Taanit 16a (טז.) — the Talmud in English

And since this concerns important people,

one who is embarrassed by himself [by an act that he himself committed] -

by an act that he himself committed—

is not comparable to one who is embarrassed by others [by an act that others committed against him], for in the latter case he is more embarrassed;

therefore, others place the ashes on the heads of the prominent people. But the rest of the people are not more embarrassed when others place the ashes than when they place them themselves; therefore, they themselves place ashes on their heads.

And where do they place it [where, on which part of the head, do they place the ashes]?

and where, on the head, do they place the ashes?

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: In the place

where they place

the head tefillin

[in the place where an infant's brain is soft].

As it is stated

in the prophecy of Isaiah [chapter 61, verse 3]: “To proclaim a year of favor to the Lord, etc., to comfort all mourners,

to place on the mourners of Zion a crown instead of ashes.”

That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, will place a crown upon the mourners, instead of the ashes that had been upon them. Thus, the practice of mourning is to place ashes where the crown is placed.

And “crown” means tefillin, as it is stated in the book of Ezekiel [chapter 24, verse 17], where the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Ezekiel: “Son of man, behold, I am taking from you the delight of your eyes through a plague, etc.; you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, etc.; you shall not perform mourning rites, your crown shall be bound upon you”, and the Gemara in tractate Berakhot [11a] says that “your crown” means tefillin.

Thus, we learn that the ashes are to be placed where the tefillin are placed.

"

Street, ark, sacks, ashes, burial and Moriah—mnemonic.

"

The Gemara now continues to discuss and explain the words of the Mishna.

We learned in the Mishna that they take the ark out to the city's street. There, in the street, they pray and cry out. And we must explain:

Why do they go out to the street?

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said:

In order

to say

and allude by this: At first

we cried out in private,

in the synagogue,

but we were not answered

from Heaven.

Let us go out to pray in the city's street, and

humiliate ourselves publicly,

,

perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, will then answer us.

Reish Lakish said:

Going out into the street is itself an exile from our usual place. And this is what we say:

Our exile, our displacement

shall be

an atonement for us.

What is the difference between them [what practical difference is there between the two explanations]?

between these two reasons?

There is a difference between them [there is a practical difference between the two explanations] in a case

in a case

where they go from one synagogue to another [if the people leave and go into exile from the synagogue in which they were accustomed to pray, to another synagogue].

if the people leave and go into exile from the synagogue in which they were accustomed to pray to another synagogue.

If the reason is exile, then there is exile in this case as well.

But if the reason is humiliation in public, then in this case there is no humiliation!

The Gemara continues and explains the words of the Mishna.

And why do they take the ark out to the city's street?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, to say

and allude:

We had a concealed vessel.

Until now, the ark had always been kept concealed in the synagogue.

And

now—it

has been disgraced because of our sins.

Because of our sins, we were punished with the withholding of rain, and we had to take the ark out into the street.

And why do they cover themselves

the people

with sacks?

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, to say

and allude by wearing the sacks, which are made from goat hair, that

we are considered

[regarded]

like animals.

on the verse [Isaiah 63:9] explained according to the writing that in all their affliction which He brought upon them, He was not afflicted — He did not have pity on them corresponding to their deeds, that is, He did not restrain the evil as they deserved. See there. And see in the brings that thus it is taught in the Yerushalmi contradict the words of the Bavli — they are not afraid of the Yerushalmi, because those who compiled the Bavli brought therein those same reasonings which are the law as they were said in the that they would gird small sacks, go out to the cemetery, and blow the horns [this matter of sounding horns is explained in the Yerushalmi contradict the words of the Bavli — they are not afraid of the Yerushalmi, because those who compiled the Bavli brought therein those same reasonings which are the law as they were said in the It was meant to say, “Consider us as though we are crying out like animals before You.” "

And why do they place burnt ashes on the ark?

"

Rabbi Yehuda ben Pazi said: It means

[as though the Holy One, blessed be He, says]:

“I am with him in distress.”

This is why they place ashes even on top of the ark, in which the Torah scroll—the book of the Holy One, blessed be He—is kept.

Reish Lakish said,

that we learn this matter—that the Holy One, blessed be He, suffers together with Israel—from this verse:

“In all their distress, He is distressed.”

That is, in all the distress of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, is also distressed.

Rabbi Zeira said: At first

[initially],

when I would see the Sages placing burnt ashes on the ark

[when I would see that the Sages placed burnt ashes on the ark]—

my entire body would tremble

[my entire body would tremble].

And why do they place ashes on the head of each and every person

of the congregation?

They disagree about it

[they disagree regarding this matter],

Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama and Rabbi Ḥanina.

One

[of them]

said

that they place the ashes in order to allude and say before the Holy One, blessed be He:

“Behold, we are considered before You like ashes,”

which have no value at all. That is, we are of no importance whatsoever.

And one

of them

said

that they do this

so that

the Holy One, blessed be He, will remember for us

the ashes of Isaac,

,

who offered his life to be a sacrifice upon the altar.

What is the difference between them [what practical difference is there between the two explanations]?

between these two reasons?

There is a difference between them [there is a practical difference between them]: whether it is possible to place

with regard to whether it is possible to place

ordinary earth

from the ground,

and not burnt ashes,

on the head of every person.

According to the explanation that they are alluding before the Holy One, blessed be He, that we are considered like ashes, that allusion can also be made with earth, which is considered worthless.

But according to the explanation that they do this in order to mention the Binding of Isaac before the Holy One, blessed be He, specifically burnt ashes must be placed.

Why do they go out to the cemetery?

Explained the Ritva that simply the Gemara meant that the going out to the cemetery is not in order to pray there, for it is forbidden to pray in the cemetery lest one mock the dead! Much more so it is forbidden to pray at the graves of gentiles! Moreover, we find in tractate Megillah [26a] that they prayed in the street! Therefore he explained as he did.

They disagree about it

[they disagree about the reason for this],

Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama and Rabbi Ḥanina.

One

[of them]

said

that they do this in order to allude and say before the Holy One, blessed be He:

“Behold, we are considered before You like the dead.”

In the Yerushalmi contradict the words of the Bavli — they are not afraid of the Yerushalmi, because those who compiled the Bavli brought therein those same reasonings which are the law as they were said in the we find: "And why do they go out among graves? If we became liable to famine — then we are hungry and fasting. If we became liable to exile — then we are exiled from place to place. If we became liable to death — then we are in the cemetery like the dead."

And one said

that they do this

so that the

dead

will request mercy for us.

The Gemara in tractate Sotah [34b] brings that Kaleb interpreted from the other spies, and went and prostrated himself on the graves of the fathers and said: "My fathers, plead for me mercy that I be saved from the counsel of the spies." And the Tosafot [entry “My forefathers”] challenged: The Gemara in tractate Berakhot [18a] says that the dead know nothing, even the Patriarchs of the world. If so, how could they know to request mercy? They answered that through the prayer that this person prays, they are informed that he prayed in this way. They brought proof from our Gemara, which says that they go to the cemetery so that the dead will request mercy for us. See there. "

What is the difference between them

[what is the practical difference between the explanations]?

There is a difference between them

[a practical difference]: whether it is possible to go to

the graves of gentiles.

According to the explanation that they go out in order to allude that we are considered like the dead, it is possible to go also to the graves of gentiles.

But according to the explanation that they go out to the cemetery so that the dead will request mercy for us, one must go specifically to the graves of Jews. For gentiles cannot request mercy even for themselves; all the more so, they cannot request mercy for us.

And since we mentioned that Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama and Rabbi Ḥanina disagree about this matter, the Gemara cites another dispute between them, concerning an entirely different matter.

What is the meaning of “Mount Moriah” ?

Why was the place to which Abraham went to bind Isaac [that is, the Temple Mount called by this name?

They disagree about this [they disputed this matter]:

that is, they differed on this matter:

Rabbi Levi bar Hama and Rabbi Hanina.

One [one of them]

of them

said:

The

mount

was called this because

instruction for Israel emerged from it.

For there stood the Chamber of Hewn Stone, in which the prophets who admonished Israel would stand .

And one said:

The

mount

was called this because

awe of it emerged upon the nations of the world.

For when they hear of the greatness of Israel and Jerusalem, they become afraid .

We learned in our Mishna:

The elder among them addresses them with words of admonition.

The Sages taught: If there is

among them

an elder—

the elder

the

speaks

the words of admonition.

And if not,

if there is no elder among them—

a sage speaks

words of admonition.

And if not,

if there is not even a sage among them—

a

person who is

a man of stature

[a person of imposing appearance , so that his words will be heard and he will soften and humble the hearts] speaks the words of admonition.

From what we learned in the beraita—that ideally an elder speaks, and if not, a sage speaks—it follows that an elder is preferable, even if he is not a Torah scholar. Only if there is no elder does a sage speak.

The Gemara wondered:

When they say “an elder” [does the elder we mentioned, who is preferable, mean]

that the elder whom we mentioned, who is preferable, is intended

even though

he is not a sage?

Surely a sage is always preferable to an ignorant elder!

