Taanit 15b — the Talmud in English

There was an incident

in the days of Rabbi Halafta and Rabbi Hanania ben Teradion, when one passed before the ark and completed the entire blessing, and the

congregation

did not answer Amen after him.

And the attendant says after every blessing

“Sound, priests, sound!”

And the priests sound.

Afterward the prayer leader, who passes before the ark, says

“He who answered our father Abraham at Mount Moriah, may He answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day.”

And the attendant says

“Blast, sons of Aaron, blast!”

The prayer leader says

“He who answered our forefathers at the Sea of Reeds, may He answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day.”

And when the matter

of this incident

came before the Sages, they said: “We did not conduct ourselves in this manner,”

not to answer Amen after the blessing of the one who passes before the ark

“except at the Eastern Gate and on the Temple Mount.”

That is, while the Temple was standing, when they prayed on the Temple Mount, they would enter it through the gate on the eastern side. Then indeed they did not answer Amen, for one does not answer Amen in the Temple [as we find below, 16b] .

The order of the service of the priests in the Temple was as follows: the tribe of the priests was divided into twenty-four sections; each section was called a “watch.”

Each watch served in the Temple for one week.

The watch itself, which contained many priests, was divided into seven sections; each section was called a “father’s house.”

Each father’s house served for one day during that week assigned to that watch.

If the service was extensive, and the members of the father’s house were unable to perform it by themselves, the remaining members of the watch of that week would assist them .

And now, on the basis of this introduction, we shall explain the continuation of the words of our Mishna.

In

the first three fasts,

which are not yet so severe [as was explained above],

the men

of the

watch,

who serve in the Temple during the week in which the fast occurs, even though they are not the priests assigned to serve on the day of the fast itself, since they are not of the “father’s house” of that day, nevertheless

fast

with the community, but

do not complete

their fast; rather, they eat before evening.

And the reason is that although these are not the days fixed for their service, nevertheless there is concern that the service may become too burdensome for the members of the father’s house, who are the priests regularly assigned to that day, and the remaining members of the watch will have to come to assist them. And if they fast and complete the fast, they will not have the strength to stand in the service.

And

if

the men of the ancestral house,

that is, the men of the watch whose fixed time for service is those days of the fast,

did not fast at all.

For if they were to fast, they would not have the strength to work.

Three

fasts

second ones,

since they are more stringent,

the men of the watch fast, and

also

complete

their fast.

And

if

the men of the ancestral house fast, but do not complete

their fast.

But with

seven

fasts, the

last ones,

which are the most stringent of them all,

these and these,

both the men of the watch and the men of the ancestral house,

fast and complete

their fast.

These are the words of Rabbi Joshua.

And the Sages

are more lenient, and

say

that this is how they conduct themselves:

With

the first three fasts, these and these,

both the men of the watch and the men of the ancestral house,

did not fast at all.

Three

fasts

second ones,

which are more stringent,

the men of the watch fast but do not complete, and the men of the ancestral house do not fast at all.

Seven

fasts

last ones, the men of the watch fast and complete, and the men of the ancestral house fast but do not complete.

Since the men of the watch were mentioned here, the Mishna brings another law concerning them.

On all the other days of the year, which are not days of fasting,

the men of the watch

are permitted to drink wine at night, but not during the day.

And the reason is that during the day there is concern that the service may become burdensome for the men of the ancestral house, and the men of the watch will need to assist them. And if they drink wine, they will be forbidden to perform the service because of drunkenness .

This is not so at night, when there is no longer concern that the service will become burdensome, since toward evening they saw that the offerings had ceased, and the service had not become burdensome [and at night offerings are no longer sacrificed].

And

if

the men of the ancestral house

are not permitted to drink wine,

neither during the day—

nor at night.

For although new offerings are not sacrificed at night, nevertheless limbs and fats that sprang away and fell from the altar are brought up onto the altar. And likewise, what they did not finish burning during the day [from the offerings slaughtered during the day]—they finish at night.

