Taanit 17a — the Talmud in English

For Zikhronot and Shofarot are not recited

location of exact page

except

at these times:

a.

On Rosh Hashanah,

as we found in tractate Rosh Hashanah [16a]: “Recite before Me on Rosh Hashanah kingships, remembrances, and shofarot” [and there in the Gemara the reason for this is explained].

b.

And

on Yom Kippur that

is in Jubilee years [in the Jubilee year, which occurs once every fifty years], as we found in tractate Rosh Hashanah [26b]: “The Jubilee is equivalent to Rosh Hashanah with regard to sounding and blessings.”

c.

And at a time of war.

And at a time of war

as we found in Scripture [Numbers 10]: “And when you come to war in your land against the oppressor who oppresses you, you shall sound with the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.”

We learned in our Mishna:

For the first one he says: “He Who answered Abraham,” etc.

The tanna taught: There are those who exchange

the order of the matters, and associate the conclusion “Who hears

the outcry

” with the blessing “He Who answered

Elijah

on Mount Carmel,”

and

the conclusion “Who hears

prayer

they associate with

the blessing “He Who answered

Samuel

at Mitzpah.”

The Gemara asks:

Granted with regard to Samuel,

it is possible to conclude also with “Who hears prayer,” because

it is written concerning him

the expression

prayer,

as it is stated: “Gather all Israel to Mitzpah, and I shall pray for you,”

and it is written concerning him

also the expression

outcry,

as it is stated: “And it distressed Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.”

But with regard to Elijah, only the expression

prayer is written,

as it is stated: “Answer me, Lord, answer me,” which is an expression of prayer and supplication. But the expression

of outcry is not written!

And if so, how is it possible to conclude the blessing “He Who answered Elijah” with the expression of outcry?

The Gemara answers:

“Answer me, Lord, answer me”

is an expression

of outcry.

We learned in our Mishna: For the sixth one he says: “He Who answered Jonah,” etc.; for the seventh one he says: “He Who answered David,” etc. And the Gemara wondered: Now Jonah was after David and Solomon

[for in the order of the generations, Jonah was after David and Solomon ],

for what reason does it mention him first

[why do they mention Jonah in the sixth, and only in the seventh mention David and Solomon]?

And the Gemara explains: The reason that David and Solomon are mentioned only at the end of the blessings is because he wishes to conclude [because they wish to conclude] and finish all the blessings with the conclusion “Blessed is He Who

[in the chronological order of the generations, Jonah lived after David and Solomon ],

what is the reason that he is mentioned first

[Why is Jonah mentioned in the sixth blessing, while David and Solomon are mentioned only in the seventh]?

has mercy upon the land.”

And in that blessing David and Solomon are mentioned, for they prayed concerning the Land of Israel.

[they want to sign and end all the blessings] with the concluding formula “Blessed are You, Who

has mercy on the Land.”

The tanna taught: In the name of Sumchos they said

that they do not conclude “Blessed is He Who has mercy upon the land,” but rather “Blessed is He Who humbles the lofty.” That is, by withholding the rain, the Holy One, blessed is He, caused Israel to submit and return in repentance. We learned in our Mishna: The first three fasts, the men of the priestly watch fast but do not complete the fast, etc.

The conclusion is not “Blessed are You, Who has mercy on the Land,” but

The Sages taught: For what reason did they say

that

the men of the priestly watch are permitted to drink wine

only

at night, but not during the day—

because those who have drunk wine are prohibited from performing the Temple service. And we are concerned

lest the service become burdensome for the men of the paternal house

who serve on that day and require assistance,

and

the men of the priestly watch

come

and

assist them.

Therefore, although that day is not the fixed time of the men of the priestly watch, they are prohibited from drinking wine during the day. But at night they are permitted, since then the service is not burdensome.

For what reason did they say

that

the men of the paternal house

are not permitted to drink wine,

neither during the day nor at night—

because they are always occupied with the service.

And since those who have drunk wine are prohibited from performing the service, the men of the paternal house are therefore prohibited from drinking wine altogether.

From here,

from the words of our Mishna, it follows that even the men of the priestly watch, whose service time is not on that day, are prohibited from drinking wine.

They said:

At the present time,

when the Temple does not exist,

every koén who knows

and knows which is

his priestly watch and his paternal house’s watch,

for example, he knows that he belongs to the watch of Jehoiarib or Joiada, and knows on which day and in which week their fixed service time was,

and knows that his paternal houses are fixed there,

that they were not disqualified and rendered unfit for the service, but are fit to serve in the Temple,

is prohibited from drinking wine for that entire day

on which he knows that it is the fixed time for the service of his paternal houses, lest the Temple be built and this koén then be required to serve.

But

a

koén who

knows

his

watch,

in which week they serve,

but does not know his paternal house’s watch,

and therefore does not know which day of the week is his fixed time,

and knows that his paternal houses are fixed there, is prohibited from drinking wine for that entire week

[the entire week, which is the time of his watch], because every day of that week is uncertain: perhaps it is the time of this koén.

But a koén who

does not know

at all

his watch

and his paternal house’s watch, and knows that his paternal houses are fixed there, is prohibited from drinking wine all year,

because on every day of the year there is concern lest it be the fixed day of his paternal house.

Rabbi says: I say that if we are concerned lest the Temple be built, the law should be that it is prohibited

for every koén

to drink wine forever,

even if he knows his watch and his paternal house’s watch, which were assigned to him in the past.

The reason is that it is possible that in the future the order of the watches will change. Moreover, it is possible that everyone will serve at the dedication of the Temple all at once, and this koén will be required to serve.

But what can I do, for his remedy

of the koén, on account of which he is permitted to drink wine, is

his impairment.

And what is that impairment on account of which the priests are permitted to drink wine?

For many years have passed during which the Temple has not been built.

Therefore they are permitted to drink wine, because we are not concerned lest the Temple be built and they be required for its service.

And what is this defect, because of which the priests are permitted to drink wine?

For many years the Temple has not been rebuilt .

Therefore they are permitted to drink wine, because we are not concerned that the Temple will be built and they will be needed for its service .

Abaye said: According to whom do the priests drink wine nowadays

[like whom, according to which view, do the priests drink wine in our time]—

according to

the view of

Rabbi.

We learned in our Mishna:

The men of the priestly watch and the men of the standing are prohibited from cutting their hair and washing their clothes, but on Thursday they are permitted, for the honor of Shabbat.

What is the reason,

why are the men of the priestly watch and the men of the standing prohibited from cutting their hair and washing their clothes?

Rabba bar bar Hana said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: So that they should not enter their watch when they are unkempt

with long hair and unwashed clothing.

For if we permitted them to cut their hair and wash their clothes during the days of their watch, they would not be careful to do so before that time, but would rely on one of the days of that week of their watch.

But now, since they are prohibited from doing so during the days of their watch, they will be careful to precede their haircut and laundry to the preceding week, and will enter their watch with their hair cut and wearing clean clothing.

The Sages taught:

It is a mitzva that the

king cut his hair every day.

The High Priest

cuts his hair

from one Sabbath eve

to the next Sabbath eve.

That is, once a week.

An ordinary priest

cuts his hair

once every thirty days.

And now the Gemara discusses the explanation of the words of the beraita.

“The king cuts his hair every day”—

what is the reason

[what is the reason for this]?

Rabbi Abba bar Zavda said:

because

the verse states: “Your eyes shall behold the king in his beauty.”

And since the king must appear before the people in his beauty, he must therefore cut his hair every day.

Since the king must appear before the people in his beauty, he must cut his hair every day .

High Priest

has his hair cut

from the eve of Shabbat to the eve of Shabbat; what is the reason?

Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchak said: Since the watches are renewed

and come each and every week [for each watch serves one week in the Temple, and afterward another comes and replaces it]. And a watch that had not yet seen the High Priest, and comes to see him, it is fitting that it see him in his beauty.

An ordinary priest

has his hair cut

once every thirty days —

from where do we know it [that we know this matter]?

