¹⁰²These paragraphs about the number of benedictions in the Amidah of special days are simply copied from Berakhot; they have no relevance here since fasting is forbidden on Sabbath and holidays. Babli Berakhot 29a. The seven of Sabbath, from where? Rebbi Isaac said, corresponding to the seven voices written in Give to the Eternal, sons of the mighty⁹³Ps. 29.. Rebbi Yudan Antodraya said, corresponding to the seven Divine Names in Psalm, Song for the Sabbath Day¹⁰³Ps. 92..

Nine of New Year’s Day, from where? Rebbi Abba from Carthage said: Corresponding to the nine Divine Names in Hanna’s prayer; there it is written at the end: The Eternal will judge the ends of the earth¹⁰⁴1Sam. 2:10..

The twenty-four of fast days, from where? Rebbi Ḥelbo and Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman both say, corresponding to the twenty-four times that entreaty, prayer, and supplication are mentioned in Solomon’s prayer¹⁰⁵1K. 8. Babli 29a..

Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of (Rebbi) <rav><sup>106</sup>Since Rebbi Jeremiah was a student of R. Ze`ira, the reading Rav of the parallel sources has to be accepted. Jeremiah, a private person has to mention the occasion on a public fast day. Where does he say it? Between “Redeemer of Israel” and “Healer of the sick.¹⁰⁷Between the Seventh and Eighth benedictions, as a separate benediction.” What does he say? “Answer us, Eternal, answer us in this time and season because we are in great trouble, do not hide Your presence from us, do not be oblivious to our supplications, because You, Eternal, will answer in time of trouble, redeem and save in any time of distress. They cried to the Eternal in their trouble, He led them out from their distress¹⁰⁸Ps. 107:6 conflated with v. 13.. Praise to You, Eternal, Answering in times of trouble.” Rebbi Yannai ben Rebbi Ismael in the name <of the house of rebbi yannai says: in “he who hears prayer.”¹⁰⁹The Fifteenth benediction, place of all personal additions to the weekday prayers.The Fifteenth benediction, place of all personal additions to the weekday prayers. <Rebbi Jonah>¹¹⁰Part of the text, added from G, missing here by scribal error because of homeoteleuton. in the name of (Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish) <rav>¹¹¹It is difficult to decide between the two readings since it is unusual that a very late Amora should quote directly an Amora of the first or second generation.: Even an individual who decreed a fast day on himself has to mention the occasion. Where does he say it? Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Ḥuna: Similar to Friday night and Sabbath day<sup>112</sup>During every prayer he has to add the special prayer formulated for fast days.. Rebbi Mana said: I, who did not check whether one follows Rav Jeremiah or Rebbi Yannai the son of Rebbi Ismael, went to the study hall and I heard: “Rav Ḥuna in the name of Rav: Even an individual who decreed a fast day on himself has to mention the occasion.” Rebbi Yose objected that a baraita disagrees: Every day one prays eighteen benedictions, including the night after Sabbath and the nights after Yom Kippur and after Public Fasts. Since Rebbi Yose said, this baraita disagrees, it contradicts the statement: between “Redeemer of Israel” and “Healer of the sick.<sup>113</sup>Rebbi Mana’s argument goes as follows: Since R. Yose stated that the baraita contradicts Rav, he takes the baraita to mean that a private person always recites 18 benedictions on weekdays, never 19, even on fast days. The additional days are mentioned to point out that insertions for a private person are always accommodated in an existing benediction, never as an additional one, in contrast to the opinion of R. Aqiba who states in Berkahot5:2 that Havdalah Saturday nights is a separate benediction. In addition, it is stated that on those days when the additional Ne`ilah prayer is recited, the Day of Atonement and fast days for a severe draught, the Ne`ilah prayer does not replace the following night’s prayer as discussed in Halakhah Berakhot4:1. The Yerushalmi does not address the question what the reader says on a public fast day which is not a fast for rain; the Babli decides that the reader will recite עננו as a separate benediction between “Redeemer of Israel” and “Healer of the sick.” This decision does not go against R. Mani’s argument.”

Rebbi Aḥa bar Isaac in the name of the older Rebbi Huna of Sepphoris: An individual must mention the occasion on the Ninth of Av. What does he say? “Have mercy, Eternal, our God, in Your great mercy and your trusted kindness, towards us, Your people Israel, Your city Jerusalem, Zion the dwelling place of Your glory, and on the mourning, destroyed, and desolate city that is given into the hand of strangers, trampled down by haughty peoples, that was raped by legions and desecrated by idol worshippers, when You had given her to Your people Israel in love as property, and let her be inherited by the seed of Yeshurun, for in fire You destroyed her and in fire You will build her in the future as it has been said: But I shall be for her, says the Eternal, a wall of fire around, and Glory I shall be in her midst.”¹¹⁴Zach. 2:9. This is the only talmudic text of this prayer, reproduced in R. Saadia’s siddur. However all current prayer rites have another text, given by Maimonides.

Rebbi Eudaimon of Sepphoris asked before Rebbi Mana: Where does one say this? He said to him: You still do not understand? So says Rav Jeremiah in the name of Rav: Anything for the future one says in “Service”¹¹⁵The prayer for the restoration of the Temple service, benediction 16, Babylonian 17. and anything about the past one says in “Thanksgiving”¹¹⁶Benediction 17, Babylonian 18. However all known prayer manuals, starting with R. Saadia, treat this text as an alternative for the prayer for Jerusalem, benediction 14.. The Mishnah says as much¹¹⁷Mishnah Berakhot9:5.: “One gives thanks for the past and cries about the future.”

¹¹⁸This paragraph is copied from Berakhot 4:3 where is its logical place; it has no relation with the topics discussed in Ta`aniot. The topic is a shortened form ofthe Amidah available as private prayer for people who either are ignorant or are inhibited by the circumstances from reciting the entire prayer. The short form certainly is inadmissible if an addition for public or voluntary fast day is required. What are “seven similar to eighteen”? Rav says the end of each benediction and Samuel says the start of each benediction. Some formulate “seven similar to eighteen” and some formulate “eighteen similar to eighteen.” He who says “seven similar to eighteen” supports Samuel, he who says “eighteen similar to eighteen” supports Rav. Rebbi Ze`ira sent Rebbi Naḥum to Rebbi Yannai ben Rebbi Ismael and said to him: What are the “seven similar to eighteen” of Samuel? He said to him: “Give us understanding, have pleasure in our repentance, forgive us, redeem us, heal our sicknesses, bless our years; Rebbi Ḥaggai said, in the rainy season one says: with blessed rains, in the season of dew one says: with blessed dew; for You gather in the dispersed, Yours it is to judge the misguided, put down Your hand on the wicked, but in You may rejoice all who hope for You to rebuild Your city, to renew Your Temple, because before we call You will answer as it is said: It shall be before they call that I shall answer, they still shall be talking while I will listen¹¹⁹Is. 65:24.. Praised be the Eternal, Who certainly hears the voice of my supplications¹²⁰Ps.28:6.. Praise to You, Eternal, Who hears prayer.” And he says the first three and the last three benedictions.

MISHNAH: Rebbi Jehudah says, it was not necessary to recite Zikhronot and Shofarot⁷⁴The two additional benedictions in the musaf prayer of New Year’s Day; each one accompanied by the blowing of the shofar. The text of each addition is followed by an invocation and a doxology as spelled out in Mishnaiot 4–10., but he recites in their stead, if famine will be in the land, if a plague will be in the land¹²¹1K. 8:37 ff., etc. The Eternal’s Word which was to Jeremiah in the matter of droughts¹²²Jer. 14:1 ff.. And he recites their conclusions¹²³The final sentence, “He Who heard …” and the following doxology as explained in Mishnaiot 4–10..

HALAKHAH: ¹²⁴This text is from Berakhot1:8 (Notes 281–285, ב). The corrector’s addition and changes, given in brackets, are unsupported by the parallel sources and have to be deleted. All benedictions after their seals; one does not say a verse as [after a] benediction¹²⁵The “seal” of a longer benediction is the last sentence “Praise to You, Eternal, ..” It is stated that this seal is what makes the benediction valid and it cannot be a Biblical verse.. Rebbi Isaac (bar) <ben rebbi> Eleazar objected before Rebbi Yose: Because you say after their seals, one does not say a verse as benediction¹²⁶Since the two statements appear together in one baraita, there should be a logical connection between them but there seems to be none.? They said, (that young man is intelligent,) [so is the matter] because he thinks what is the meaning of “after their seals”? It is that when he was standing in the morning prayer and mentioned the text of evening prayers but he caught himself and finished with the text of morning prayers, then he did his duty¹²⁷“They” are the members of R. Yose’s Academy. They do not disagree with the rule which they state, but they note that the baraita does not deal with it; its correct interpretation is by R. Aḥa.
About the rule itself, there is disagreement between the Yerushalmi and the parallel Babli, Berakhot12a, where it is stated: “If in the morning one started with ‘Creator of light’ and ended with ‘Making evenings dark’, he did not do his duty. If in the evening he starts with `He Who makes evenings dark’ and ends with `Creator of light’, he did not do his duty. But if he started with ‘Creator of light’ and ended with ‘Making evenings dark’, he did his duty. The principle is: Everything is determined by the seal.” The Babli asserts that if in evening prayers one started out wrongly with the text appropriate for morning prayers then everything is O.K. if only the final doxology is correct. But the Yerushalmi speaks of one “who is standing in morning prayers and mentioned evening”, i. e., he started out correctly, forgot himself in the middle, and remembered in time to close with the correct text. The principles of prayer texts were instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly. They determined the contents of the prayers but not, in general, their texts. (For the Amidah, a later Mishnah reports that Rebbi Eliezer holds that one who repeats the same text for more than 30 days cannot really be an honest supplicant). The question is whether, in addition to the contents, the Men of the Great Assembly only determined the “seals” (following the Babli) or also the introductory sentences (following this Yerushalmi, but incompatible with the poetic versions of the daily prayers known from Yerushalmi sources from the Cairo Genizah).. Rebbi Aḥa said, all benedictions in the kind of their seals¹²⁸The language is difficult. R. Eleazar Askari in his Commentary to Berakhot explains that Rebbi Aḥa insists that only the “seal” counts and, therefore, the text preceding the “seal” is unimportant; the text of the seal cannot be a verse. R. Shelomo Cirillo and R. Moshe ben Ḥabib in their Commentaries to Berakhot explain, on the contrary, that the seal must fit the text of the benediction just preceding and that this text cannot be a verse. In the Babli (Pesaḥim 104a) this principle is spelled out only for Havdalah.. But those who say: Jubilate and sing, inhabitant of Zion, for great is in your midst the Holy One of Israel¹²⁹Is. 12:6. do not violate the rule that no benediction is a verse¹³⁰Ezra Fleischer (Tarbiz 41, p. 450) has published a Yerushalmi prayer text from the Cairo Genizah which uses this verse in the third benediction of the `Amidah. From what is left of the original Galilean practice it seems clear that the standard text of longer benedictions always ended with a Biblical verse just preceding the “seal”. The text here states that the only acceptable place for a Biblical verse is before the “seal“. Since the Mishnah prescribes benedictions on fast days whose text is a Biblical verse, what is prohibited is using a verse in the final doxology..

MISHNAH: On the first he says¹³¹The first additional benediction (either the text of Shofarot without its doxology or the text from 1K. 8) is followed by the text of the Mishnah, to be answered with “Amen” by the congregation.: “He Who answered our forefather Abraham on Mount Moriah, He may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Redeemer of Israel.”

HALAKHAH: ¹³²Cf. Gen. rabba56(15), Lev. rabba29(8), Midrash Ps. 29[1]. But was not Isaac redeemed¹³³Since Mt. Moriah is invoked, it was Isaac who was in danger, not Abraham.? Since Isaac was redeemed it is as if all of Israel was redeemed. Rebbi Bevai Abba¹³⁴In G: The Elder R. Bevai. in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Abraham said before the Holy One, praise to Him: Master of the worlds, it is open and known before You that when You said to me to sacrifice my son Isaac I could have answered and said before You, yesterday You said to me, for in Isaac will your descendants be named¹³⁵Gen. 21:12., and now You are saying, sacrifice him as elevation offering¹³⁶Gen. 22:2.. Heaven forbid that I should have done this, to the contrary I suppressed my inclination and did Your will. So may it be Your pleasure, Eternal, my God, that when my son Isaac’s descendants will be in trouble and nobody will speak in their defense¹³⁷Greek συνηγορία., that You will speak in their defense. The Eternal will see¹³⁸Gen. 22:14.. You will remember for them the binding of Isaac and be filled with mercy for them. What is written afterwards? Abraham lifted his eyes and saw a ram, after¹³⁹Gen. 22:13., etc. What means “after”? Rebbi Judah ben Rebbi Simon¹⁴⁰In G: R. Yudan bar Shalom said, the Holy One, praise to Him, said to Abraham: Abraham, after … said, after all generations in the future your sons will be gripped by sins and involved in troubles but at the end they will be redeemed by the horns of this ram, [as it is said]¹⁴¹In G: This what is written., and the Eternal, God, will blow the horn and go in Southern storms¹⁴²Zach. 9:14..

