Taanit 19b (יט:) — the Talmud in English

Rav Naḥman said: River to river,

that is, if there is no produce in one city, but it is possible to bring produce from other towns by boats along the river -

it is drought.

This is considered a drought. But it is not considered famine, since produce can easily be brought by boat from distant places.

But

province to province,

if there is no produce in one province and they need to bring it from another province by carrying sacks of produce on donkeys -

famine.

This is considered famine, which is worse than drought, since it is not possible to bring produce easily from distant places.

And Rabbi Ḥanina said:

If

a se'a

of produce is sold

for a sela ,

,

which is a very high price,

and

nevertheless the produce

is available [

for everyone] -

it is drought,

this is considered drought. For although the produce is expensive, ultimately it can be obtained in exchange for a high payment.

But if

four

se'ot of produce are sold

for a sela,

which is a very low price,

and it is not available [

and the produce is not readily available] -

famine.

This is considered famine. For what benefit is there in the fact that produce is cheap if it cannot be obtained?

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They taught

this order of fasts

only when money is readily available and produce is expensive .

.

But

if

money is scarce,

meaning that it is not readily available,

and

although

produce is cheap -

they sound the alarm over it immediately.

For what benefit is there in the fact that produce is cheap if money is not available with which to buy it?

As Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I remember [

I remember]

when there were [

when there were available]

four se'ot for a sela,

which is a very low price,

and

nevertheless

there were many famine-swollen people [

there were many people swollen from famine]

in

the city of

Tiberias, because there was no issar [

because an issar was not available with which to buy].

We learned in our Mishna:

They have fallen on the vegetation but not on the trees,

and so on.

The Gemara asks:

Granted,

the circumstance in which rain falls

on the vegetation but not on the trees can be found [

is possible], in a case where

it comes [

the rain comes]

gently,

calmly, in which case it is beneficial for vegetation,

but it does not come forcefully [

and does not come with force], in which case it is beneficial for trees [as we found above, 3b].

Likewise, what we learned, that rain fell

on the trees but not on the vegetation,

is possible, in a case where

it comes forcefully and does not come gently [

the rain falls with force and not gently]. For then it benefits the trees but not the vegetation.

And likewise, what we learned: rain fell

on both this and that,

on vegetation and trees,

but not into cisterns, pits, and caves,

also

can be found [

is possible], in a case where

it comes forcefully and gently [

the rain falls both gently and forcefully],

but it does not come in great quantity [

but not much rain falls], sufficient to fill cisterns.

But that which was taught in a beraita: It fell into cisterns, pits, and caves, but not on either this or that—how can it be found? [

How is this possible]? How is it possible that rain that is beneficial for filling cisterns is beneficial neither for vegetation nor for trees?!

The Gemara explains: This is possible in a case where

it comes in a deluge,

the rain falls with extremely great force [more forcefully than razya]. In that case it fills the cisterns, but because it falls with such great force, it is not beneficial for vegetation, and not even for trees .

The Sages taught: They sound the alarm over the trees,

if rain has not fallen upon them -

at the onset of Passover [

during the days of Passover ],

Over

whom?

The cisterns, pits, and caves,

if rain has not fallen upon them, and because there is insufficient water in the cisterns there is nothing with which to irrigate the seeds or water the animals—they sound the alarm

at the onset of the Festival [

during the days of Sukkot] .

And if they have no water

even enough

to drink

for people,

they sound the alarm over them immediately,

even before the onset of the Festival .

And although it is still the summer season and not the season of rain, nevertheless they sound the alarm, since everyone now needs water.

And what is their “immediately”?

That is, what is meant by sounding the alarm immediately -

It does not mean that they begin sounding the alarm immediately, on whatever day it may be. Rather, it means that they sound the alarm immediately on the adjoining

Monday, Thursday, and Monday

days .

And all of them,

all those mentioned above over which they sound the alarm,

they sound the alarm over them only in their province [

in their kingdom ], where the water in the cisterns, pits, and caves has been depleted .

And

the disease

askara

But when it does not cause death - they do not sound the alarm over it. And they sound the alarm over locusts [ a type of locust], even when only a small amount is seen. This is because even when only a few are currently seen, it is a sign that many more will come.