Abaye said: This is what it means [this is the tanna’s intention]:

this is the intention of the tannaitic source:

If there is

there

an elder, and he is

also

a sage—

he speaks;

that person who is

an elder and

also

a sage.

And if not,

if there is no such person—

a sage speaks,

who is not an elder.

And if not,

if there is not even a sage who is not an elder—

a man of stature speaks .

sackcloth and fasting, which are external acts, cause

And what do they say?

Our brothers! Not

the wearing of

sackcloth and fasting,

which are external acts,

causes

the Holy One, blessed be He, to answer us ,

but

repentance and good deeds cause it.

“And God saw their deeds, that they had returned from their evil way.” It was said concerning the people of Nineveh: “And the people of Nineveh believed in God, etc., and he proclaimed and said in Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles, etc.,

For we find concerning the people of Nineveh that it was not stated concerning them

that when they repented, wore sackcloth, and fasted [as related in the Book of Jonah]:

“And God saw their sackcloth and their fasting,” but

rather, this is what was stated:

“And God saw their deeds, that they had turned from their evil way.”

It is stated concerning the people of Nineveh: “And the people of Nineveh believed in God, etc., and he proclaimed and said in Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles, etc.,

and let people and animals cover themselves with sackcloth.”

What did they do [what and how did they act]?

and how did they act?

They separated the animals from the young

[they tied the animals separately and their young separately], causing them great distress.

They said before Him [before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

before the Holy One, blessed be He:

“Master of the Universe! If You do not have mercy on us, we will not have mercy on these” .

That is, just as You command us to have mercy on all living creatures, as it is stated, “His mercy is upon all His works,” so should You have mercy on us.

That is, just as You say and command us to have mercy on all living creatures, as it is stated: “His mercies are upon all His works,” so too should You have mercy on us.

It is further stated concerning the people of Nineveh:

“And they called out to God forcefully.”

They said before Him: “Master of the worlds! The humiliated and the unhumiliated, the righteous and the wicked—which is pushed aside before which?” For surely the righteous is pushed aside before the wicked .

The expression “forcefully” indicates that they spoke with strength and argued their case in judgment.

What did they say [what did they say in their prayer]?

They said before Him: “Master of the Universe! The lowly and the not-lowly, the righteous and the wicked—which one is pushed aside before the other?”

Surely the righteous is pushed aside before the wicked . Therefore, have mercy on us; do not destroy us.

It is further stated there:

“And each turned from his evil way and from the violence in his hands” .

Samuel said:

What is the meaning of “and from the violence in his hands”?

Shmuel said:

The people of Nineveh repented of robbery to such an extent that

even if

one of them

had robbed

built it

a beam

[a timber],

and built it

into

a large building

[a substantial structure], he would not be satisfied with returning the value of the beam to its owner; rather, he would

demolish

and destroy

the entire building

Rav Adda bar Ahava said: A person who has a sin in his possession and confesses it, but does not abandon it [for example, he has committed the sin of robbery , confesses the sin, but does not return what he stole], to what is he comparable? To a person holding a dead creeping creature

, and return

the

beam

itself

to its owner .

Rav Adda bar Ahava said: A person who has a sin in his possession and confesses

to it,

but does not abandon it

[for example, he has the sin of robbery in his possession , and confesses to the sin but does not return what he stole],

to what is he comparable?

To a person who holds a dead creeping creature

that renders a person impure through contact

in his hand.

For

as long as the creeping creature is in his hand,

even if he

from his hand,

immerses himself in all the waters in the world—

his immersion is ineffective,

for he immediately becomes impure again from the creeping creature in his hand.

But if he

throws it [the person throws the creeping creature]

and he becomes pure from his impurity.

from his hand,

then,

once he has immersed himself in a

mikveh containing

forty seah

of water—

his immersion is immediately effective,

and he becomes pure from his impurity.

So too with this person: He confesses to the sin of robbery in his possession, but does not return what he stole; his repentance is ineffective, for he is still holding and clinging to the stolen property.

As it is stated: “He who confesses and abandons it will be shown mercy.”

We learn from this that only when he confesses and also abandons his sins will the sinner receive mercy from Heaven.

And

the verse further

says

:

“Let us lift our hearts with our hands to God in Heaven.”

This implies that together with the hands, one must lift the heart heavenward—that is, repent of his corruption .

We learned in our Mishna:

When they stand for prayer, they bring before the ark

an elder, etc.

The Sages taught: When they stand for prayer, even though there is

among the congregation

an elder and a sage, they bring before the ark only a person who is accustomed

to prayer .

Rabbi Yehuda says,

the person who goes before the ark during a prayer for rain must possess the following qualities: