Taanit 24b (כד:) — the Talmud in English

In the time of Rav Yehuda

for in Rav Yehuda’s time],

all their study

was in Nezikin

all their learning was in the order of Nezikin] . They did not study the other orders, but only the order of Nezikin .

But we study all six orders

whereas we study and learn all six orders].

And when Rav Yehuda reached Uktzin

and when, in his studies, Rav Yehuda reached a Mishna in tractate Uktzin that speaks of this matter]: All handles of food, such as vegetable leaves: if impurity touches them, the food attached to those handles also becomes impure, when it requires them. Conversely, if impurity touches the food, the handles also become impure.

And we learned there:

The woman

who pickles vegetables in a pot,

that is, she squeezes the liquid from the vegetables so that they will keep for a long time—the handles, the leaves of those vegetables, are pure and do not become impure if impurity touches the vegetables themselves.

The reason is that, through the pickling and the pressure exerted on the vegetables, the handles become broken and cracked, and it is impossible to lift the vegetables by them. For if one were to lift them by grasping the handles, since they are weak and cracked, the vegetables would separate from them and fall. Consequently, the leaves are not considered handles of the food and do not become impure along with the food.

And some say

and there are those who say that the reference is not to what we learned, “the woman who was pickling, and so on,” but to this matter]:

olives that were pickled with their leaves [

together with their leaves]—

pure:

the handles are pure and do not convey impurity to the food, because once they have been pickled, they are no longer fit to serve as a handle .

When Rav Yehuda reached these matters in the course of his studies—

he said

he would say]:

“I see here the difficulties of Rav and Shmuel”

these matters appear to me like the difficulties of Rav and Shmuel] , for they are profound and are not clear to me!

And

if

we [

we]

were studying Uktzin

in thirteen study halls [

we were learning tractate Uktzin in thirteen study halls in the city where we were sitting] .

And despite all this—despite the fact that we are superior to Rav Yehuda’s generation in Torah study—

whereas Rav Yehuda, when he removed one shoe [

when he removed one shoe], because of the affliction —

rain immediately fell [

rain would immediately come].

But we cry out all day—

and there is no one who pays attention to us [

whereas we cry out all day in prayer, and there is no one who takes notice of us and hears us].

If it is because of our deeds [

perhaps we are not answered in our prayers because of our deeds, because we do not conduct ourselves properly],

if there is anyone who has seen something—

let him say so [

if anyone has seen something improper in us, the Sages —

let him say so]!

And since there is no one who can say that we are not conducting ourselves properly in some respect, it is certain that the matter does not depend on us or on our deeds, for we are superior to Rav Yehuda.

But what can the great men of the generation do, who

although they would be answered because of their own merit, nevertheless, since

their generation is not worthy [

the people of the generation do not conduct themselves properly] , they are therefore not answered in their prayers .

The Gemara relates:

Rav Yehuda saw two men [

he saw two people]

who were throwing bread [

they were throwing bread to one another as a joke].

He said: Infer from this that there is satiety in the world [

from the conduct of these people, who treated bread with such disregard, it is evident that there is great abundance in the world].

He cast his eyes upon them, and there was a famine [

Rav Yehuda cast his eyes upon them, and a famine came upon the world] .

The Sages wished to bring it about that Rav Yehuda would go out to the marketplace, see that there was a great famine, and pray about it.

The Sages said to Rav Kahana, son of Rav Neḥunya Shemaya [

the Sages said to Rav Yehuda’s attendant, whose name was Rav Kahana son of Rav Neḥunya]:

You who are frequently before him [

you, who are constantly in Rav Yehuda’s presence],

make him go out to the entrance adjacent to the marketplace [

try to bring it about that Rav Yehuda will go out to the entrance next to the marketplace] .

And indeed, that is what happened.

He made it happen—

and he went out to the marketplace [

Rav Kahana caused Rav Yehuda to go out to the marketplace].

He saw a crowd [

Rav Yehuda saw many people gathered together in one place].

He said to them [

he said to those people]:

What is this?

What is happening; why are you standing here?

They said to him: A basket of dates is standing here, and it is being sold [

there is a vessel full of dates here that are being offered for sale, and we are waiting to purchase them].

He said

Rav Yehuda: If so many people are waiting to buy from a single vessel of dates,

infer

from this that there is a famine in the world [

it is evident from this that there is a famine in the world].

He said to his attendant [

Rav Yehuda said to his attendant]:

Remove my shoes [

remove my shoes] . He wished to do this as an affliction, so that rain would fall.

He removed one shoe for him [

his attendant removed one of his shoes],

and

before he had time to remove the second one,

rain came [

rain fell].

When he proceeded to remove the other one [

when Rav Yehuda began to remove the other shoe],

Elijah came [

Elijah the Prophet came]

and said to him: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If you remove the other one—

I will destroy the world [

if you remove the second shoe, I will destroy the world] .

Rav Mari, son of the daughter of Shmuel, said [

the son of Shmuel’s daughter]: On the day Rav Yehuda did this,

I was standing on the bank of the Pappa River [

I was standing on the bank of a river called “Pappa”].

I saw angels who appeared as sailors [

I saw angels there who appeared as ship’s sailors],

bringing sand and filling the ship with it [

they brought sand and filled the ship with it],

and it became fine flour [

through a miracle, the sand became fine flour]. They did this in order to sell the flour to the local inhabitants.

Word of this reached the local inhabitants,

and everyone came to buy from it [

they all came to purchase some of that fine flour].

And I said to them [

and I said to them]:

“Do not buy from this, for it is the product of a miracle” [

do not buy this flour, because it was produced through a miracle] . The more one can distance oneself from the product of miracles, the better and more proper it is .

The local inhabitants listened to him and did not buy that flour.

The next day, ships of wheat from Parzina arrived [

the next day, ships carrying wheat arrived at the place from a location called “Parzina”], and the local inhabitants bought from them.

Rava happened to come to Hagronya [

he happened to come to a place called “Hagronya”] during a drought.

He decreed a fast [

he decreed a fast].

He prayed for mercy [

he asked that rain should fall]—

but rain did not come [

and rain did not fall].

He said to them [

he said to the local inhabitants]:

“Remain overnight in your fast” [

remain all night in your fast], and do not eat anything until morning.

The next day he said to them [

the next day he said to the local inhabitants]:

“Is there anyone who saw a dream?”—

let him say so [

whoever among you saw something in his dream—let him relate it].

Rabbi Elazar of Hagronya said to them: In my case, they recited to me in my dream [

they recited and said to me in my dream] these words:

“Good greeting to a good teacher, from a good Master, who from His goodness benefits His people” [

“A good greeting—to a good teacher, from a good Master, who benefits His people from His goodness”] .

He said:

These are good things that they told you in your dream;

infer from this that it is a time of favor to request mercy [

It is evident that now is a time of favor to request mercy].

Request mercy—

and rain will come [

Request mercy, and rain fell].

The Gemara now brings an incident concerning this matter, in which the Sages had the power to bring down rain through their prayers.

There was a certain man who was liable to receive lashes in Rava’s court, because he had intercourse with a gentile woman [

There was a man who was liable to receive lashes in Rava’s court because he had intercourse with a gentile woman] .

Rava flogged him—

and he died [

Rava flogged him, and that man died as a result of the lashes] .

The matter became known in the house of Shapur the king, and he wanted to torment Rava [

The matter became known in the royal palace , whose ruler was named “Shapur,” and he wanted to torment and punish Rava].

Iphra Hormiz

the mother of Shapur the king, said to her son [

His mother, whose name was “Iphra Hormiz,” said to her son Shapur]:

Do not have dealings with the Jews [

It is not worthwhile for you to have dealings with the Jews].

And why?

For whatever they request from their Master—

He gives them [

Because whatever they request from their Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, He gives them].

He said to her

Shapur said to his mother:

What is it?

What is the thing that the Holy One, blessed be He, does for them when they ask Him?

She said to him:

They request mercy—

and rain comes [

They request mercy, and rain falls].

He said to her:

The fact that rain falls during the rainy season when they request it is no proof that the Holy One, blessed be He, responds to their request. For perhaps

that

rain that falls then, when they request it, is

because it is the time for rain [

because it is the season and appointed time for rain]. It had merely been withheld until that time, and now it came.

Rather,

if it is indeed the case that whatever they request, their God does for them,

let them request mercy now,

in the season of Tammuz, and let rain come [

Let the Jews request mercy now, in the season of Tammuz, which is not the rainy season, and let rain come], and then we will know that this is indeed so, that the Holy One, blessed be He, responds to their request.

She sent to Rava [

Iphra Hormiz sent to Rava]:

Direct your attention and request mercy, so that rain will come [

Direct your attention and request mercy, so that rain will now fall] .

He requested mercy—

but rain did not come [

Rava requested mercy, but rain did not fall].

Rava said

Rava

before Him [

before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

“O Master of the Universe! ‘God, with our ears we have heard, our fathers have recounted to us the deed You performed in their days, in the days of old’

” [

This is a verse in Psalms], meaning that our fathers recounted to us the miracles and wonders that You performed in their days ,

but

if

we—

we have not seen miracles with our own eyes

miracles!

When Rava said this,

rain came [

Rain came]. And it was so abundant

that the gutters of Tzippori poured into the Tigris [

that the water flowed through the gutters in Tzippori and flooded the streets until it reached and fell into the Tigris] .

His father came and appeared to him in a dream [

Rava’s father came and appeared to him in a nighttime dream] ,

and said to him: Is there anyone who troubles Heaven so much? [

Is there anyone who troubles the Holy One, blessed be He, so much, by bringing down rain out of season]?

His father said to him

His father said to him:

Change your place [

Change your place], and do not sleep tonight on the bed on which you usually sleep.

Rava followed his father’s instruction, and

changed his place [

and changed the place where he slept that night].

The next day, he found his bed marked with knife cuts [

The next morning, he found marks and signs of knives on his usual bed]. The demons had wanted to kill him and had cut his bed .

Rav Pappa decreed a fast—

but rain did not come [

He decreed a fast, but rain did not come].

His heart weakened [

His heart weakened]. That is, Rav Pappa felt physical weakness because of the fast.

He swallowed a spoonful of porridge [

He ate a full spoonful of porridge],

and requested mercy—

he asked for mercy—

but rain did not come [

and he requested mercy for rain, but it did not come].

It is improper to do this—to taste something and then request mercy.

Therefore

Rav Naḥman bar Oshpazti said to him

with a laugh:

If the Master swallows

another spoonful of porridge—

rain will come [

If you eat another spoonful of porridge, rain will come]!

He was embarrassed [

Rav Pappa was embarrassed by Rav Naḥman’s words],

and his spirit was humbled [

and his spirit was humbled],

and

as a result,

rain came [

Rain came].

Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa was walking along the road [

He was traveling along the road].

Rain came [

Rain came], and it interfered with his journey.

He said before Him: Master of the Universe, the entire world is at ease,

for it is good for them that rain falls to irrigate their fields,

but

only

Ḥanina is suffering?!

The rain stopped [

The rain ceased to fall].

When he reached his home [

when Rabbi Ḥanina reached his home],

he said before Him [

he said before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

Master of the Universe! The entire world is suffering

because rain is not falling and their fields are not being irrigated,

but

only

Ḥanina,

who is sitting in his home and does not need rain because he has no fields —

is at ease?!

Rain came [

Rain came].

Rav Yosef said: Of what benefit was the prayer of the High Priest in comparison with Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa’s? [

What benefit was there in the prayer of the High Priest in comparison with Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa’s]?

The High Priest would pray before the Holy One, blessed be He, that He not accept the prayer of travelers, who prayed that rain should not fall and interfere with their journey. Nevertheless, Rabbi Ḥanina’s prayer was accepted when he was traveling, and the rain ceased for them!

As we learned:

The High Priest

would recite a short prayer

in the outer chamber [

in the Sanctuary, which was outside the Holy of Holies].

What would he pray? [

What would he say in his prayer]?

Ravin bar Adda and Rava bar Adda both said in the name of Rav Yehuda [

They both said in the name of Rav Yehuda] that this was the prayer of the High Priest:

“May it be Your will, Lord our God, that this year be rainy

and hot.”

The Gemara is astonished: How could the High Priest pray that the year be

hot [

warm] ? Is

that a good thing [

is it an excellent thing for the year to be hot]?

On the contrary, it is a deficiency [

it is a bad thing]!

Rather,

this was the prayer of the High Priest:

If

the coming year is destined to be

hot—

we request that it

be rainy and moist with dew [

that it be a year of abundant rain and dew]. For in a hot season, abundant and frequent rain is needed .

The High Priest concluded his prayer and said:

And may the prayer of travelers not enter before You,

who pray that rain should not fall so that it will not interfere with their journey.

Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, concludes in the name of Rav Yehuda

the High Priest’s prayer with these words:

May the ruler not cease from the house of Judah [

May the warrior not depart from the house of Judah] ,

And may Your people Israel not need to support one another,

but rather, may each person have enough for his livelihood.

And

so,

not

need

to

assistance from

another nation .

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Every day and every day

a bat kol (heavenly voice)

goes forth and says: The entire world is sustained in the merit of my son Hanina [

in the merit of Hanina, my son].

But my son Hanina

himself—

it suffices for him [

it is enough for him]

with a kav of carobs from one Friday eve to the next [

because, due to his extreme poverty, he lacked bread , and he ate only carobs throughout the week].