Taanit 25a (כה.) — the Talmud in English

The Gemara relates:

On every Friday afternoon, his wife was accustomed to heat the oven and place something smoky inside it

because of embarrassment [His wife, Rabbi Ḥanina’s, was accustomed to heat the oven every Friday afternoon and place in it something that produced smoke, so that it would appear as though she were baking pastries in honor of Shabbat, and people would not be embarrassed on account of the fact that they had no bread for Shabbat] .

He had a wicked neighbor [Rabbi Ḥanina’s wife had a wicked neighbor].

She said

the neighbor thought to herself:

Since I know that they have absolutely nothing [I know that Rabbi Ḥanina and his wife have nothing at all],

for Rabbi Hanina and his wife],

what is all this [What is all this great smoke emerging from the chimney of their oven]?

what is all this great smoke coming out of the chimney of their oven]?

She went and knocked on the door [She went and knocked on the door of Rabbi Ḥanina’s house].

she went and knocked on the door of Rabbi Hanina’s house].

She was embarrassed and entered an inner room [Rabbi Ḥanina’s wife was embarrassed to open the door, because she feared that the neighbor would see her embarrassment, and therefore she entered a room].

Rabbi Hanina’s wife was embarrassed to open, because she feared that the neighbor would see her in her embarrassment, and therefore she entered the room].

When the wicked neighbor saw that no one was opening the door, she opened it herself and entered to look.

A miracle occurred for her [A miracle occurred for Rabbi Ḥanina’s wife],

a miracle was performed for Rabbi Hanina’s wife],

for she saw the oven full of bread, and a bowl full of dough [The neighbor saw that the oven was full of bread, and beside it stood a bowl full of dough].

the neighbor saw the oven full of bread, and beside it stood a bowl full of dough].

The neighbor called to Rabbi Ḥanina’s wife and

said to her: So-and-so, so-and-so [So-and-so, so-and-so]

so-and-so, so-and-so]

bring a baker’s peel, for your bread is burning [Bring a peel to remove the bread, as it is beginning to scorch and burn]!

bring the peel to take out the bread, for it has begun to scorch and burn]!

She said to her

Rabbi Ḥanina’s wife:

I too entered for this purpose [I too entered the room for this purpose, to bring a peel].

I too entered the room for this purpose, to bring the peel].

The tanna taught:

She did not say this merely as an excuse; rather,

she too

in fact, when she heard the neighbor knocking at her door, and realized that if there was no bread in the oven she would suffer great embarrassment,

entered to bring a peel

into the room,

because she was accustomed to miracles

and knew with certainty that a miracle would be performed for her so that she would not be embarrassed.

After that incident,

his wife said to him [His wife said to Rabbi Ḥanina]:

his wife said to Rabbi Hanina]:

How long will we continue to suffer so greatly [How long will we continue to suffer so much from poverty]?

until when shall we continue suffering so much from poverty]?

He said to her

Rabbi Ḥanina said:

What shall we do [What shall we do to emerge from this situation]?

and what shall we do in order to leave this situation]?

His wife said to him:

Pray for mercy that they give you something [Pray to Heaven that they give you something from which we can support ourselves]!

ask mercy from Heaven, that they give you something from which we can support ourselves]!

He prayed for mercy [Rabbi Ḥanina prayed for mercy].

Rabbi Hanina prayed for mercy].

A miracle occurred for him, and

there emerged

from Heaven

something resembling a hand, and they gave him one leg of a golden table [They gave him from Heaven one leg of a golden table].

and they gave him from Heaven one leg of a golden table].

That night, before they had managed to do anything with that golden leg,

he saw in a dream that in the future the righteous would eat at a golden table with three legs, while he was at a table with two legs [Rabbi Ḥanina saw in a dream how the righteous would sit in the Garden of Eden in the future. The other righteous would eat at a golden table having three legs , while he would eat at a table having two legs].

while he would eat at a table with two legs.

He was thereby intimated from Heaven that what had now been given to him would be lacking to him in the future, in the Garden of Eden .

He said to her

Rabbi Ḥanina said to his wife:

Would you be satisfied for everyone to eat at a complete table, while we eat at an incomplete table [Would you be satisfied that everyone eat at a complete table, while only we eat at an incomplete, non-whole table]?

would it be satisfactory to you that everyone eat at a complete table, and only we eat at a deficient, incomplete table]?

She said to him

his wife:

And what shall we do [And what shall we do now so that our table will not be lacking]—

and what shall we do now], so that our table will not be deficient—

Pray for mercy that they take it from you [Pray that they take the golden leg away from you] .

ask for mercy that they take the golden leg from you] .

He prayed for mercy—

and they took it [Rabbi Ḥanina prayed for mercy, and they took away the golden leg].

Rabbi Hanina prayed for mercy, and they took away the golden leg].

The tanna taught: The latter miracle was greater,

when they took the golden leg away from him—

than the first.

For it is established [For this is received as a tradition from our Sages]:

for this is what we have received from our Sages]:

when they give,—

they do not take away [When they give something from Heaven, after they have given it, they do not take it back] .

they give from Heaven. But after they have given, they do not take back].

The Gemara relates another miracle that occurred for Rabbi Ḥanina.

One Friday afternoon ,

at twilight he saw

that his daughter was distressed [Rabbi Ḥanina saw that his daughter was sad].

Rabbi Hanina saw that his daughter was sad].

He said to her: My daughter, why are you distressed [Why are you sad]?

why are you sad]?

She said to him: I confused a vessel of vinegar with a vessel of oil,

for I wanted to pour oil into the Shabbat lamps, and thought that the vessel of vinegar was the vessel of oil, so I poured from it into the lamp,

and lit the Shabbat light with it.

Surely the lamp would soon go out, since vinegar is not combustible .

He said to her: My daughter, what difference does it make to you

what substance you put in the lamp?

The One who said to oil, “Burn,”

namely, the Holy One, blessed be He, who endowed oil with the property of combustion,

He will say

also

to vinegar—

“Burn!”

The tanna taught: It remained

the lamp

burning continuously.

It did not burn only on Friday night, as it normally did; rather, it continued burning

throughout the entire day

until the conclusion of Shabbat,

until they used its light for

the purpose of

Havdala .

There was another miracle that occurred for Rabbi Ḥanina:

Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa had these goats [He had goats].

he had goats].

They said to him

his neighbors:

Your goats are causing damage [Your goats are damaging our fields]!

your goats are damaging our fields]!

Rabbi Ḥanina, who was careful that his goats eat only from ownerless produce, was certain that they were not damaging other people’s fields. Therefore he

said

to his neighbors:

If they are causing damage—

let bears eat them [If what you say is true, that the goats are causing damage, let bears eat them].

if it is as you say, that the goats are causing damage, let bears eat them].

And if not, let each one bring a bear by its horns in the evening [But if this is not so, in the evening each goat will bring a bear grasped by its horns].

but if this is not so, in the evening each goat should bring a bear on its horns].

And so it was.

In the evening, each one brought a bear by its horns [In the evening each goat brought a bear grasped by its horns] .

in the evening each goat brought a bear clinging to its horns] .

There was another miracle that Rabbi Ḥanina performed:

He had a certain neighbor who was building a house [He had a neighbor who was building a house], but she mistakenly brought roof beams of the wrong measurement, and they were too short,

but she had mistakenly brought roof beams of the wrong size, and they were too short,

and the beams did not reach [The beams did not extend from one wall to the other] .

from one wall to the other .

She came before him [The neighbor came before him].

the neighbor came before him].

She said to him: I built my house, but my beams did not fit [I built my house, but the beams did not reach]!

I built my house, but the beams did not reach]!

He said to her

Rabbi Ḥanina said:

What is your name?

She said to him: “Ikku”

is my name.

He said: “Ikku! May your beams reach” [May it be God’s will that your beams lengthen and reach the proper length]!

may it be God’s will that your beams lengthen and reach the proper length]!

The tanna taught:

Indeed, this is what happened: The beams lengthened and

reached

the walls of the house. Moreover, they lengthened so much

that they extended

and protruded beyond the walls of the house,

a cubit on this side,

on this side of the house,

and a cubit

on this side , on its other side.

on the other side of the house.

And some say: They made them into branches.

That is, through a miraculous act, small pieces of wood became attached to the short beams, extending them to the appropriate size .

It was taught in a beraita: Pelimo says: I saw

the

same house

of Icho,

and its beams extended one cubit in this direction and one cubit in that direction.

And they said to me: “This is the house whose roof [

he made a roof for it; that is, he assisted in erecting its roof]

Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa made through his prayer [

through his prayer].

The Gemara now returns to discuss the earlier incident, which recounted the story of Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa’s goats. And it asks:

But Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa—from where did he have goats? And didn’t

we say above that he

was poor [

he was, and he supported himself with carobs from one Shabbat eve to the next]?

Furthermore,

it is puzzling how Rabbi Hanina raised goats, since

the Sages said

One may not raise small livestock in Eretz Yisrael!

The Gemara explains that, indeed, the goats did not belong to him; rather, he held them on behalf of another person, because of an incident that occurred, as follows.

Rav Pinhas said: An incident occurred in which a certain man passed by the entrance to Rabbi Hanina’s house

of Rabbi Hanina,

and left chickens there,

forgetting them there and continuing on his way.

And Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa’s wife found them

lying at the entrance to her house.

She brought the chickens into the house.

The chickens laid eggs,

and

Rabbi Hanina

said to her: Do not eat any of their eggs,

for they do not belong to us .

And

the chickens

laid

eggs, from which chicks hatched that grew and became

chickens

in great numbers,

and they caused them distress [

Rabbi Hanina and the members of his household, through their crowing and the great amount of filth they brought].

And

therefore

he sold them

Rabbi Hanina,

and with the proceeds he purchased goats .

Once, the man whose chickens had been lost passed by

near Rabbi Hanina’s house,

and said to his companion: “Here I left my chickens”

a long time ago.

Rabbi Hanina heard

his words.

He said to him

to that man:

“Do you have

with regard to those chickens

an identifying mark?”

He said to him: “Yes.”

Indeed, I have an identifying mark concerning them.

He gave him

Rabbi Hanina

an identifying mark

concerning the chickens,

and he took the goats

that Rabbi Hanina had purchased with their proceeds.

And

those goats that Rabbi Hanina had purchased with the proceeds of the chickens he had found and had kept in his possession for some time,

were the very goats that brought bears on their horns [

they were the goats that brought bears on their horns].

The Gemara relates another incident concerning what occurred as a result of the poverty of the Sages of Israel.

Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat was extremely hard-pressed [

he was extremely pressed in his livelihood].

He performed a procedure [

he let blood], and although he became weakened as a result of the bloodletting,

and

he was supposed to eat a full meal,

he had nothing to taste [

because of his extreme poverty, he had nothing to eat].

The only thing he found to eat was a piece of garlic.

He took a clove of garlic [

Rabbi Elazar took a segment of garlic],

and put it in his mouth [

and placed it in his mouth and ate it].

His heart weakened—

and he fell asleep [

he fainted from extreme weakness—and fell asleep].

The Sages went to inquire after him [

they came to visit him].

They saw him crying and laughing [

the Sages saw him in his sleep, crying and then laughing],

and a spark of fire emerged from his forehead [

a spark of fire emerged from his forehead].

When he awoke [

when he finally awoke from his sleep],

they said to him: “Why were you crying and laughing?” [

why did you cry and laugh in your sleep]?

He said to them: “The Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting with me” [

because the Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting with me] .

And I said to Him [

and I said to Him]:

“How long will I suffer in this world” [

how long will I suffer poverty in this world]?

And He said to me

the Holy One, blessed be He:

“Elazar, My son, would it please you if I were to turn the world back to its beginning” [

would it please you if I were to overturn the world from its beginning] ,

perhaps you would be born at a time of sustenance [

so that perhaps you would be born at a time and under a constellation associated with abundant sustenance]?!

I said before Him [

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

“All this,

you have done so much in Your world,

and

still You say only that

perhaps,

it is uncertain whether I would be born under a constellation associated with sustenance”?

I said to Him [

I said and asked before Him]:

“Have I lived longer [

have the years I have already lived exceeded the years I will live—in other words, have I already passed most of the days of my life],

or

perhaps

will I live longer [

will the years I will live from now onward exceed the years I have already lived]”?

He said to me

the Holy One, blessed be He:

“You have lived longer” [

the life you have already lived exceeds the life you will live from now on].

I said before Him [

I said to Him]:

“If so,

since only a few years remain for me,

I do not want it [

I do not want You to destroy the world and recreate it for the sake of those few years] .

He said to me: “For the reward of your saying, ‘I do not want it’” [

for the reward of your having said that you do not want Me to destroy the world],

“I will give you in the World-to-Come thirteen rivers of persimmon oil”

, pure as the Euphrates and the Tigris, in which you will delight [

I will give you in the World-to-Come thirteen rivers of persimmon oil , pure as the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, in which you will delight].

This is why Rabbi Elazar cried in his sleep: because the Holy One, blessed be He, informed him that only a few years remained for him. And he laughed and rejoiced because the Holy One, blessed be He, had informed him about those thirteen rivers of persimmon oil.

I said before Him [

I said before Him]:

“This, and no more” [

you will give me only this, and nothing more]?

He said to me: “And

if I give you more,

what shall I give your fellow” [

what shall I give your fellows, the other Sages]?

I said to Him: “Am I asking from a man who has nothing to give” [

do You think I am asking this of a human being, who is limited in what he can give]? I am asking from One to whom everything belongs, and Who can give both to me and to my fellows!

He struck me on the forehead with a finger snap [

the Holy One, blessed be He, struck me on my forehead by striking one finger against another ],

and said to me: “Elazar, My son, arrows in you, arrows” [

I have shot arrows at you]!

This is why a spark of fire emerged from his forehead during his sleep, as a result of the Holy One, blessed be He, striking him .

The Gemara now returns to the matter of a fast for rain, and relates another incident concerning this matter.

Rabbi Hama bar Hanina decreed a fast

so that rain would fall—

but rain did not come [

and rain did not fall].

They said to him: But [

behold,

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi decreed a fast—

and rain came [

and rain fell]!

He said to them: “Here am I, and here is bar Livai” [

here am I, and here is Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. That is, it is impossible to compare us. He is superior to me, and therefore his prayer was answered] .

They said to him: “Let us come and focus our intentions, perhaps the heart of the community will break and rain will come.” [

let us come and direct our intentions in prayer; perhaps the heart of the community will break, and rain will come].

They pleaded for mercy—

but rain did not come [

they pleaded for mercy, but rain did not come].

He said to them

to the community:

“Are you agreeable that rain should come for our sake” [

do you agree that rain should come for our sake]?

They said to him: “Yes.”

Rabbi Hama bar Hanina said:

“Sky, sky, cover your face”

with clouds, and let rain fall!

It did not cover itself [

the face of the sky was not covered with clouds].

Rabbi Hama said:

:

“How brazen [

insolent]

is the face of the sky,

that it does not become covered with clouds despite the community’s having prayed for this!

After Rabbi Hama said these words,

it became covered with clouds [

the face of the sky became covered with clouds],

and rain came [

and rain fell].

The Gemara continues and relates:

Levi decreed a fast, but rain did not come.

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

before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

“Master of the Universe! You have ascended and sat in the heavens, yet You do not have mercy on Your children!”

As a result of those words that Levi spoke toward the Holy One, blessed be He, two things occurred:

Rain came rain fell],

rain came],

and

also

he became lame Levi became lame], as he was punished for the words he spoke defiantly toward Heaven.

Levi became lame], because he was punished for the words that he spoke harshly toward Heaven.

Rabbi Elazar said: A person should never speak defiantly

toward Heaven.

For a great man

spoke defiantly toward Heaven—

and became lame and became lame].

and became lame].

And who was he and who was that man]?

and who was that person]?—

Levi,

as was related above.

The Gemara asks:

But did this cause it for him did this cause him to become lame]?

did this really cause him to become lame]?

But Levi demonstrated a kida before Rabbi he demonstrated a kida before Rabbi . A kida is performed by pressing one’s thumbs into the ground and bending until one’s face reaches the floor]—

performed a full prostration before Rabbi . A full prostration means that one places his thumbs firmly on the ground and bends down until his face reaches the floor]]—

and became lame and as a result became lame ]!

and because of this he became lame ]!

We thus find that he became lame because he demonstrated a kida! And we say:

Both this and that,

the two things—the act of demonstrating a kida as well as the act of speaking defiantly toward Heaven—

caused it for him caused him to become lame].

caused him to become lame.

That is, the sin that he committed, speaking defiantly toward Heaven, caused him to become lame through the kida. Had it not been for the sin, he would not have been harmed by the kida .

Rabbi Hiyya bar Lulyani heard those clouds saying he heard the clouds as they said to one another]:

he heard the clouds saying to one another]:

“Let us come and give water to Ammon and Moab” come and let us give water to Ammon and Moab].

come and give water to Ammon and Moab].

He said

Rabbi Hiyya

before Him before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

before the Holy One, blessed be He]:

“Master of the Universe, when You gave the Torah to Your people

Israel, You went around to all the nations of the world—

but they did not accept it

, and now You are giving them

the nations of the world

rain?

“Let them cast [the water] here let the clouds cast their waters here, in our place]!

so that the clouds should release their water here, in our place]!

And indeed the clouds did so,

for they cast it at their place they brought down their waters in Rabbi Hiyya’s place].

they brought down their water in Rabbi Hiyya’s place].

Rabbi Hiyya bar Lulyani expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written,

what is the meaning of the verse:

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow tall like a cedar in Lebanon”?

If it is stated

that the righteous shall flourish like a tree

palm tree, why is it stated

further in the verse that he shall grow tall like a tree

cedar?

And if it is stated

that the righteous resembles a

cedar, why is it stated

that he resembles a

palm tree?

Why did the Torah liken the righteous both to a palm tree and to a cedar?

Rather,

had it been stated

only that the righteous resembles

a palm tree, and it had not been stated

that he resembles a

cedar, I would say

the following: