Taanit 19b — the Talmud in English

Rav Naḥman said: River for river,

that is, if there is no grain in one city, but it is possible to bring grain from other towns in boats by way of the river —

drought.

This is considered drought. But this is not considered famine, since it is possible to bring grain easily, by boats, from distant places.

But

country for country,

if there is no grain in one country and they need to bring it from another country by carrying sacks of grain on donkeys—

famine.

This is considered famine, which is worse than drought, since it is impossible to bring it easily from distant places.

And Rabbi Ḥanina said:

If

a se’a

of grain is sold

for a sela

,

which is a very high price,

and

nevertheless the grain

is available

[to everyone]—

drought,

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

But if

four

se’ahs of grain are sold

for a sela,

which is a very discounted price,

and it is not available

[and the grain is not available]—

famine.

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

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They taught

this order of fasts

only when money is cheap and produce is expensive

.

But

if the

money is expensive,

that is, it is not available,

and

although the

produce is cheap—

they sound the alarm concerning it immediately.

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

For Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I remember

[I remember]

when there were

[when there were available]

four se’ahs for a sela,

which is a very cheap price,

and

nevertheless

there were many famine-swollen people

[there were many people swollen from famine]

in

the city

of Tiberias, because of the lack of an issar

[because an issar was not available with which to purchase].

We learned in our Mishna:

“Rain fell for the plants but not for the trees”

etc.

The Gemara asks:

Granted,

the circumstance in which rain fell

for the plants but not for the trees can be found

[this is possible], in a situation

that it came

[that the rain came]

gently,

calmly, in which case it is beneficial for plants,

but it did not come forcefully

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

And likewise, what we learned, rain fell

for the trees but not for the plants,

is possible, in a situation

that it came forcefully but did not come gently

[that the rain fell with force and not gently]. For then it benefits the trees—but not the plants.

And likewise, what we learned: rain fell

for both this and that,

for plants and trees,

but not for cisterns, pits, and caves,

also

can be found

[this can happen], in a situation

that it came forcefully and gently

[that the rain fell both gently and forcefully],

however, it did not come in great quantity

[but much rain did not fall], enough to fill cisterns.

But that which was taught in a beraita: “Rain fell for cisterns, pits, and caves, but not for this and 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 plants nor for trees?!

And the Gemara explains: This is possible in a situation

that it came in a downpour,

that the rain fell with extremely great force [more than “forcefully”]. In that case it fills the cisterns, but because it falls with great force, it is not beneficial for plants, nor even for trees

. The Sages taught: They sound the alarm concerning the trees,

if rain has not fallen for them—

at the approach of Passover

[during the days of Passover

], Concerning who?

the cisterns, pits, and caves,

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

at the approach of the festival

[during the days of the Festival of Sukkot]

. And if they have no water even enough to drink for human beings,

they sound the alarm concerning them immediately,

even before the approach of the festival

. And although it is still summer and it is not the time of rainfall, 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 adjacent Monday, Thursday, and Monday .

they sound the alarm over them immediately,

even before the beginning of the festival.

Even though it is still summer and not the rainy season, they nevertheless sound the alarm, since everyone now needs water.

And what is meant by “immediately” in their case?

And all of them,

all those mentioned above, concerning which they sound the alarm,

they sound the alarm concerning them only in their province

[in their kingdom

], where the water of the cisterns, pits, and caves has been exhausted

. And the illness of askara , when there is death from it, which is a spreading epidemic, and people die from it— they sound the alarm concerning it .

they sound the alarm over them only in their own district [

in their own kingdom],

where the water in the cisterns, pits, and caves has run out . And the illness of askara,

But

when there is no death from it—

they do not sound the alarm concerning it.

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.

And they sound the alarm concerning locusts

[this is a species of locust] even

when

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 in the case of grasshoppers, if only a few are seen, they do not sound the alarm. The reason is that it is common for there to be only a few, and it is possible that no more will come. They also do not destroy vegetation as extensively as locusts.

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

even when only a small amount is seen.

The Sages taught: They sound the alarm over the trees

But

concerning the cisterns, pits, and caves,

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

even in

the

Sabbatical year,

since even in the Sabbatical year everyone needs drinking water

.

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

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Even concerning the trees

they sound the alarm

in the Sabbatical year,

even though the trees are ownerless, because there is in them in the trees sustenance for the poor, who sustain themselves by gathering in ownerless fields, and therefore rainfall is needed. It was taught in another beraita [we learned another beraita]: They sound the alarm concerning the trees— during the other years of the seven-year cycle.

Concerning the cisterns, the pits, and the caves—

even in the Sabbatical year.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Even concerning

the trees

they sound the alarm in the Sabbatical year,

and

they sound the alarm also concerning the aftergrowth

[plants that grew on their own]

in the Sabbatical year,

even though they are not so important—

because there is in them

in the trees and the aftergrowth

sustenance for the poor.

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

, rain has become scant in the world

[rain falls with difficulty

over the self-grown produce [

].

plants that grew on their own]

in the Sabbatical Year,

even though it is not particularly important -

because they contain,

in the trees and in the self-grown produce,

a source of livelihood for the poor.

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

, rain has become scant throughout the world [

rain falls 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 gave him his sustenance

[his wages and food] for the entire week

—

on the first day of the week

[on the first day of the week].

For then, since he has free time to prepare, the dough is found to be baked properly, and not hurriedly and hastily, and also the bread that is baked will be eaten calmly, properly. So too, in a year whose rains fall at their proper time, the grain grows at its proper time, and everything comes peacefully into its proper place. By contrast, a year whose rains do not fall at their proper time—to what is it comparable? To a servant whose master gave him his sustenance

at the end of the workweek

—

on the eve of Shabbat.

Since he no longer has free time,

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 gave 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, since every time wheat is ground, some flour remains in the mill. And in such a manner, when he grinds the wheat all at once for the entire year,

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

A year in which its rains are abundant—what is it comparable to?

To a servant to whom his master gives his livelihood all at once

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

.

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

the millstones are found to grind from a kor,

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

Therefore, if he grinds a large quantity at once, he profits.

This is not so when he grinds little by little, in which case flour is found to be lost in every grinding.

Similarly with rain: when abundant rain falls all at once, the earth is found to swallow all the quantity that it normally swallows, at once. And likewise, what the wind normally dries, it dries all at once.

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? -

In other words, the same amount remains in the mill whether one grinds a large quantity or a small quantity.

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

But when he grinds little by little, flour is lost during every grinding.

Likewise with rain: when a great deal of rain falls all at once, the earth absorbs all the amount that it normally absorbs, all at once. Similarly, whatever amount the wind normally dries, it dries all at once.

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.

.

And

.

Because

the dough is found to consume [מחסרת]

[to reduce]

from the kor—

as much

that

as it consumes from the kav.

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

. So too regarding rain: when it descends little by little, it is absorbed into the rocky ground, and it does not make the earth fertile or water it.

,

a year whose rains are few, to what is it comparable—

to a slave whose master gave him his sustenance little by little.

the millstones are found to grind from the kor—

they grind from the kav.

the dough is found to be eaten away from the kor—

it consumes from the kav.

. And therefore the slave emerges disadvantaged, as was explained.

Alternatively: when the rains

of the year

are plentiful, to what is it comparable—

[who prepares clay by kneading earth and water].

if he has much water,

the

the water does not run out

while he is kneading it,

and

and

the clay emerges well kneaded.

But

if he has little water,

the

the water runs out, and

the

the clay

is dry, and

is found to be dry, and it is not kneaded well.

The Sages taught: Once all Israel went up for the pilgrimage

to Jerusalem, and they had no water to drink,

because it was a year of drought.

Naqdimon ben Gurion went,

who was very wealthy ,

to a provincial governor

one.

He said to him: Lend me

twelve springs

of water

full

for

for the needs of

the pilgrims

of the

to the pilgrimage, and I

will return them and

give you

those same

twelve springs of water

full, when they become filled with rainwater.

And if

I do not fulfill my promise, and

I do not give you

the springs full—

I hereby give you

in exchange for them

twelve talents of silver.

And he set a time for him,

within what period of time he would return water or money to him.

When the time

that they had set

arrived and rain had not fallen, in the morning

he sent him

that governor to Naqdimon:

Send me either water or money, which

I have in your possession [שאתה חייב לי]!

[that you owe me]!

Naqdimon sent him

Naqdimon:

I still have time,

,for the time we set is until the end of the day, and if so,

the entire day—

is mine

and under my authority

it is!

At midday he sent him

the governor again:

Send me either water or money that I have in your possession!

He sent him

Naqdimon:

I still have time during the day.

At Minha

again

he sent him

the governor:

Send me water or money that I have in your possession!

Naqdimon sent him

Naqdimon:

I still have time during the day.