Taanit 25b (כה:) — the Talmud in English

What of a date palm,

if its trunk is cut—

its trunk does not regenerate [

the trunk does not grow again],

so too a righteous person,

who resembles a date palm, is such that

God forbid, his trunk does not regenerate,

meaning that after his death he does not live again at the resurrection of the dead,

therefore it is stated

that a righteous person also resembles a

cedar,

whose trunk regenerates. For when its trunk is cut, another trunk grows in its place.

And

had it been stated

only that he resembles a

cedar, and it had not been stated

that he resembles a

date palm, I would have said

as follows:

Just as a cedar—

does not produce fruit [

it does not grow fruit],

so too a righteous person, God forbid, does not produce fruit,

meaning that he has no reward in the World-to-Come,

therefore it is stated

that he resembles a

date palm, and it is stated

that he also resembles a

cedar,

to teach you that a righteous person resembles a date palm, which produces fruit, and resembles a cedar, whose trunk regenerates.

And the Gemara asks:

But

a

cedar tree—

does its trunk regenerate?

But it was taught in a beraita: One who purchases a tree from another

in order

to cut it down [

to cut it down] and use the tree’s trunk for firewood and the like does not cut the tree’s trunk immediately adjacent to the ground; rather,

he leaves it one handbreadth above the ground [

that is, he leaves a trunk one handbreadth high above the ground and does not cut it], and

he

only above this point

cuts.

For only in this manner can the trunk grow again and the tree produce fruit again. But if he cuts it immediately adjacent to the ground, the trunk will no longer grow.

This law was stated with regard to most trees. But there are trees whose law differs:

In the case of a mature sycamore stump [

a sycamore tree that has already been cut several times, and therefore its trunk has become as thick as a block]—he leaves

two handbreadths

of the trunk in the ground, and cuts the trunk above this point. For only in this manner will the trunk grow again.

In the case of an untouched sycamore [

a sapling that has never been cut]—he leaves

three handbreadths

in the ground, and cuts it.

In the case of reeds and vines—

he cuts only

from the node [

it is the lowest joint in the stalk]

and above.

In the case of date palms and cedars,

not only does he not need to leave any of the trunk above the ground, but he even

digs below

into the earth,

and uproots it [

and pulls the trunk out with its roots]. And the reason is

that the trunk

of a date palm or cedar

does not regenerate [

change] in any case. For if it is cut, even if it is not cut entirely but a portion attached to the ground is left, the trunk will not grow again.

Thus, we see that the trunk of a cedar does not regenerate. And how did we say that the verse compared a righteous person to a cedar because its trunk regenerates?

The Gemara answers: In truth, the trunk of an ordinary cedar, which is called simply “cedar,” does regenerate.

And

here,

with regard to what we learned in the beraita, that the trunk of the cedar does not regenerate,

with what are we dealing [

what is the case]—

with the other species of cedar.

There is a tree whose name is “cedar,” and its trunk regenerates. And there are nine other species of cedar, which have other names. These trees—their trunks do not regenerate. And this is

in accordance with Rabba bar Huna [

as Rabba bar Huna said].

As Rabba bar Huna said: There are ten species of cedar,

as it is stated: “I will place in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, etc.” [

This is the wording of the verse: “I will place in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and I will set the olive tree in the desert; the cypress, the plane tree, and the box tree together.” Seven types of cedar are mentioned in this verse. And the Gemara in tractate Rosh HaShana says that three more species were added to them: oaks, elm trees, and coral trees].

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving Rabbi Eliezer, who decreed thirteen fasts upon the community—

and rain did not fall

.

On

the fast

of the last

of those thirteen fasts, when they saw that they had not been answered until then,

the community began to leave

the synagogue.

He said to them

Rabbi Eliezer said to the community: Have you already

prepared

for yourselves

graves?

For you will all die of hunger, God forbid!

When the community heard these harsh words,

the entire people cried out [

shouted]

in weeping,

and

as a result

rain fell.

Again, there was an incident involving Rabbi Eliezer, who went down before the ark

to pray on a day of fasting for rain,

and he recited

the

twenty-four

blessings

recited on a fast day—but

he was not answered.

Rabbi Akiva went down after him

before the ark,

and said

only the following words:

“Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You; our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy upon us”

, and

immediately

rain fell.

The Sages were murmuring [

When the Sages saw this—that Rabbi Eliezer was not answered, whereas Rabbi Akiva was answered immediately—they murmured about Rabbi Eliezer, saying that he was not as great as Rabbi Akiva].

A Divine Voice emerged and said:

The reason that Rabbi Akiva was answered and Rabbi Eliezer was not answered

is not because this one,

Rabbi Akiva,

is greater than that one,

Rabbi Eliezer.