, when it causes death,

which is a spreading epidemic and people die from it -

they sound the alarm over it .

only any amount is seen, a little. For even when only a little is presently seen, it is a sign that many more will come. But concerning a grasshopper, if only a little is seen, they do not sound the alarm. The reason is that it is common for there to be only a little, and it is possible that no more will come. Also, it does not destroy vegetation as much as the locust. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Even concerning the grasshopper they sound the alarm, even if only any amount is seen. The Sages taught: They sound the alarm concerning the trees, if rain has not fallen for them, specifically during the other years of the seven-year cycle [during the six years that are not the Sabbatical year]. But in the Sabbatical year they do not sound the alarm, since the trees are ownerless .

But

when it does not cause death -

they do not sound the alarm over it.

And they sound the alarm over locusts [

which are a type of grasshopper] even

when

only

a small amount

is seen. For even when only a small amount is currently seen, this is a sign that many more will come.

But concerning a grasshopper, if only a small amount is seen, they do not sound the alarm. The reason is that it is common for only a few to appear, and it is possible that no more will come. Moreover, it does not destroy vegetation to the same extent as locusts.

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: They sound the alarm even over a grasshopper,

even if only a small amount is seen.

The Sages taught: They sound the alarm over the trees,

if rain has not fallen upon them, specifically

during the other years of the Sabbatical cycle [

during the six years that are not the Sabbatical year]. But in the Sabbatical year they do not sound the alarm, since the trees are ownerless .

But

over the cisterns, pits, and caves,

if rain has not fallen upon them, they sound the alarm

even in

the

Sabbatical

year, since even in the Sabbatical year everyone needs drinking water .

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: They sound the alarm even over the trees

in the

Sabbatical year,

even though the trees are ownerless,

because they contain

in the trees

a source of sustenance for the poor,

who support themselves by gathering produce in ownerless fields; therefore, rain is needed.

It was taught in another beraita [

we learned another beraita]:

They sound the alarm over the trees -

].

during the other years of the Sabbatical cycle.

Over the cisterns, the pits, and the caves -

even in the Sabbatical year.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: They sound the alarm even over

the trees

in the Sabbatical year,

and

they sound the alarm

even

over the growths [

plants that grew on their own]

in the Sabbatical year,

even though they are not particularly important -

because they contain,

in the trees and the growths,

a source of sustenance for the poor.

It was taught: Rabbi Elazar ben Perata said: From the day the Temple was destroyed

, the rains have become meager in the world

[the rains fall with difficulty ].

There is a year whose rains are abundant, and there is a year whose rains are sparse.

There is a year whose rains fall at their proper time,

at the beginning of winter.

And there is a year whose rains do not fall at their proper time.

A year whose rains fall at their proper time—to what is it comparable? -

To a servant whose master gives him his sustenance [

his wages and food] for the entire week

on Sunday [

on the first day of the week].

Since he then has leisure to prepare things,

the dough is found to be baked properly,

not hurriedly or hastily,

and also

the bread that is baked

is eaten

calmly,

properly.

.

So too, in a year whose rains fall at their proper time, the produce grows at its proper time, and everything proceeds peacefully.

By contrast,

a year whose rains do not fall at their proper time—to what is it comparable? -

To a servant whose master gives him his sustenance

at the end of the workweek,

on Friday.

Since he no longer has leisure,

the dough is found to be baked improperly and eaten improperly.

A year whose rains are abundant—to what is it comparable? -

To a servant whose master gives him his sustenance all at once

at the beginning of the year, and he grinds all the wheat at once.

There is an advantage in this, because each time wheat is ground, some flour remains in the mill. In this manner, when he grinds the wheat for the entire year all at once,

the millstones are found to grind from a kor,

which is a large quantity,

as much as they grind from a kav,

which is a much smaller quantity .

That is, the same quantity remains in the mill whether one grinds a large amount or a small amount.

Therefore, if he grinds a large quantity all at once, he gains.

This is not so when he grinds little by little, since flour is lost with every grinding.

Likewise with rain: when abundant rain falls all at once, the earth absorbs in one instance the entire quantity that it ordinarily absorbs. And whatever the wind ordinarily dries, it dries all at once.

For whether one kneads a large quantity in the trough or a small quantity, the dough is always reduced by the same amount.

one.

!