Taanit 10b (י:) — the Talmud in English

The beraita continues and says:

And

those individuals who fast,

interrupt

their fast

on New Moons ,

and on the holidays written in Megillat Ta'anit.

That is, if a New Moon or a holiday occurs in the midst of the days of their fast, they interrupt their fast .

The Sages taught: A person should not say

out of humility:

“I am a student,”

and I am not important, and therefore

“I am not fit to be an individual”

and fast together with the individuals.

Rather, all Torah scholars—

individuals

they are, and they must conduct themselves as individuals.

What is

the person defined as an

“individual,”

who must fast in the fast of individuals,

and what is

the person defined as a

“student”?

An individual—

that is,

everyone

who

is fit to be appointed a communal leader

(an appointee, a person responsible)

over the community.

A student—

that is,

any

person

who is asked a matter of halakha in the subject he is studying —

and answers

and states

the answer,

even

if he is asked

in tractate Kallah , ,

which people are not accustomed to study .

The Sages taught: Not everyone who wishes to present himself

(to regard himself)

as an individual,

and fast together with the individuals—

does

so .

Likewise, not everyone who wishes to present himself

as a student,

to conduct himself according to the practice of a student in his cloak and bed , and to adorn himself in the distinctive garment of Torah scholars—

does

so. For not everyone who wishes to assume the title may come and assume it .

These are the words of Rabbi Meir .

Rabbi Yosei says:

One who wishes to present himself as an individual and fast together with the individuals, although he is not truly among those considered individuals according to their spiritual level,

does

so [he is permitted to do so],

and

he is

worthy of praise

for it .

The reason is

because

he does not present himself as an individual in order to derive benefit from it; on the contrary, he does so to afflict himself and join in the fast of the individuals. And since

it is not to his credit

that he regards himself as an individual,

but it is an affliction for him,

he is therefore permitted to do so, and is even worthy of praise .

It was taught in another beraita [

we learned in another beraita]:

Not everyone who wishes to present himself as an individual—

does so; a student—

does so.

These are the words of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says:

The fact that not everyone may present himself as an individual or as a student,

when does this statement apply?—

In a matter of praise .

For it is to his credit that he is regarded as an individual or a student.

But in a matter of affliction,

where being regarded as an individual or a student is an affliction for him—

he presents

himself as such,

and

he is even

worthy

of being

praised

for it.

The reason is

that it is not to his credit, but is an affliction for him.

The Sages taught: One who was fasting because of a distress—

and it passed,

and likewise one who was fasting

because of a sick person—

and the sick person recovered

[and the same law applies if the sick person died ], although there is no longer any need for his fast, nevertheless

he

must fulfill his vow. Therefore he

fasts and completes

his fast .

For otherwise, it would appear as though he were stipulating with the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: “If the distress passes because I afflict myself by fasting, I will fast; but if not, I will not fast” .

The beraita continues and says:

One who goes from a place where people do not fast

there

to a place where people fast

there [for example, where there is no distress in his own place, but in the place to which he is going there is one]—

he fasts with them .

One who goes

from a place where people fast

there

to a place where people do not fast

there—

he fasts

all the fasts observed by the people of his city, for the stringencies of the place from which he departed are imposed upon him,

and completes

his fast.

The beraita continues and states another law concerning fasts: If a person

forgot

that he was fasting

and ate and drank

[or drank],

he should not appear before the community

while eating and drinking, so that he should not appear like a bridegroom among mourners, causing them to envy him.

And

And even when he eats in private at home,

he should not indulge himself [

he should not pamper himself]. He should not say: Since I have already eaten something, I will eat a great deal .

And from where do we know that a person should not show the community that he is not sharing in their distress?

As it is stated

when Jacob wished to send his sons to Egypt to purchase food during the years of famine:

“And Jacob said to his sons: Why should you make yourselves conspicuous?

And he said: Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt, etc.”

This is the meaning of the verse:

Jacob said

to his sons:

Although you still have grain,

do not make yourselves appear satiated

, neither before Esau nor before Ishmael

, so that they should not envy you,

for they are hungry and suffering. Therefore, go down to Egypt, so that they will think that you too have no grain.

Since we have mentioned this matter, the descent of Joseph’s brothers to Egypt, the Gemara continues and explains those verses.

It is stated later in the verse, after Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and sent them to their father Jacob, that Joseph said to them:

“Do not become agitated on the way.”

Rabbi Elazar said: Joseph said to his brothers: Do not engage

on the way

in a matter of halakha

, lest you become agitated

and the road turn against you

[lest you lose your way ].

And the Gemara is astonished:

Is that so?

Is this indeed the case? Is this how one should conduct oneself—that one should not engage in words of halakha while traveling?

But did he not say

for he said]:

Rabbi Ila'i bar Berekhya said: Two Torah scholars who are traveling on the road and there are no words of Torah between them

that is, they are not engaged in words of Torah] are

worthy of being burned

it is fitting that they be burned]!

And from where do we derive this?

As it is stated

when Elijah parted from Elisha [and afterward ascended to heaven in a storm]:

"And it was, as they continued walking and speaking, and behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and they separated between them."

This indicates that

the reason

the reason and cause] that they were not burned by the fire that was there [the chariot of fire and horses of fire] was

because there was speech

there had been discussion of words of Torah between them] .

Here,

if

there was no [

if there were no]

speech, they

would be worthy

of being

burned!

If so, how could Joseph have told his brothers not to engage in a matter of halakha?!

And the Gemara answers:

It is not difficult.

Here,

what Rabbi Ila'i said—that there must be words of Torah between them—refers to

reviewing [

repeating and reviewing what they had learned].

Whereas

here,

what Joseph told his brothers—not to engage in a matter of halakha—refers to

analysis [

delving into one's learning]. For then there is concern that, because of their analysis of their learning, they would not pay attention to other matters and would lose their way .

In a baraita it was taught [

in a baraita we learned] that when Joseph said to them, “Do not become agitated on the way,” he intended to guide them in proper and appropriate conduct for one who travels on the road.

And these are those proper practices:

Do not take

along your way

long strides ,

because this harms a person , as follows.

And bring the sun into the city .

That is, when you lodge and sleep in the towns along your route, enter the city while the sun is still shining.

And now the Gemara explains the reason for these matters.

Do not take long strides,

because

the Master said: A long stride

takes away one five-hundredth

of the light of the eyes

of a person [

it diminishes one five-hundredth of a person’s power of sight] .

And bring the sun into the city, in accordance with Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav [

as Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav].

For Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: A person should always

leave

a person

on his journey

with "it is good" ,

that is, when the day has already become light, based on the wording: “And God saw the light, that it was good.”

The reason for this is that when the day is light, bandits and dangerous animals are not commonly found.

And

likewise, when one enters an unfamiliar city along his route in order to lodge there,

he should enter with "it is good,"

while the day is still light.

The reason is that if he enters in the darkness, he may fall into the pits and crevices in the city. Furthermore, this is in order that the people of the city should not slander him and say: “You are a spy or a thief.”

As it is stated

when Joseph’s brothers left Egypt to go to the land of Canaan:

"In the morning it was light

[

it became light] and the men were sent forth" .

Thus, they left only when the day became light.

And since the Gemara was discussing proper conduct for those traveling on the road, it cites another practice concerning this matter.

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Hiyya: One who travels on the road should not eat more than

what people customarily eat in

years of famine [

during years of famine. As we find below, a person should make himself hungry during years of famine]. That is, he should reduce the amount he eats.

What is the reason [

for this matter]?

Here [

here, in Babylonia],

they explained [

that the reason is]

because of the intestines. “Me'eina” is an expression related to intestines. That is, a person’s intestines should not

become disturbed by eating excessively because of the exertion of the journey .

In the West they said [

in Eretz Yisrael they said] that the reason is

because of provisions.

If he eats a great deal, perhaps his provisions will not suffice for the entire journey.

What difference is there between them [

what practical difference is there between the two reasons]?