Taanit 30a — the Talmud in English

And now,

the one who says

that mourning is observed

from the beginning of the month until the fast,

learns his statement from

from

what is stated:

“Its festival.”

For the beginning of the month is called a festival , as we said above. That is, mourning is observed from the beginning of the month until the fast.

And the one who says

that

the entire month is prohibited,

derives the matter

from

the word

“its new month.”

That is, mourning is observed throughout the entire month.

And the one who says

that

the entire week is prohibited,

derives the matter

from

the word

“its cessation.”

That is, the entire week is prohibited .

Rava said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.

.

And Rava said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Meir.

And one must understand Rava’s ruling of the halakha, for Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Meir disputed, and their opinions are not the same; how is it possible to rule according to the opinion of both of them together?!

The Gemara explains:

And both of them,

the two rulings of the halakha stated by Rava—

are lenient

rulings.

That is, the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, that the prohibition applies only during the week in which the fast falls [but the halakha does not follow him in what he said, that the entire week is prohibited].

And the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Meir in that only the days before it are prohibited. But after it—it is permitted [but the halakha does not follow him in what he said, that it is prohibited from the beginning of the month].

And it is necessary,

Rava had to state both matters: that the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Meir, and that the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.

For if he had taught us

only that

the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Meir, I would have said

that

even from the beginning of the month it is prohibited

to cut the hair and wash.

It teaches us

Rava that

the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel,

that only that week is prohibited.

And if he had taught us

only that

the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, I would have said

that although it is prohibited only during the week in which the fast falls, it is prohibited

even after it

[also on the days after the ninth of Av].

It teaches us

Rava that

the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Meir,

that it is prohibited only before it, but after it—it is permitted .

We learned in our Mishna:

On the eve of the ninth of Av, a person may not eat two cooked dishes

etc.

Rav Yehuda said: They taught

that it is prohibited to eat two cooked dishes

only from six hours onward,

toward evening.

But from six hours and earlier,

that is, from sunrise until six hours of the day—it is

permitted.

And

further

Rav Yehuda said: They taught

that it is prohibited to eat two cooked dishes only

at the meal with which he ends

[his eating, and after which he eats no more].

But at a meal with which he does not end,

even after six hours—it is

permitted.

And both of them,

the two matters stated by Rav Yehuda—

he stated them as leniencies

[to be lenient].

That is, even from six hours onward it is permitted to eat two cooked dishes if this is not the meal with which he ends.

And conversely, from six hours and earlier it is permitted to eat two cooked dishes even if this is the meal with which he ends.

And it is necessary.

Rav Yehuda had to state both halakhot that he stated.

Because

if he had taught us

only the law that eating two cooked dishes is prohibited specifically

at the meal with which he ends, I would have said

[we would have thought and said] that this law applies

even

if he ate that meal

from six hours and earlier.

It teaches us

Rav Yehuda that specifically

from six hours onward

it is prohibited. But before six hours, even at the meal with which he ends, it is permitted to eat two cooked dishes.

And if he had taught us

[if Rav Yehuda had taught us] only the law that the prohibition against eating two cooked dishes applies specifically

from six hours onward, I would have said

[we would have thought and said] that this law applies

even at a meal with which he does not end.

For even if he eats another meal before the final meal, if he does so after six hours, it is prohibited to eat two cooked dishes at it.

It teaches us

Rav Yehuda that eating two cooked dishes is prohibited specifically

at the meal with which he ends.

But at another meal, even if it is after six hours, it is permitted.

The Gemara says:

It was taught in accordance with the first formulation,

we learned in a beraita the first law of Rav Yehuda. And

it was taught

also

in accordance with the latter formulation,

in accordance with the second law of Rav Yehuda .

The Gemara begins by bringing the second beraita, and says:

It was taught in accordance with the latter formulation: One who eats

on

the eve of the ninth of Av, if he is going to eat

another

meal

afterward,

is permitted to eat meat

at the meal that he is eating now,

and

he is likewise permitted

to drink wine.

But if not,

and if he is not going to eat another meal, then the meal that he is eating now is the final meal, and therefore

he is prohibited from eating

at it

meat and drinking

at it

wine.

Here we have the words of Rav Yehuda in his second law: even after six hours, if it is not the meal with which he ends, it is permitted to eat meat and drink wine. The same law applies: it is permitted to eat two cooked dishes.

And now the Gemara brings the beraita from which it follows like Rav Yehuda’s first law:

It was taught in accordance with the first formulation: On the eve of the ninth of Av, a person may not eat two cooked dishes; he may not eat meat, nor drink wine.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says:

At the meal that he eats on the eve of the ninth of Av,

he should alter

from his usual practice at a meal.

Rabbi Yehuda said: How does he alter

from his practice?

If he was accustomed to eating

at all his meals

two cooked dishes,

he should alter at this meal, which he eats on the eve of the ninth of Av, and

eat

at it

one type.

And if he was accustomed to dining

at his meals

with

a group of

ten people,

he should alter at the meal on the eve of the ninth of Av, and

dine

at this meal

with five

people.

If he was accustomed to drinking

at all his meals

ten cups,

he should alter his meal, and

drink five cups .

drink five cups .

In what case is this statement said,

that he must alter his meal? Specifically if he eats it

from six hours

onward.

But

if he eats it

from six hours and earlier,

even though this is the meal with which he ends, since he does not intend to eat afterward,

it is permitted

to eat it in the manner in which he eats all his meals.

Here we have the words of Rav Yehuda in his first law: although at the meal with which he ends he may not eat two cooked dishes, nor eat meat, nor drink wine, nevertheless, if he eats it before six hours, it is permitted.

It was taught in another beraita

[we learned in another beraita]:

On the eve of the ninth of Av, a person may not eat two cooked dishes,

and likewise

he may not eat

then

meat, nor drink wine.

The words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say:

He may eat two cooked dishes, but

he should alter

his meal.

And he should diminish meat and wine,

but he may eat them.

How does he diminish

his eating?

If he was accustomed to eating

at his meal

a litra

of meat, he should eat

now

half a litra

of meat.

If

he was accustomed to drinking

at his meal

a log

of

wine, he should drink

now

half a log of wine.

And if he is not accustomed

to eating meat and wine at his meal

at all

[in any way]—

it is prohibited

to eat any of them on the eve of the ninth of Av, even a small amount.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: If he was accustomed to eating radish

or salted food

[that is, fish or meat that remained in salt for three days, so that by then it no longer has so much flavor]

after his meal—

the choice is his

to eat them even on the eve of the ninth of Av .

It was taught in another beraita [we learned in another beraita]:

Any

meal

that

he

eats

because of the ninth of Av,

such as the meal with which he ends,

it is prohibited to eat meat, and it is prohibited to drink wine.

And

likewise, from the time that he eats the final meal,

it is prohibited to wash.

Since he began observing mourning because of the ninth of Av at his meal, he must also observe mourning by not washing and not anointing himself, although he is still permitted to eat and drink until nightfall .

Anyone whose meal is not because of the ninth of Av,

such as a meal with which he ends before a public fast, or a meal that he eats on the eve of the ninth of Av and with which he does not end,

is permitted to eat

at it

meat and drink wine.

And

likewise, he is still

permitted

to wash.

.

Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosei

disagrees with the tanna’s words, and

says in the name of his father: Every time that it is permitted to eat

, that is, even after the final meal, until nightfall—

it is permitted

even

to wash.

The Sages taught: All the mitzvot that apply to a mourner

[that is, matters prohibited to a mourner because of mourning]

apply on the ninth of Av .

.

And these are the prohibitions practiced on the ninth of Av: A.

It is prohibited to eat and to drink

[this prohibition applies only on the ninth of Av, and does not apply to a mourner] .

B.

And

it is prohibited

to anoint oneself

[applying oil to the body] .

C.

And

it is prohibited

to wear a sandal

made of leather .

D.

And

it is prohibited

to engage in marital relations.

E.

And it is prohibited to read Torah, Prophets, and Writings, and to study Mishna, Talmud, Midrash, halakhot, and aggadot .

The reason is that Torah study gladdens a person , as the Gemara brings below.

But he does read in a place where he is not accustomed

always

to read, and he studies in a place where he is not accustomed to study

, since he is not accustomed to studying that subject, he is distressed by that study.

And

likewise

he reads in lamentations,

and

in

the book

of Job, and in the evil things in

the book

of Jeremiah

. For although they are words of Torah, nevertheless they do not gladden the heart.

And

even

schoolchildren of the beit-rabban are idle

from their study .

And the reason that it is forbidden to study Torah

is because

the words of Torah gladden the heart.

As it is stated: “The orders of the Lord are upright, gladdening the heart.”

Rabbi Judah says: He does not even read in a place where he is not accustomed to read, nor does he study in a place where he is not accustomed to study

, because even this study gladdens his heart.

But he does read in Job, in lamentations, and in the evil things in Jeremiah

. And schoolchildren of the beit-rabban are idle on it

. Because it is stated: “The orders of the Lord are upright, gladdening the heart.”

We learned in our Mishna:

He may neither eat meat nor drink wine.

The tanna [

the tanna taught in a beraita]: It is indeed forbidden to eat meat and drink wine,

but he may eat salted meat

[that remained in salt for three days], because through remaining in salt the taste of the meat is impaired, and it no longer gladdens.

And

likewise

he drinks

Солёное мясо

wine from its vat

[new wine, which they have only now finished treading in the winepress]. For its taste is not as good as that of old wine. And not only that, but it causes diarrhea and harms a person.

Salted meat

[which remained in salt],

until when

is it still considered meat, and forbidden for a mourner to eat, and for every person on the eve of Tisha be-Av?

Rav Hinena bar Kahana said in the name of Shmuel: As long as it

remains in salt

for

the length of time permitted for eating the meat of the sacrifice of

shelamim

. That is, two days and one night .

But if it remained in salt for a longer period of time, the taste of the meat is spoiled—and it is permitted.

And wine from its vat—

until when

is it considered wine from its vat, and permitted for a mourner to drink?

As long as it is fermenting .

But afterward it is wine in every respect, and it is forbidden for a mourner, and for every person on the eve of Tisha be-Av.

Since the Gemara mentioned fermenting wine, the Gemara brings another discussion relevant to this matter.

The tanna:

The prohibition against drinking wine that they left uncovered, without a covering, because one is concerned lest a snake drank from it and injected its venom into it , applies specifically to old wine. But

fermenting wine has no

prohibition of

uncovering

. For the snake is frightened by the fermentation and does not drink from it.

And how much

is the duration of

its fermentation? Three days.

Now the Gemara returns to deal with the matter of the eve of Tisha be-Av.

Rav Judah said in the name of Rav: This was the practice of Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Ilai

on the

eve of Tisha be-Av: