Taanit 22b — the Talmud in English

“And he sent to him [ [A0003]Pharaoh Neco]

Pharaoh Neco

messengers, saying: What have I to do with you, king of Judah?! I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war.

And God said that He had commanded me to hasten.

Desist from the God who is with me—

“lest He destroy you.”

That is, Pharaoh sent messengers to Josiah to persuade him to refrain from fighting him. For in truth there was no war at all between him and Israel; rather, his war was against Assyria, against which his gods had sent him to fight.

And now we must clarify what Pharaoh meant by his words, “the God who is with me.” Did he mean the God of heaven, or, Heaven forbid, idolatry?

Who [ [A0011]that is, who was]

was that

the “God”

that Pharaoh said had sent him to war?

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: This means idolatry.

That is, Pharaoh claimed that other gods had sent him to fight Assyria.

Josiah

said in his heart:

Since Pharaoh trusts

Pharaoh

in idolatry—

I can overcome him [since Pharaoh trusts and relies upon idolatry, I can overcome him and defeat him in war].

Below it will be explained in what way King Josiah was mistaken.

It is written later in the verse:

“And the archers shot at King Josiah, and the king said to his servants: Take me away, for I am very ill.”

What is the meaning of “for I am very ill”?

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: This teaches that

because of the great number of arrows that the archers shot at King Josiah,

they made

his

entire body

of Josiah perforated

like a sieve.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: Why was Josiah punished?

But apparently his claim was a valid one!

Because he should have consulted [ [A0071]taken counsel]

to consult

Jeremiah,

the prophet , whether to allow Pharaoh Neco to pass through his land or not—

but he did not consult him.

What did he expound [ [A0090]which verse did Josiah expound]

that because of it he decided not to allow Pharaoh Neco to pass through his land?

He expounded the verse in the portion of Bechukotai, concerning the blessings with which the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed Israel if they would walk in His statutes:

“And a sword shall not pass through your land.”

That is, armies of war would not pass through the Land of Israel.

And this is how he expounded it:

What is the meaning of “a sword”?

What sort of sword did Scripture say would not pass through the Land of Israel?

If you say [ [A0098]that the intention is]

that it refers to

a sword that is not peaceful,

that is, Scripture informs us that war will not come upon us in the Land of Israel,

but it is written [ [A0102]and it was already stated] at the beginning of that verse:

at the beginning of that same verse:

“And I shall grant peace in the land,”

that is, war will not come upon Israel. If so, why does Scripture repeat at the end of the verse and say, “And a sword shall not pass through your land”?

Rather,

you are compelled to say that the intention of Scripture is that

even a peaceful sword

shall not pass through your land!

And indeed this is the intention of Scripture, as we have demonstrated.

But this applies specifically to a meritorious generation.

And he,

Josiah,

did not know that his generation was not pleasing

in the eyes of the Omnipresent, for they were not righteous.

When his soul was about to depart [ [A0125]when Josiah died],

[A0126]Josiah,

Jeremiah saw that his lips were moving [ [A0127]the prophet Jeremiah saw Josiah’s lips moving].

Jeremiah saw that his lips were moving.

Jeremiah

said in his heart:

Perhaps, Heaven forbid, he said something improper concerning Heaven because of his suffering [perhaps Josiah said, because of his suffering, something improper toward Heaven].

He bent down and heard him justifying the judgment against himself [ [A0132]Jeremiah bent down in order to hear Josiah’s words, and heard that he was justifying the judgment against himself].

He bent down and heard him justifying the Divine judgment against himself [A0133]—Jeremiah bent down to hear Josiah’s words and heard him accept the judgment against himself.

And thus

he

said:

Josiah:

“The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled against His mouth.”

That is, as we said, he had sinned in that he should have consulted Jeremiah.

At that moment he began concerning him [ [A0140]Jeremiah began and spoke about Josiah at that moment, when he heard the words]:

—Jeremiah began to speak about Josiah when he heard these words:

“The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,

was captured in their corruptions.” That is, Josiah was captured in the evil deeds of the people of his generation, as was explained above.

We learned in our Mishna:

“It happened that elders descended from Jerusalem to their cities, etc.” [ [A0149]and they decreed a fast because blight appeared, filling the mouth of an oven,

in Ashkelon].

They raised a dilemma:

Does the intention mean that blight appeared

like the filling of an oven with grain,

that is, blight appeared in an amount corresponding to the grain that fills an oven,

or perhaps

that blight appeared

like the filling of an oven with bread,

that is, blight appeared in an amount corresponding to an oven full of bread?

And this is a smaller measure, because it is not customary to fill the entire cavity of the oven with bread; rather, they would attach the bread only to the walls of the oven, all around.

Come and hear

from the beraita that we learned:

“Like the filling of the mouth of an oven.”

If so, certainly the intention is bread, which is attached and stands at the mouth of the oven. For grain cannot stand at the mouth of the oven; rather, it falls into it.

And

although we resolved that the intention is a filling of an oven with bread, and not a filling of an oven with grain,

they still raised a dilemma [ [A0176]there is still room to ask and deliberate]: Does the intention mean that the blight was

there is still room to ask and deliberate: Does it mean that the blight was

like

the measure of

the covering of an oven [ [A0180]the covering of the oven], that is, the size of one large loaf, which can stand over the opening of the oven like a covering,

the oven’s covering—that is, the size of one large loaf, which can stand over the opening of the oven like a covering—

or perhaps like a row of loaves that surrounds the mouth of the oven [ [A0182]like a measure of a row of loaves placed alongside one another and surrounding the mouth of the oven]?

when loaves are placed beside one another and encircle the mouth of the oven?

The conclusion of the Gemara is:

teyku.

We learned in our Mishna:

“And they further decreed a fast because wolves ate, etc.” [ [A0194]two infants in Transjordan].

—two infants in Transjordan.

Ulla said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: There was an incident

that

wolves swallowed two infants

whole , and they remained in their intestines for several days,

and they excreted them [ [A0209]and expelled them] whole in this manner,

and brought them out whole

through the place of excrement.

And that

incident

came before the Sages,

in order to determine whether those infants rendered impure like any corpse or not.

And they declared

the

flesh

pure with regard to corpse impurity, since it had been digested inside the wolves’ intestines , and had been nullified, and was no longer considered flesh, but merely pirsha [ [A0224]excrement, like any feces].

And they declared the bones impure,

saying that they convey corpse impurity, since they are not digested, and they remained whole as at first .

We learned in our Mishna:

“For these one sounds the alarm on Shabbat, etc.”

The Sages taught: The same [ [A0242]the same law applies to a]

law applies to

city surrounded by gentiles

to wage war against it,

or

where the

river

surrounding it is about to overflow its banks,

and the same [ [A0250]the same law applies to a]

law applies to

ship being tossed about at sea

and about to sink,

and the same applies to an individual pursued by gentiles or by bandits,

and

likewise a person pursued

by an evil spirit ,

that an evil spirit entered him, and because of this he walks and runs without awareness, and there is concern that he may drown in a river or fall into a pit and die—

All these cases have one law:

one sounds the alarm

concerning them even

on Shabbat.

For all of them,

for all those troubles mentioned above,

an individual may afflict [ [A0274]torment]

himself

himself with a fast , even though the entire public does not fast.

Rabbi Yose says: An individual may not afflict himself with a fast

, lest

by means of the fast he lack the strength to work, earn, and support himself through his labor, and

he will need

the donations of

rely on the generosity of

people.

And

lest

people not have compassion on him,

and he die of hunger.

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: What is the reason of Rabbi Yose ,

who said that an individual may not afflict himself with a fast?

For it is written: “And the human became a living soul.”

And this is how they expound the verse:

“The soul that I placed within you—

keep it alive.”

That is, you yourself must take care that you live, and do not rely upon people .

We learned in our Mishna: For these one sounds the alarm on Shabbat, etc.

Shimon the Temanite says: Also for pestilence, etc. [ [A0332]but the Sages did not agree with him].

—but the Sages did not agree with him.

They raised a dilemma:

Does what

the Sages did not agree with him

mean with regard to sounding the alarm

on Shabbat,

that the Sages disagreed with Shimon the Temanite, and they hold that one does not sound the alarm on Shabbat over pestilence?

But on a weekday—

they agreed with him

that one sounds the alarm.

Or perhaps, the Sages did not agree with him

at all

that

one sounds the alarm over pestilence; rather, they hold that one does not sound the alarm either on Shabbat or on a weekday?

Come and hear, for it was taught in a beraita: One sounds the alarm over pestilence on Shabbat, and there is no need to say

that one sounds the alarm

on a weekday.

Rabbi Hanan ben Pitom, the student of Rabbi Akiva, in the name of Rabbi Akiva [ [A0350]in the name of Rabbi Akiva]

in the name of Rabbi Akiva,

says: One does not sound the alarm over pestilence at all.

It follows for us that those who dispute the view that one sounds the alarm over this matter on Shabbat hold that one does not sound the alarm at all, even on a weekday .

We learned in our Mishna:

“over every trouble that should not come upon the community, etc.”

The Sages taught: “Over every trouble that should not come upon the community”—

one sounds the alarm over it, except for excessive rains

—excessive rains that cause damage.

What is the reason?

What is the reason that one does not sound the alarm over the trouble of excessive rains?

Rabbi Yohanan said: Because one does not pray for an excess of good.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: From where

do we learn

that one does not pray for an excess of good?

As it is stated

in the Book of Malachi

: “Bring all

the tithe to the storehouse, etc.”

“And test Me, please, with this, etc.: if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and empty out for you a blessing beyond measure.” It follows for us that even rain that falls without interruption is a blessing.

What

is the meaning of the expression

“beyond measure”?

Rami bar Rav said: Until your lips wear out from saying, ‘Enough.’

That is, “beyond”—until your lips wear out from saying “Enough,” so that the good should cease.

Rami bar Rav Yod said

—Rami, who was the son of a Sage whose name was “Yod”

: And in the Diaspora

—in Babylonia, which is deep, in the depths—

one sounds the alarm over it

—over the trouble of excessive rains. Because in a deep place, through excessive rains, the houses are drowned in water .

It was likewise taught

—we also learned this in a beraita

: “In a year in which its rains are abundant, the members of the watch send to the members of the standing.”

Below it will be explained who the members of the watch and the members of the standing are

: “Direct your eyes to your brothers in the Diaspora”

—when you pray during the fasts, direct your eyes and think about your brothers in the Diaspora

, “so that their houses should not be their graves”

because of the excessive rains.

They asked Rabbi Eliezer: How far may the rains descend, and one should pray that they should not descend?

What is the amount of excessive rains over which one should pray that no more rains should descend?

He said to them

—Rabbi Eliezer

: “So that a person can stand on Keren Afel”

—it is a tall rock whose name is “Keren Afel,” which is a place very far above ground level

, and

because of the excessive rains

he can swish

the person standing there

his feet in the water

—in the rainwater.

In truth, such a thing is impossible, that the rainwater should reach such a height. Rabbi Eliezer intended to say that one never prays over excessive rains.

They were astonished and asked Rabbi Eliezer: How can you say that the measure is so that he can stand and swish his feet in the water,

and yet it is taught

—for we learned in a beraita: so that he can stand, etc., and swish his

hands

in the water!

Rabbi Eliezer replied to them:

His feet—

I meant as his hands

—when I said “his feet,” I intended that he should be able to swish his hands. Since he can swish his foot in the water, if he bends and stoops, he will be able to swish even his hand.

Rabba bar bar Hana said: I myself saw Keren Afel

—I saw that rock called “Keren Afel”

, when that Ishmaelite merchant stood upon it, riding a camel and holding a spear in his hand

—he stood upon that rock, riding a camel and holding a spear in his hand, which is something very tall and conspicuous

, he appeared to me as a worm

—that Ishmaelite appeared to me small as a worm .

The Sages taught: “And I will give your rains in their time.”

This means

that

not

will the land be

waterlogged

—made too drunk with excessive rains

, and not

will it be

thirsty

for water

, but moderate .

And why is it not good that excessive rains should descend?

Because

whenever the rains are abundant, they muddy

—ruin

the land, and it does not produce fruit.