¹⁴³Cf. Lev. rabba56(14). Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rebbi Ḥinena bar Isaac. This entire day Abraham saw the ram being caught at one tree but freed and leaving, caught in that thicket but freed and leaving, caught in this underbrush but freed and leaving. The Holy One, praise to Him, said to him, Abraham. So in the future will your descendants be caught in sins and become entangled with governments: From Babylon to Media¹⁴⁴The Persian Empire., from Media to Greece¹⁴⁵Alexander’s Empire and its successors., from Greece to Edom¹⁴⁶The Roman Empire.. He said before Him: Master of the worlds, [will this be] so forever? He said to him, at the end they will be redeemed by the horns of this ram: and the Eternal, God, will blow the horn and go in Southern storms¹⁴²Zach. 9:14..
Text of G (Genizah):^145aאָמַר ר' חֲנַנְיָה בְרְבִּי יִצְחָק. כָּל־אוֹתוֹ הַיוֹם הָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם רוֹאֶה אֶת הָאַיִל נֶאֱחַז בַּסְבַךְ הַזֶּה וְנִיתוֹר וְיוֹצֵא מִסְתַּבֵּךְ בַּחוֹרֶשׁ הַזֶּה וְנִיתוֹר וְיוֹצֵא. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אַבְרָהָם. כָּךְ עֲתִידִין בָנִיךְ נֶאֱחָזִים וּמִסְתָּבְּכִים בַּמַּלְכִיוֹת. אָמַר לְפָנָיו אני"ו. רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים. וְכֵן לְעוֹלָם. אָמַר לֵיהּ לֹא. וְסוֹפָן לִיגָאֵל בְּקַרְנָיו שֶׁלְאַיִל הַזֶּה, הָדָה הִיא דִכְתִיב וַיי עֲלֵיהֶם יֵרָאֶה.
Rebbi Hanania ben Rebbi Isaac said: This entire day our father Abraham saw the ram being caught in this underbrush but freed and leaving, caught in this thicket but freed and leaving. The Holy One, praise to Him, said to Abraham: Abraham, so in the future your descendants will be caught and entangled with governments. Abraham our forefather said to him, Master of the worlds, will this go on forever? He said to him, no. At the end they will be redeemed by the horns of this ram. This is what is written, The Eternal will appear over them¹⁴²Zach. 9:14.

MISHNAH: On the second he says¹⁴⁷The second additional benediction, with doxology appropriate for a recitation of Zikhronot.: “He Who answered our forefathers on the Reed Sea, He may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Who remembers the forgotten.¹⁴⁸Since Israel was like forgotten during the time of servitude in Egypt.”

HALAKHAH: ¹⁴⁹Mekhilta dR. Ismael Bešallaḥ(ed. Horovitz-Rabin p. 96); dR. Simeon ben Ioḥai14:13 (ed. Epstein-Melamed p. 56). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and Fragmentary Targum Ex. 14:13. Our forefathers formed four factions on the Sea. One said, let us fall into the Sea. And another said, let us return to Egypt. And another said, let us fight with them. And another said, let us shout against them. To the one who said, let us fall into the Sea, Moses said, stay firm and see the help of the Eternal¹⁵⁰Ex. 14:13., etc. And to the one who said, let us return to Egypt, Moses said, for as you are seeing Egypt today¹⁵⁰Ex. 14:13., etc. And to the one who said, l let us fight with them, Moses said, the Eternal will fight for you¹⁵¹Ex. 14:14.. And to the one who said, let us shout against them, Moses said, and you be silent¹⁵¹Ex. 14:14..

MISHNAH: On the third he says¹⁴⁷The second additional benediction, with doxology appropriate for a recitation of Zikhronot.: “He Who answered Joshua at Gilgal He may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Who hears the sound of the horn.

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish in the name of Rebbi Yannai: The Holy One, praise to Him, associated His great Name with Israel. {A parable} of a king who had the small key of a jewelry box¹⁵²Explained as Greek διπλωματάριον.. The king said, if I leave it as it is, it is apt to be lost. Therefore I shall put in on a chain. Then if it were lost the key would prove where it is. So the Holy One, praise to Him, said, if I leave Israel as they are, they would be absorbed by the nations. Therefore I shall associate My great Name with them and they will survive. What is the reason? The Canaanites and all inhabitants of the Land will hear, and encircle us, and eradicate our Name from the Land; then what would You do for Your great Name¹⁵³Jos. 7:9.?[Immediately]¹⁵⁴Corrector’s addition, to be deleted., the Eternal said to Joshua, get up¹⁵⁵Jos. 7:10.. Rise for what You mentioned.

The younger Rebbi Yannai in the name of his ancestors: Anybody who is not qualified like Joshua that in case he falls on his face the Eternal, praise to Him, will tell him, “get up”, should not fall down. This applies to a single person {praying for} the community¹⁵⁶This paragraph belongs to the rules of prayer. On all days (except those of festive character) after the main Amidah said standing there follows a private penitentiary prayer said first falling down and then sitting up. Since prostration was part of the Temple service, one has to be careful not to imitate the details of Temple prostration. In addition, it is stated here that in contrast to the public Temple service, this prayer has to be private. It is authorized as public ceremony only for a genuine holy man praying for a community in distress. Since it is presumptuous for anybody to declare himself a holy man, the statement has to be read as a general prohibition to make the prostration into a public act. Babli Megillah22b (in the name of R. Eleazar)..

MISHNAH: On the fourth he says¹⁴⁷The second additional benediction, with doxology appropriate for a recitation of Zikhronot.: “He Who answered Samuel at Miṣpah may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Who hears vociferation.

HALAKHAH: It is written¹⁵⁷1S. 7:6.: They assembled at Miṣpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Eternal. Did they pour out water? But it teaches that they poured out their heart like water¹⁵⁸Since water libations are authorized only in the central Sanctuary on Tabernacles, this pouring out cannot refer to a sacral act. The explanation given here is found in Targum Jonathan ad loc., Midrash Sam. 13[1], Midrash Psalms add. 119:77; quoted by Rashi ad loc. This has to be the original meaning of the verse, as noted by S. R. Driver (Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel², Oxford 1913) following A. B. Ehrlich, (Randglossen zur Hebräischen Bibel, vol. 3): “LXX add ארצה, perhaps rightly: the water was poured out not as a libation (for which יִסְּכוּ would have been said), but probably as a symbolic act implying a complete separation from sin: sin was to be cast away as water poured out upon the earth (2S. 14:4).”. (They said there)[Samuel said] we sinned before the Eternal¹⁵⁹The (scribe’s text) is the MT; [the corrector’s] is unsupported.. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said, Samuel wore the robe of all of Israel¹⁶⁰The verse does not mention any prayer of Samuel at this occasion; one has to explain why the Mishnah refers to Samuel and not the entire people. Wearing the robe of all of Israel means arguing for all of Israel.. He said before Him: Master of the worlds, do You not judge a person only if he says before You, “I did not sin”? I shall sit in judgment over you because you said, I did not sin¹⁶¹Jer. 2:35.. But those said before You “we sinned”.

MISHNAH: On the fifth he says¹⁴⁷The second additional benediction, with doxology appropriate for a recitation of Zikhronot.: “He Who answered Elijah on Mount Carmel may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Who hears prayer.

HALAKHAH: It is written¹⁶²1K. 18:36.: At the approach of the afternoon sacrifice, Elijah the prophet stepped up and said, Eternal, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today may it be known<that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant.>¹⁶³Added from G. And Elijah sacrifices when local altars are forbidden¹⁶⁴Since the Temple was already built, all other altars became illegitimate. This doctrine was certainly held by the author of the books of Kings who nevertheless reports favorably on Elijah’s action in repairing an abandoned High Place dedicated to the Eternal.? Rebbi Simlai said, the Word He said to him¹⁶⁵One must assume that he acted on direct Divine command.: I acted on Your saying. I acted following Your Word. Answer me, Eternal, Answer me¹⁶⁶1K. 18:37. Why a double invocation?. Answer me for my merit, answer me for the merit of my student <the students.>¹⁶⁷The reading of G, “students”, is preferable since the singular would have to refer to Elisha who at that moment was not Elijah’s student.

MISHNAH: On the sixth he says¹⁴⁷The second additional benediction, with doxology appropriate for a recitation of Zikhronot.: “He Who answered Jonah in the belly of the fish may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Who answers in time of trouble.
On the seventh he says¹⁴⁷The second additional benediction, with doxology appropriate for a recitation of Zikhronot.: “He Who answered David and Solomon in Jerusalem may answer you and hear your vociferation today. Praise to You, Eternal, Who shows mercy on the Land.

HALAKHAH: It is written¹⁶⁸Jon. 2:3. The verse referred to in the Mishnah.: He said, I called on the Eternal in my trouble and he answered me. Would not David and Solomon have to precede Elijah and Jonah¹⁶⁹Since the next Mishnah refers to David and Solomon, the sequence Abraham, Exodus, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah, Jonah, David and Solomon, is not chronological.? Only to conclude with “Who shows mercy for the Land.”

On the seventh? In the name of Symmachos they said, “praise to Him who humiliates the haughty.¹⁷⁰Since there are only six additional benedictions, what is the seventh? The answer is given in Tosephta 1:10 which here is quoted only in part: “The seventh, Symmachos they said, “praise to Him who humiliates the haughty,” this is the benediction about sectarians; i. e., a modified conclusion of one of the permanent benedictions; cf. Note 95. In the Babli 16b the modified daily benediction is the seventh, the prayer for redemption.” One understands Solomon as it is written¹⁷¹1K. 8:3.: I was able to build a dwelling house for You; why David? Rebbi Abbahu said, it is written¹⁷²Ps. 4:2.: When I am calling, answer me, my true God; in straights You widened for me. David said before the Holy One, praise to Him: Master of the worlds, in any straights which I was entering into¹⁷³Any trouble which he caused for himself, as the affair of Batseba and the census against which he was warned. The census resulted in David’s buying of the Temple Mount, Arawna’s threshing floor, as building plot for the Temple. You widened for me. I entered the straights of Bat-Sheva and You gave me Solomon. I entered the troubles of Israel and You gave me the Temple. ¹⁷⁴Added from G.<this is what is written ¹⁷⁵1Chr. 22:1.: David said, this is the Temple and this is the altar for Israel’s elevation offerings.>

MISHNAH: It happened in the days of Rebbi Ḥalafta and Rebbi Ḥanania ben Teradion that somebody stood before the Ark¹⁷⁶The reader in the synagogue service and finished the entire benediction and they answered after him Amen¹⁷⁷This also is the text of Maimonides’s autograph Mishnah. In the Babli one reads: They did not answer Amen.. “Blow, Cohanim”, they blew. “He Who answered our forefather Abraham on Mount Moriah, He may answer you and hear your vociferation today.” “Treble, Cohanim”, they trebled. “He Who answered our forefathers on the Reed Sea, He may answer you and hear your vociferation today.” When the case came before the Sages they said, this we only used to do at the Eastern gate¹⁷⁸In the Babli one reads: At the Eastern gate on the Temple Mount. Maimonides reads: At the Eastern gates, and he explains that there were synagogue services both at the Eastern entrance to the Temple and the Eastern entrance to the Temple Mount.
The way it is described in the Yerushalmi Mishnah, the procedure was a hybrid between regular synagogue service, where every benediction by the reader is answered by “Amen”, and Temple service where “Amen” never was used, and the Temple service where Cohanim blew trumpets and horns in straight or modulated sounds to accompany every public action. (According to the Babli 16b the order to the Cohanim was given not by the reader but by the beadle.) The objecting Sages decided that proceedings used only on the Temple Mount never should be imitated at other places..

HALAKHAH: It was stated: “One does not answer ‘Amen’ in the Temple. What did they say? ‘Praised be the glory of His Kingdom forever and ever.’ And from where that one does not answer ‘Amen’ in the Temple? The verse says¹⁷⁹Neh. 9:5., Arise, praise the Eternal, your God, forever and ever. From where for every single benediction? The verse says, and exalted over all praise and glory.¹⁸⁰Tosephta 1:11. Babli 16b, Berakhot 63a, Soṭa40b; Yerushalmi Berakhot9:7 (Notes 278–280).”

MISHNAH: On the first three fast days, the people of the watch¹⁸¹The priests were divided into 24 “watches”, 1Chr. 24. Each “watch” was serving in the Temple for one week, from the musaf sacrifice of the Sabbath to the morning sacrifice of the following Sabbath. fast but do not finish, but the people of the clan¹⁸²The watch was divided into seven clans; each of the clans was serving for one day of the week. However, if the members of the clan were too few to complete all required service, they could ask other members of the watch to come and help. Therefore the members of the clan whose day of work is the fast day cannot be ask to finish a fast since rabbinic fast days may not impinge on the biblically ordained Temple service. The remaining members of the watch who are on stand-by may be asked to fast as long as they are not called up for actual duty. do not fast. On the second three the people of the watch fast and finish, but the people of the clan fast and did not finish. On the last seven both fast and finish, the words of Rebbi Joshua. But the Sages say, on the first three fast days neither of them did fast. On the second three the people of the watch fast but do not finish, but the people of the clan do not fast. On the last seven the people of the watch fast and finish, but the people of the clan fast and do not finish.
The people of the watch are permitted to drink wine during nights but not during days¹⁸³Priests on duty are forbidden wine and any intoxicating drink, Lev. 10:8–11. The priests on stand-by may drink in the evening since by morning the effects of the wine will have disappeared. The members of the clan who during the night also are occupied in Temple service, either on watch or to dispose of the remainders of the sacrifices of the previous day, may not drink alcohol during the entire period of their actual duty. Obviously this Mishnah spells out rules for the entire year, independent of fast days.. The people of the clan neither by day nor by night. The people of the watch and those of the bystanders¹⁸⁴The Non-priests standing by at the time of offering of the public sacrifices as representatives of this public (Mishnah 4:2). In practice these are delegates of the district from which the watch serving during the week was drawn. They are forced to appear for duty in clean garments and well groomed by being forbidden these activities during their week of duty. are forbidden to shave and to wash their garments, but on Thursday they are permitted because of the honor of the Sabbath.

HALAKHAH: Why are the bystanders <men of the watch> permitted to drink water <wine> during the night but not during the day? For if the service would be too much for the men of the watch <bystanders> the bystanders <men of the watch> would join them^184aThe scribe’s text clearly is completely off; the text of G has one major defect. The correct text obviously has to read: “Why are the men of the watch permitted to drink wine during the night but not during the day? For if the service would be too much for the men of the clan the men of the watch would join them.”. “The people of the clan neither by day nor by night,” since they are permanently in service¹⁸³Priests on duty are forbidden wine and any intoxicating drink, Lev. 10:8–11. The priests on stand-by may drink in the evening since by morning the effects of the wine will have disappeared. The members of the clan who during the night also are occupied in Temple service, either on watch or to dispose of the remainders of the sacrifices of the previous day, may not drink alcohol during the entire period of their actual duty. Obviously this Mishnah spells out rules for the entire year, independent of fast days..

¹⁸⁵This paragraph is repeated at the start of Mo`ed qatan 3:1, with the places of Ta`aniot and Mo`ed qatan duly switched.“The people of the watch and those of the bystanders<sup>184</sup>The Non-priests standing by at the time of offering of the public sacrifices as representatives of this public (Mishnah 4:2). In practice these are delegates of the district from which the watch serving during the week was drawn. They are forced to appear for duty in clean garments and well groomed by being forbidden these activities during their week of duty. are forbidden to shave<sup>186</sup>Groom their beards. and to wash their garments, but on Thursday they are permitted because of the honor of the Sabbath.” Therefore on all other days they are forbidden<sup>187</sup>There seems to be no biblical or rabbinical reason for the prohibition.? Rebbi Yose, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan; Rebbi Abun, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Ḥizqiah: They decreed about them so they should not enter their week badly groomed. There<sup>188</sup>Mishnah Mo`ed qaṭan3:1., we have stated: “The following do (wash their garments) [shave]¹⁸⁹The corrector’s [text] is that of the Mishnah; also confirmed by G. The scribe’s text is a lapse of the pen. on the holiday¹⁸⁹The corrector’s [text] is that of the Mishnah; also confirmed by G. The scribe’s text is a lapse of the pen.: He who comes from overseas, or from captivity, or who leaves the jail, or the excommunicated one from whom the Sages lifted {the excommunication.}” Therefore all other people are forbidden? Rebbi Simon said, they decreed about them so they should not enter the holiday badly groomed.

It was stated¹⁹⁰Tosephta 2:2, Babli 17a.: “Any one who knows the people of his watch and the people of his clan which is not¹⁹¹Even though this is the text of both Yerushalmi sources, it seems clear that with all Tosephta and most Babli texts one has to delete this word. of the fixed clans, is forbidden this entire day. Any one who knows the people of his watch but not the people of his clan which is not¹⁹¹Even though this is the text of both Yerushalmi sources, it seems clear that with all Tosephta and most Babli texts one has to delete this word. of the fixed clans, is forbidden this entire week. Any one who knows neither the people of his watch nor the people of his clan which is not¹⁹¹Even though this is the text of both Yerushalmi sources, it seems clear that with all Tosephta and most Babli texts one has to delete this word. of the fixed clans: Rebbi says, I am saying that he is permanently forbidden, but his improvement is his detriment, in that he may deliver eulogies.¹⁹²This Tosephta presupposes that even after the destruction of the Temple it was known (and, as Genizah poems prove, up to the time of the first crusade it was publicly announced every Sabbath, ידיעות המכון לחקר השירה העברית vol. 5, pp. 111–112) which watch would serve were the Temple in existence. If a person has a tradition that his ancestors actually had been serving in the Temple as members of the clan whose day is fixed any time their watch is serving are subject to the restriction in the use of wine spelled out in the Mishnah and in addition have to treat the day as a holiday when they are forbidden work and mourning. Since the rebuilding of the Temple is expected to be sudden in a miraculous way, the Cohen has to be ready to serve anytime at a moment’s notice. If these data are unknown to the Cohen, logically he should be forbidden wine and work all his adult life. Since this is obviously a rabbinic restriction which is impossible to follow, the restriction must be waved and his detriment, that he does not know his place in the genealogy of priests, is his improvement in that he may work and drink wine any day where this is permitted to non-Cohanim.” As you are saying, his detriment is his improvement that he may not deliver eulogies, similarly is (his detriment his improvement) [his improvement his detriment] that he would be forbidden to work¹⁹³The text of this sentence is thoroughly garbled in the scribe’s, the corrector’s, and G’s versions but the meaning is clear as explained in the preceding Note.?

MISHNAH: Anywhere it is written in the Scroll “not to deliver eulogies”, before it is forbidden, afterwards is permitted. Rebbi Yose says, before and after are forbidden. “Not to fast”, before and after it is permitted; Rebbi Yose says, before is forbidden, afterwards permitted¹⁹⁴The “Scroll” is the “Scroll of fasts”, a late pre-Mishnah document mostly commemorating victories either of Maccabeans against Seleucids or revolutionaries against Romans, or Pharisees abolishing Sadducee usages. The entire discussion of Megillat Ta`anit is repeated in Megillah 1:6 (מ). “Before” and “after” refers to the days preceding and following these rabbinic (or traditional) festive days, which are treated as if biblical.

HALAKHAH: ^194*This Halakhah and the next are repeated in Megillah 1:5 (מ). The Mishnah is Rebbi Meïr’s, since Rebbi Meïr said, “not to eulogize” one is forbidden to fast, “not to fast” one is permitted to eulogize¹⁹⁵“To eulogize”, to eulogize a deceased person either on his funeral or on a formal occasion in his remembrance. Both are incompatible with a holiday spirit. In the Babli, the attribution to R. Meïr is affirmed in Roš Haššanah and denied in Ta`anit 18a.. “Not to” unspecified<sup>196</sup>A day mentioned in the Scroll without indication of any restriction. is as “not to fast.” Rebbi Jonah said, “these are the days not to eulogize <fast> on them, and partially not to fast <eulogize> on them.<sup>197</sup>The introductory statement to Megillat Ta`anit. All sources of Megillat Ta`anit support the version in Megillah, here given in <braces>, that days of fast are fewer than days of no eulogies.” Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, why does it say “on them” twice? To teach that the night is permitted but the day forbidden<sup>198</sup>No restrictions apply to the night of the day mentioned in the Scroll.. As it was stated<sup>199</sup>Megillat Ta`anit, end of Month of Adar., “therefore a person who takes it on himself has to forbid himself in prayer.” Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, that he must mention it on the preceding evening²⁰⁰If a person intends to fast on a day where this is prohibited by Megillat Ta`anit, he has to start in the evening and mention his fast in the prayer. Then he has to fast as a vow which is a biblical obligation which cannot be annulled by rabbinical festive days.. This comes following what Rebbi Ze`ira said in the name of Rav Huna: Similar to Friday night and Sabbath day.

The Mishnah either follows Rebbi Yose on the eleventh or Rebbi Meïr on the twelfth²⁰¹This and the following paragraph refer to Mishnah Megillah1:5 where it is stated that even though if the Purim scroll cannot be read on the 14th, one reads it on one of the preceding days, this does not mean that the Purim celebration and the concurrent prohibition of fasting and public mourning are extended. Now Megillat Ta`anit for the month of Adar notes rabbinic festive days on the 12th and the 13th, Purim on 14th and 15th, and other holidays on 16th and 17th. Therefore the statement that one may fast and publicly mourn before the official Purim date certainly cannot apply to Adar 13th, and on first look also not to Adar 12th. Since the holiday on the 12th is rejected in the Halakhah, the Mishnah in Megillah may apply to Adar 12th for R. Meïr who does not extend the influence of rabbinic holidays to the preceding day, but only to Adar 11th for R. Yose following his opinion recorded here in Mishnah 14.. But it is difficult for Rebbi Meïr. Was it not stated<sup>202</sup>Megillat Ta`anit, Adar., “on the twelfth of it is Tirion²⁰³The name is טיריון in both occurrences in the Yerushalmi (the single טוריון in G may be disregarded); in Megillat Ta`anit it is טריינוס, in the Babli 18b טוריינוס. Only the last reading can be interpreted as “Trajanus”, and it is difficult to imagine that any happy occasion for Jews should be connected to this name. Also the baraita in Megillat Ta`anit makes it clear that one does not refer to an emperor since it states that after this Tirion had killed Julianus and Pappos in Laodicea for their being Jews there came an order from Rome and he was slain. Day?” But Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said, Tirion Day was disestablished; the day when Julianus and Pappos were killed. “On the thirteenth of it is Nikanor Day²⁰²Megillat Ta`anit, Adar..” What is Nikanor Day? <sup>204</sup>1Maccabees7:19, 2Maccabees15:36.“A commander of the Greek government was passing by on his way to Alexandria when he saw Jerusalem, and insulted, vituperated, and blasphemed and said, when I shall return in peace I shall destroy this tower<sup>205</sup>An ironical quote of Jud. 8:9.. One of the dynasty of the Hasmoneans went out against him, killed his soldiers until he came to his car<sup>206</sup>Latin carruca, Greek καρούχα. A travel wagon, not a fighting vehicle.. When he came to his car he hacked off his hand and cut off his head, stuck them on a piece of wood and wrote under it, the mouth which spoke in guilt and the hand stretched out in haughtiness, and hung it on a pole<sup>207</sup>Greek κοντός. outside Jerusalem.” In Rebbi Meïr’s opinion it is understandable, it comes to forbid the previous day<sup>208</sup>The day preceding Purim.. What does it come to forbid for Rebbi Yose? To forbid the day before he does not need since itself it forbidden because of the fourteenth. It comes to inform you that eulogies are forbidden<sup>209</sup>Since R. Yose only forbids fasting on the day preceding a holiday.. And also for Rebbi Meïr it is not difficult; was it not stated, “on the twelfth of it is Tirion Day?” But Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said, Tirion Day was disestablished; the day when Julianus and Pappos were killed<sup>204</sup>1Maccabees7:19, 2Maccabees15:36.. “On the fourteenth and the fifteenth is Purim, not to eulogize. On the sixteenth they started to build the wall of Jerusalem<sup>210</sup>According to the baraita in Megillat Ta`anit, the repair of the walls damaged by a Gentile army. There is no necessity to refer to the first war against the Romans., not to eulogize²⁰²Megillat Ta`anit, Adar..” In Rebbi Meïr’s opinion it is understandable, it comes to forbid the previous day. What does it come to forbid for Rebbi Yose? To forbid the day before he does not need since itself is forbidden because of the fifteenth. It comes to inform you that eulogies are forbidden. ²¹¹Corrector’s addition, probably to be deleted since missing in Megillah, even though it seems to be supported by G which ends here after two words.[And also for Rebbi Meïr it is not difficult; was it not stated, “on the twelfth of it is Tirion Day?” But Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said, Tirion Day was disestablished; the day when Julianus and Pappos were killed.]

“On the seventeenth of it Gentiles attacked the remainder of the Sopherim at the city of Khalkis and Bet-Zabdin²¹²Khalkis was a city near Tripolis (Lebanon) and Bet-Zavda probably was in Syria. The baraita in Megillat Ta`anit connects this with the persecution of the Pharisees by Alexander Yannai. and there was relief.<sup>202</sup>Megillat Ta`anit, Adar.” In Rebbi Meïr’s opinion it is understandable, it comes to forbid the {day} itself. What does it come to forbid for Rebbi Yose²¹³Since it is the day after the second day of Purim which for him automatically is forbidden.? [The day before? Is not the day itself forbidden for him?]²¹⁴Unsupported corrector’s addition, to be deleted. Rebbi Yose said, all these matters neither support nor contradict either Rebbi Meïr or Rebbi Yose; they only come to report the days on which miracles were done for Israel. You have to understand that this is so since we have stated²¹⁵Megillat Ta`anit, Nisan. This does not refer to the start of regular sacrifices as described by Lev. 9, but to the acceptance as Temple practice that public offerings must be paid for by public taxes, against the Sadducee opinion that private donations may be solicited for these.: “On the New Moon of Nisan the Daily Offering was settled, one may not eulogize.” Without this is he not already forbidden because of the New Moon<sup>216</sup>Which is a semi-holiday, only without work-related restrictions.? <sup>217</sup>Tosephta 2:6, Babli 17b, Babli Roš Haššanah19a.“But on Sabbath and holidays one fasts before and after them. What is your reason to be lenient with these and restrictive with those? For these are words of the Torah, and words of the Torah do not need reinforcement. But those are words of the Sopherim<sup>218</sup>The mention of Sopherim indicates that the principles of Megillat Ta`anit are part of Ezra’s organization of post-exilic Judaism, even though the redaction of the Scroll belongs to the last generation before the destruction of the 2nd Temple., and words of the Sopherim need reinforcement.” That is what you were saying, as long as Megillat Ta`anit was not abolished. But since Megillat Ta`anit was abolished, all these were abolished. Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Jonathan both said, Megillat Ta`anit was abolished<sup>219</sup>First generation Amoraim. Babli Roš Haššanah18b. From here on a similar text also is in Nedarim8:1 (Notes 33–35,נ).. Rebbi Abba and Rebbi Simon both said, Megillat Ta`anit was abolished. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, Megillat Ta`anit was abolished. Rebbi Joḥanan said, yesterday I was repeating, <sup>220</sup>Tosephta 2:5, Babli Roš Haššanah18b.“it happened that in Lydda they decided on a fast-day on Ḥanukkah. They said about Rebbi Eliezer that he got a haircut, and about Rebbi Joshua that he took a {thermal} bath<sup>221</sup>Forbidden on a later fast-day for rain, Mishnah 1:7.. Rebbi Joshua said to them, go and fast because you fasted.” And you are saying, Megillat Ta`anit was abolished? Rebbi Abba said, even if you are saying that Megillat Ta`anit was abolished, Ḥanukkah and Purim were not abolished²²²Confirmed in the Babli Roš Haššanah 19b..

The actions of the rabbis imply that Megillat Ta`anit was abolished. Rebbi Jonathan fasted every New Year’s Day’s eve. Rebbi Abun fasted every Sabbath eve<sup>223</sup>Even though Tosephta 2:6 states that one may fast on Fridays, it notes, as quote from Megillat Ta`anit, the dissenting opinion of R. Yose the Galilean who forbids. The problems of fasting on Friday are taken up in the last paragraph of this Chapter.. Rebbi Ze`ira fasted 300 fasts, and some say 900, and disregarded Megillat Ta`anit²²⁴The Babli (Bava Meṣia`85a) reports that he fasted in order to forget the teachings of his native Babylonia.. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa commanded the schoolteachers, if a woman comes to ask you, tell her that one may fast any time except Sabbaths, holidays, New Moons, intermediate days of holidays, Ḥanukkah and Purim²²⁵Only Purim and Ḥanukkah are rabbinic holidays in this list..

MISHNAH: One does not decide about a public fast on Thursdays in order not to inflate prices²³²If people suddenly have to buy provisions not only for the Sabbath but also for breaking the fast on Thursday, food stores might use the increased need to raise prices. The next week people also know of the need to buy extra food and they will do this earlier in the week when competition will keep the prices down., but the first three fast days on Monday, Thursday, and Monday, and the second three on Thursday, Monday, Thursday. Rebbi Yose says, just as the first one not on Thursdays so not the second ones. Nor the last ones²³³As the Halakhah shows, this sentence is copied from the Babli version; it is not originally Yerushalmi..

HALAKHAH: ²²⁶This text is not only copied in Megillah, it exists in a slightly different text in Yebamot4:11 (Notes 172–175). Simeon bar Abba said, there came a case before Rebbi Joḥanan²²⁷Since the two texts are not identical, one cannot say that the instructions of R. Joḥanan reported here refer to the opinion of R. Yose in Yebamot. It was reported in the previous paragraph that R. Joḥanan was reluctant to declare Megillat Ta`anit as obsolete; here it is noted that he even endorsed the most restrictive version of the interpretations of the scroll. Since the following discussion is one about the principles of edition of Rebbi’s Mishnah, the implication is that R. Joḥanan’s objection is disregarded. and he instructed following Rebbi Yose. Rebbi Eleazar was sorry about this; he said, does one disregard the anonymous {Mishnah} and follow an isolated opinion²²⁸Since R. Joḥanan holds in general that the anonymous Mishnah is practice (Menaḥot52b).? He found that Rebbi Ḥiyya stated this in the name of Rebbi Meïr. When he understood that Rebbi Ḥiyya stated this in the name of Rebbi Meïr., he said, the old man²²⁹R. Joḥanan. understands his chapters well. Rebbi Mana asked before Rebbi Yudan: Did not Rebbi Ḥizqiah, Rebbi Abbahu say in the name of Rebbi Eleazar, every place where Rebbi taught a disagreement and afterwards taught it anonymously, practice follows the anonymous statement. He said to him, and if not Rebbi, maybe somebody else. How is this? If it is found that Rebbi taught a disagreement and afterwards taught it anonymously, then practice follows the anonymous statement. In a case where Rebbi did not teach a disagreement but others taught it in disagreement and Rebbi taught it anonymously, certainly practice has to follow the anonymous text. There come Rebbi Ḥizqiah, Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Simeon bar Abba, in the name of Rebbi Eleazar, every place where Rebbi taught a disagreement and afterwards taught it anonymously, practice follows the anonymous statement. Why does he instruct here following the isolated opinion? Rebbi Samuel bar Ina in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: That is, if no disagreement is stated together with the anonymous opinion. But if a disagreement is stated together with the anonymous opinion, practice does not follow the anonymous opinion. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: that is if an individual disagrees with an individual. But in the case of an individual following the {anonymous} Sages, practice does not follow the anonymous text²³⁰The Babli (Yebamot42b, Bava qamma102a, Avodah zarah7a, Niddah11b) formulates the rule in the name of R. Joḥanan: Disagreement followed by anonymous statement, practice follows the anonymous statement. Anonymous statement followed by disagreement, practice does not follow the anonymous statement..

(Rebbi Yose agrees for the seven last ones.²³⁴The sentence was deleted by the editor of the Venice edition and therefore is missing in the printed versions of the Yerushalmi. R. Yose agrees that by the time of the last fast days people already are used to preparing for the fast day well in advance. J.N.Epstein in Tarbiz 5, 1934, pp. 261-262.)

MISHNAH: One does not decide on a fast day²³⁵To start a series of 3 or 7 fast days for rain, or an isolated fast day because of a public calamity. on a New Moon, on Ḥanukka, or Purim. If they started, they do not interrupt²³⁶Once the fast day on a New Moon or Ḥanukkah, etc., is not the first in the series, one does not interrupt the regular sequence of Mondays and Thursdays., the words of Rabban Gamliel. Rebbi Meïr said, even though Rabban Gamliel said that one does not interrupt, he agreed that one does not complete²³⁷One stops fasting before nightfall.. The same on a Ninth of Av which falls on a Friday²³⁸So one does not start the Sabbath when hungry. In our computed calendar the Ninth of Av, which always falls on the same weekday as the first day of Passover, never falls on an Friday..

HALAKHAH: How much is “started”²³⁹How many times does one have to fast to continue fasting on a day of the New Moon?? Rebbi Abba said, once. Rebbi Yose said, twice. It was acted on following Rebbi Abba²⁴⁰This is binding precedent. The Babli 18b concurs. [However the Babli switches the attributions between RR. Aḥa and Yose (not Assi, impossible for chronological reasons, cf. Rabbinovicz, Variae Lectiones, ad loc. Note מ.)]. And what does one read? Rebbi Yose said, one reads “blessings and curses.²⁴¹Lev. 26:3–46, the public Torah reading for all fast days for rain, even if such a fast is on a New Moon or Ḥanukkah which have their own fixed readings.” Rebbi Mana said to him, since they know it is a fast day they are falling on their bellies, do they not know that it is a fast day²⁴²Usually called “falling on one’s face”, the penitentiary prayer following the Amidah, which is omitted on all festive days. But if the day of the New Moon, where usually the penitentiary prayer is omitted, is a fast day for rain, the penitentiary prayer is recited. Since therefore everybody knows that it is a fast day, why does one have to change the customary Torah reading?? He said to him, to tell you that one reads “blessings and curses.²⁴³Since the penitentiary prayer is incompatible with the reading for the New Moon, everybody expects to read the portion customary for the fast day.” Rebbi Yudan from Kappadokia said before Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi, one reads about the New Moon²⁴⁴Num. 28:11–15.. Rebbi Yose met Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi; he said to him, did you hear this from your father? He said to him, my father said this only about Eintab²⁴⁵The permanent seat of the Calendar Court, which has to proclaim every New Moon in the absence of a computed calendar.. Since they know that it is the New Moon, they are reading about the New Moon. At all other places they are reading “blessings and curses.”

It was stated²⁴⁶Tosephta 2:7; Babli Eruvin41a.: “On a Ninth of Av which falls on a Friday he eats even an egg and drinks even a cup full²⁴⁷He breaks the fasts shortly before sundown., in order not to enter the Sabbath being deprived, the words of Rebbi Jehudah. Rebbi Yose says, he fasts and finishes.²⁴⁸He fasts until it certainly is the Sabbath since the obligation is to eat a festive meal on the Sabbath and this is not infringed on if he stays fasting into the Sabbath.” Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Jehudah, Rebbi Immi bar Ezechiel<sup>249</sup>The brother of Rav Jehudah, ordained in Palestine. In the Babli he is called Rammi bar Ezechiel. in the name of Rav: Practice follows him who says, he fasts and finishes. Why does he not say, practice follows Rebbi Yose? There are Tannaim who switch the names of the sages. Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Ḥuna: Even an individual who decided for himself to fast on a Friday fasts and finishes. As the following: Rebbi Bevai was sitting before Rebbi Yasa; he wanted to learn from him this matter²⁵⁰He fasted on a Friday in order to receive instructions from his teacher on how ro proceed.. He said, let me go home a little bit. He said to him, it is afternoon. He answered, I am fasting. He said to him, I have lupines with me. He answered, and one finishes following Rebbi Yose²⁵¹First R. Bevai asked whether he could go home and break the fast before sundown. This was denied, but R. Yasa said, he had some lupines, (Greek θέρμος) animal feed which is turned into human food by extended cooking. Since the lupines would not be edible before nightfall, R. Bevai concluded that he was told that practice is to keep fasting into the Sabbath..