But since this is not a burdensome service, the men of the ancestral house never need the assistance of the rest of the men of the watch. Therefore, the men of the watch are permitted to drink wine at night.

The men of the watch, and

also

the men of the station [“The men of the station” means, as we learned below, 26a: How can a person’s offering be offered while he does not stand over it? The early prophets established twenty-four watches, and for each watch there was a station in Jerusalem of kohanim, Levites, and Israelites. When the time came for the watch to ascend, the kohanim and Levites ascended to Jerusalem. And the Israelites gathered in their cities and prayed concerning the offering of their brethren, the men of the watch, that it should be accepted favorably],

are forbidden to cut their hair and to wash clothes

throughout that entire week of their watch [rather, they must cut their hair beforehand. The reason for this prohibition will be explained below].

[rather, they must have their hair cut beforehand. The reason for this prohibition will be explained below].

And on

the

fifth

day they are permitted to cut their hair and to wash clothes—

because of the honor of Shabbat .

The Mishna continues and brings another matter among the matters of fasting.

Every

festival

written

in Megillat Ta’anit

that says, “not to eulogize,” [that one may not eulogize on it], also on the day

before it,

it is forbidden

to eulogize and to fast, lest one come to eulogize on the festival itself. But on the day

after it—

it is permitted.

Since the day has already passed, there is no concern lest, because he eulogizes afterward, he come to eulogize even on the festival.

Rabbi Yose says:

Whether

before it and

whether

after it—

it is forbidden.

And this applies specifically to festivals about which it is written in Megillat Ta’anit that not only may one not fast on them, but one may also not eulogize on them. And they are stringent.

But festivals about which it is written

“not to fast,” [that one may not fast on them], but eulogizing on them is permitted, since they are not so stringent, whether

both

before it and

whether

after it, it is permitted

to fast .

Rabbi Yose says:

Even on these days,

before it is forbidden

to fast, and only

after it is permitted.

The court does not decree a fast upon the community

at first on Thursday [one does not begin the days of fasting on Thursday], in order

not to cause

the prices

to rise [not to cause prices to rise].

For if they begin to fast on Thursday, then toward evening the community will purchase two meals: one for the end of the fast, and one in honor of Shabbat. And when the shopkeepers see this, they will not know that it is because of the fast, for not everyone knows that a fast was decreed today .

Rather, they will think that hunger has come to the world, and that there is a shortage, and therefore they will raise the price of the food and cause the market price to rise .

But if they began the days of fasting several days before Thursday, everyone already knows that it is the time of fasts, and the shopkeepers will understand that because of the fast the community is purchasing two meals.

Rather,

this is the order of the days of fasting:

The first three fasts—

on the days

Monday, Thursday, and Monday.

As was explained. Since they begin the days of fasting before Thursday, there is no concern about causing prices to rise.

And three

fasts

second ones—

on the days

Thursday, Monday, and Thursday.

Since they began the three first days of fasting on Monday, there is again no concern about causing prices to rise.

Rabbi Yose says: Just as the

three fasts

first ones

do not begin

on

the

fifth day, so they do not begin the days of the

fasts

second ones

on Thursday,

and

likewise,

they do not begin the seven days of fasting

the

last ones

on Thursday .

The court does not decree a fast upon the community on

these days:

On the New Moons [because the New Moon is called “a festival”],

on Hanukkah and on Purim.

And if they began

the days of fasting before the New Moon, and one of the days of fasting arrived on the New Moon—

they do not interrupt

the order of the days of fasting, but continue and fast even on the New Moon .

And the reason is that although the New Moon too is called “a festival,” nevertheless it was not said concerning it that it is a day of feasting and joy .

These are the words of Rabban Gamaliel.

Rabbi Meir said: Even though Rabban Gamaliel said

that

they do not interrupt

the order of the days of fasting because of the New Moon, but fast on it,

he acknowledged that they do not complete

the fast until evening, but eat already toward evening .

And likewise, when the Ninth of Av occurs on the eve of Shabbat,

they do not complete the fast, but eat before the entrance of Shabbat.

Gemara:

We learned in our Mishna:

“The order of the fasts: How is it? They bring out the ark, etc.”

The Gemara is astonished:

And

is it so that

even in the first ones [in the first fasts] they bring out the ark to the open area of the city?

And it contradicts it:

In

the first three and second fasts, they enter the synagogue and pray in the manner in which they pray throughout the entire year.

And on the seven

fasts

last ones, they bring out the ark to the open area of the city, place ashes upon the ark, and on the head of the prince and on the head of the head of the court, and each and every person takes [ashes] and places them on his head.

Rabbi Natan says: Burnt ashes

they bring

and place on their heads.

Thus we have that only during the seven last fasts did they bring out the ark to the open area of the city!

and place them

on their heads.

It is therefore clear that only during the seven final fasts did they take the ark outside to the city square!

Rav Pappa said: When we learned in our Mishna as well

also what we learned in our Mishna, that they take out the ark into the city street—

I swear

concerning the seven fasts that are

the last ones we learned

we learned.

But in truth, during the first and intermediate fasts, they do not take out the ark.

We learned in our Mishna:

And at the head of the Nasi

and at the head of the head of the court.

And afterward it teaches

and afterward we learned in our Mishna:

Each and every one places [ashes] on his head.

It follows that first they place ashes on the head of the Nasi and on the head of the head of the court, who are the important ones, and only afterward the rest of the people place ashes on their heads.

The Gemara raises an objection:

Is that so?

Is that indeed the practice?

And it was taught:

Rabbi says: In a matter of

greatness and

importance

and honor—

they begin with

the

greatest person.

He begins, and only afterward do those lesser than he continue.

And

if

in

a matter of

curse

and diminution of honor—

they begin with the lesser.

He begins, and only afterward do those greater than he continue.

And from where do we know this matter?

This matter, that

in greatness they begin with the greatest,

we learn from Scripture.

As it is stated: “And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar, and to Ithamar” .

Thus we have that Moses first spoke to Aaron, who was the greatest, and only afterward spoke to Eleazar and Ithamar.

And

this matter, that

in a curse they begin with the lesser,

we learn from the fact that after Adam and his wife sinned with the tree of knowledge,

at first the serpent was cursed,

who was the least of them,

and afterward Eve was cursed,

who was more important than he,

and

only

afterward,

at the end,

Adam was cursed,

who was the most important of them all.

In any event, we learned in the beraita that in a matter involving a curse and diminution of honor, they begin with the lesser and the simplest first. If so, it is difficult: how did we learn in the Mishna that first they place ashes of burning on the head of the Nasi and on the head of the head of the court, and only afterward the rest of the people place them on their heads? And the Gemara explains: Placing the ashes on the head of the Nasi and the head of the head of the court is not a diminution of honor, but, on the contrary,

it is importance for them

it is importance for them.

For they say to them

for by placing the ashes on their heads, it is as though they say to them:

You are important enough to request mercy for the whole world

you alone are important enough to request mercy for the entire people.

We learned in our Mishna:

Each and every one places [ashes] on his head.

Rav Adda said:

With regard to all the people we learned

“And each and every one places [ashes] on his head.”

But with regard to the Nasi and the head of the court we learned: “And they place ashes upon the ark and upon the head of the Nasi and upon the head of the head of the court.” It follows that others place the ashes on their heads.

And it is difficult:

The Nasi and the head of the court as well—let them take [the ashes] themselves and place them on their own heads

let them take the ashes and place them on their own heads themselves!

What is different, that another person takes [them] and places them on them

what is different about their case, that another person takes [the ashes] and places them on their heads?

Rabbi Abba of Caesarea said:

The reason is that we want, through these actions—the placing of ashes on the head of the ark and on the head of the people—for there to be great anguish, so that the heart of the people will be broken and they will repent.