It is derived [this matter comes and is learned]

by a gzera shava

“uncovering” —

“uncovering” from a nazirite,

as follows:

It is written here,

concerning the priests:

“And they shall not shave their heads, and they shall not let their hair grow long” ,

thus we have the expression “uncovering” concerning priests.

And it is written there,

concerning a nazirite:

“He shall be holy; he shall let the growth of the hair of his head grow long,”

thus we have the expression “uncovering” concerning a nazirite.

Just as there,

in the matter of a nazirite, the intention is that he must observe his naziriteship and grow the hair of his head for

thirty

days,

so too here,

concerning priests, what is stated, “and they shall not let their hair grow long,” means that they shall not grow the hair of their heads for more than

thirty

days.

And the nazirite himself [

himself],

from where do we know

that the period of his naziriteship is thirty days?

Rav Mattena said:

For

an unspecified naziriteship

is thirty days

.

From where do we know?

The verse says

in the matter of a nazirite: “Holy

shall be.”

And the word “shall be”

has the numerical value of thirty [it is thirty]. This indicates that the nazirite must observe his holiness for thirty days.

[that is, it equals thirty]. This indicates that the nazirite must maintain his state of holiness for thirty days.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: But perhaps [perhaps] what is stated concerning priests, “and they shall not let their hair grow long,”

[perhaps] what is stated concerning the kohanim, “they shall not let their hair grow long,”

this is what the Merciful One said [this is what the Torah said]:

[this is what the Torah says]:

they shall not grow it at all [that the priests shall not grow their hair at all] ,

but shall have their hair cut every day!

For this is the meaning of the verse: “And uncovering,” that is, hair of thirty days [as we find concerning a nazirite], “they shall not let grow long,” they shall not grow it. Rather, they shall shave their hair every day.

He said to him

Abaye:

If it had been written

[if it had been written] thus:

“They shall not let the uncovering grow long” —

it would indeed have meant

as you say [as you said], that they should not grow their hair until the measure of “uncovering.”

[as you said]: They may not let their hair grow until it reaches the measure called “unrestrained growth.”

But

now [now],

[at present],

since it is written, “And uncovering they shall not let grow long,”

this is the meaning of the verse:

“Uncovering,

the growth of hair up to thirty days —

let it be [it shall be; they are permitted to grow their hair thus].

[it is permitted for them to let their hair grow this way].

Letting it grow long [to let it grow long, to grow it further] —

[letting it grow further]—

that is what they shall not let grow long [they shall not do this], but shall shave it.

[but they must shave it].

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

If so,

if this matter is learned from the verse,

even nowadays [now, at this time]

[now, in the present time]

also [also] the priests should be required to shave their hair every thirty days!

[the kohanim should be required to shave their hair every thirty days]!

The Gemara explains: The reason that this law does not apply nowadays is that the verse “And they shall not let their hair grow long” is adjacent to the verse “And they shall not drink wine.” Therefore, the law of the prohibition against growing the hair must be

analogous to the law of those who have drunk wine [similar to the law of those who have drunk wine].

[similar to the law of those who have drunk wine].

Just as those who have drunk wine,

specifically

at the time of entering

the Temple

are forbidden,

as it is stated in the Book of Ezekiel: “And no priest shall drink wine when they enter the inner court,” but

when not at the time of entering —

it is permitted [it is permitted for a priest to drink wine],

for a kohen to drink wine,

so too here [also here, concerning shaving], the law is thus: specifically while the Temple is standing is it forbidden to grow “uncovering.” But now, when the Temple is not standing, it is permitted.

[also here, concerning shaving]: This is the law—only while the Temple is standing is it forbidden to let the hair grow long. But now, when the Temple is not standing, it is permitted.

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

But it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi says: I say that priests are forbidden to drink wine forever.

But what can I do, that its remedy

of the priest, on account of which he is permitted to drink wine, is because of

the ruin

of the Temple. Since several years have passed in which the Temple has not been built, we are not concerned lest it be built, and the priest be found to have drunk wine.