Rather,

it is because

this one,

Rabbi Akiva,

is forbearing with regard to his traits, whereas this one,

Rabbi Eliezer,

is not forbearing with regard to his traits.

And therefore Rabbi Akiva was answered more readily than Rabbi Eliezer.

The Sages taught: Until when will the rains continue to fall, and

then

the community may cease its fast [

stop fasting]? That is, how much rain must fall for them to end the fast for rain?

The beraita says: The measure is

as much as the furrow of

the plow.

That is, if the rains blurred the ground to the depth of the plowshare’s furrow [that is, three handbreadths].

The statement of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say: In

dry

ground

that is completely dry, the measure is

one handbreadth.

For if the rains penetrated one handbreadth into dry, hard ground, it is certainly a great deal of rain.

In

ordinary

ground,

which is neither completely dry nor completely loose, the measure is

two handbreadths.

For if the rains penetrated two handbreadths, it is certainly a great deal of rain.

But

in

cultivated

ground,

plowed [“cultivated” means that it has been worked], the measure is

three handbreadths.

For if the rainwater penetrated three handbreadths, it is certainly a great deal of rain. But if it penetrated only one or two handbreadths, this is not a great deal of rain, because since the ground is cultivated and loose, water penetrates it easily.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: There is no handbreadth

of rainwater that comes

from above, for which

the water of

the deep does not emerge

and rise

to meet it

to a height of

three handbreadths.

And the Gemara challenges:

But it was taught [

and yet we learned] that the water of the deep rises to meet the handbreadth descending from above

by two handbreadths!

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult.

Here,

the statement in the beraita that the water of the deep rises to meet it by two handbreadths refers

to

ground that is

cultivated.

Since this is so, since the ground is plowed and loose, much rain is not needed for it to penetrate one handbreadth into the ground. Therefore, since a great deal of rain has not fallen, the water of the deep rises to meet it by only two handbreadths.

Whereas

here,

the statement that the water of the deep rises to meet it by three handbreadths refers

to

ground

that is not cultivated.

Since the ground is hard and dry, a great deal of rain is needed for it to penetrate one handbreadth into the ground; therefore, the water of the deep rises to meet it by three handbreadths.

Rabbi Elazar said: When they pour the water

during the festival

of Sukkot,

the water of the deep says to its companion: Let your waters flow [

a term denoting flowing; that is, bring forth your waters], because

I hear the sound of two companions.

That is, the pouring of the water and the pouring of the wine.

As it is stated: “Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your channels, etc.”

That is, the upper waters call to the lower waters and say that they hear the sound of those two cups used for the pouring: the pouring of the water and the pouring of the wine.

Rabba said: I myself saw that Ridya [

I myself saw that angel appointed over the rain, whose name is “Ridya”],

resembles a calf [

he resembles a calf],

and his lips are spread apart [

his lips are parted and cracked],

and he stands between

the lower deep and the upper deep [

he stands between the upper deep, the firmament, and the lower deep, the ocean, at the place where the firmament and the ocean touch].

And this is what that angel does:

To the upper deep [

to the upper deep], the firmament,

he says to it [

the angel says to it]:

Release your waters [

let down, bring down, your waters to the ground].

Whereas

to the lower deep [

to the lower deep], the ocean,

he says to it [

the angel says to it]:

Let your waters flow [

bring forth your waters to the surface of the earth].

As it is stated: “The blossoms have appeared in the land, etc.” [

And the end of the verse is: “The time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land”].

And this is how they expound the verse: “The blossoms have appeared in the land”—that is, when those two libations, which resemble blossoms, appeared in the land. Just as blossoms come only from year to year, so too the libations come only once a year, during the festival of Sukkot.

“The time of singing has arrived”—that is, the songs of the festival—

then “the voice of the turtledove,” the voice of the angel who resembles an ox [as we said above, that this angel resembles a calf; and the Aramaic translation of ox is “tura”], is heard in our land. For he says to the upper deep, “Release your waters,” and to the lower deep, “Let your waters flow.”

We learned in our Mishna:

“If they were fasting and rain fell before sunrise, etc.”

The Sages taught: If they were fasting and rain fell upon them

on their day of fasting,

if the rain fell

before sunrise—

the community does not complete

its fast, because the rain fell before the fast had taken effect upon them at all [since the fast begins only at sunrise].

But if the rain fell

after sunrise,

when the fast had already taken effect upon them, even partially—

they complete

their fast.

The statement of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

If the rain fell

before midday,

which is the time of the meal—

they do not complete

their fast, because since it fell before the time of the meal, it is not yet apparent that the fast had taken effect upon them, as their not having eaten until then is due to the fact that the ordinary time for eating had not yet arrived.

But if the rain fell

after midday,

when it is already apparent that the fast had taken effect upon them, since they had not eaten the regular midday meal—

they complete

their fast.

Rabbi Yose says:

If the rain fell

before the ninth hour

of the day—

they do not complete

their fast, because there are people, such as the sons of kings, who do not eat their meal until the ninth hour. For they sleep until the third hour of the day in their beds. Afterward, when they rise from their beds, they wait six hours—and then they eat. Consequently, until the ninth hour it is not yet apparent that the fast had taken effect.

But if the rains fell

after nine hours,

when the time of the meal for everyone had already passed, even for the sons of kings, and it was evident to all that the fast had taken effect—

they should complete

their fast.

For we find this with Ahab, king of Israel ,

who fasted from the ninth hour onward. As it is stated: When Elijah the prophet came to him after he had killed Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, “Have you murdered and also inherited? And so says the Lord: In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick your blood as well,” and it is stated afterward that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Elijah:

“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself?”

Rabbi Yehuda Nesi’a decreed a fast [

Rabbi Yehuda the Nasi decreed a fast because the rains had not fallen],

and rain fell for them after sunrise.

Rabbi Yehuda thought

Rabbi Yehuda

that they should complete it [

to complete the fast].

Rabbi Ami said to him:

But

“before midday” and “after midday” is what we learned!

That is, if rain fell before midday, they do not complete their fast, and only if it fell after midday do they complete it. But here rain fell after sunrise, before midday; therefore, they do not need to complete the fast!

The Gemara further relates:

Shmuel the Small

decreed a fast

because the rains had not fallen,

and rain fell for them before sunrise.

The people thought

that

they should say

that the fact that rain fell before sunrise, even before they had begun to fast—

was the praise of the community.

For they had not yet had time to pray, and Heaven had already answered them and brought rain .

Shmuel the Small said to them:

“I will give you a parable. To what is this comparable?”

—

To a servant who requests a portion [

a gift]

from his master [

from his lord], but has not yet come before his master to present his request.

When the master heard about it,

he said

to his servants:

“Give him

the servant immediately what he is requesting, and let him leave here,

and let me not hear his voice,

for I do not love him, and I do not want to hear him.”

So too here: the Holy One, blessed be He, answered immediately and brought rain before the community had begun to pray, so that He would not hear their words and their prayer.

If so, this is not praise for the community; on the contrary, it is a disgrace for them!

Again,

there was an incident involving

Shmuel the Small,

who

decreed a fast, and rain fell for them after sunset.

That is, at the completion of the fast.

The people thought

that

they should say

now that surely

it was the praise of the community.

For the Holy One, blessed be He, had waited until they had finished fasting and praying, and only afterward did the rain fall. It was therefore evident that the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to hear the people’s prayer.

Shmuel said to them: It is not the praise of the community .

Rather, I will give you a parable. To what is this comparable?

—

To a servant who requests a portion from his master.

The master wished to distress his servant,

and

therefore

the master said

to his servants: Do not give it to him immediately; rather,

wait for him [

let him wait] a long time,

until he grows weak

and suffers, and

only

afterward give it to him.

So too here: the Holy One, blessed be He, answered only at the end of the day of the fast, so that the people would grow weak and suffer all day through fasting and affliction.

And the Gemara wonders: A

ccording to the method of

Shmuel the Small,

whether the Holy One, blessed be He, answers immediately at the beginning of the day, this is not the praise of the community, and whether He answers at the end of the day, this is not the praise of the community,

what is the praise of the community—

what are the circumstances,

in what manner must the people be answered so that we will know that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired them and their prayer?!

The Gemara explains: It is when

the community says

the words

“Who makes the wind blow”—

and

immediately afterward

the wind blows [

the wind blows].

The community says

“Who brings down the rain,”

—

and

immediately afterward

the rain comes [

the rain comes]. In such a manner, it is proven that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired their prayer.

For this reason He waited until they prayed, and did not bring the rain beforehand, because He wanted to hear their prayer. And, on the other hand, He did not wait until the end of the day, until they would grow weak from their suffering; rather, He brought them the rain immediately.

We learned in our Mishna:

“It happened that they decreed a fast in Lod, etc.” [

The continuation of the Mishna: “And rain fell for them before midday. Rabbi Tarfon said to them: Go out and eat and drink and make it a festival. And they went out and ate and drank and made it a festival, and in the afternoon they came and recited the Great Hallel”] .

And the Gemara wonders: Why did they go home first and eat and drink, and only afterward return to the synagogue and recite Hallel?

Let them recite Hallel at the outset [

so that they would recite Hallel immediately, while they were still in the synagogue in the midst of their fast]!