Taanit 30a (ל.) — the Talmud in English

And now,

the one who says

that the mourning practices begin

from the beginning of the month until the fast,

derives his ruling from the passage

from

what is stated:

“Its festival.” Since the beginning of the month is called a festival

, as we said above. That is, the mourning practices are observed from the beginning of the month until the fast.

And the one who says

that

the entire month is prohibited

derives this

from

the word

“its new month.”

That is, the mourning practices are observed throughout the entire month.

And the one who says

that

the entire week is prohibited

derives this

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.

It is necessary to understand Rava’s halakhic ruling, for Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Meir disagree, and their opinions are not the same. How, then, can one rule in accordance with both of them simultaneously?!

The Gemara explains:

And both of them,

that is, both of Rava’s halakhic rulings, are

lenient

ones.

That is, the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, that the prohibition applies only during the week in which the fast occurs [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 the period before the fast is prohibited. But after it—the practice is permitted [though the halakha does not follow him in what he said, that the prohibition begins from the beginning of the month].

And it is necessary

for Rava to have stated both rulings: 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 might have said

that

even from the beginning of the month it is prohibited

to cut one’s hair and launder clothing.

He therefore teaches us

that Rava said

the halakha is in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel,

so 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 might have said

that although the prohibition applies only during the week in which the fast occurs, it is prohibited

even after it

[that is, also on the days following the Ninth of Av].

He therefore teaches us

that Rava said

the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Meir,

that the prohibition applies only before it, whereas afterward 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 backward,

that is, from sunrise until six seasonal 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 final meal

[the meal with which he ends his eating and after which he eats no more].

But at a meal that is not his final meal,

even after six hours it is

permitted.

And both of them,

the two statements that Rav Yehuda made, were stated

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 his eating.

Conversely, from six hours backward it is permitted to eat two cooked dishes even if this is the meal with which he ends his eating.

And it is necessary.

Rav Yehuda had to state both of the halakhot that he stated.

Because

if he had taught us

only the law that eating two cooked dishes is prohibited specifically

at the final meal, I might have said

that this law applies

even

if he ate that meal

from six hours backward.

He therefore teaches us

that Rav Yehuda said that it is prohibited specifically

from six hours onward.

But before six hours, even at the final meal, it is permitted to eat two cooked dishes.

And if he had taught us

only the law that the prohibition against eating two cooked dishes applies specifically

from six hours onward, I might have said

that this law applies

even at a meal that is not his final meal.

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

He therefore teaches us

that Rav Yehuda said that eating two cooked dishes is prohibited specifically

at the final meal.

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,

as the first law of Rav Yehuda was taught in a beraita.

And it was taught

also

in accordance with the latter formulation,

in accordance with Rav Yehuda’s second law

. 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 intends to eat

another

meal

afterward,

is permitted to eat meat

at the meal he is eating now,

and

he is likewise permitted

to drink wine.

But if not,

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

prohibited from eating

at it

meat or drinking

at it

wine.

We thus have support for Rav Yehuda’s second law: even after six hours, if this is not the meal with which he ends his eating, it is permitted to eat meat and drink wine. The same law applies to eating two cooked dishes.

Now the Gemara brings the beraita from which Rav Yehuda’s first law may be inferred:

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 may he drink wine.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says:

At the meal that one eats on the eve of the Ninth of Av, one

alters

his usual practice at a meal.

Rabbi Yehuda said: How does he alter

his practice?

If he was accustomed to eating

at all

his meals two cooked dishes,

he should alter his practice at this meal, which he eats on the eve of the Ninth of Av, and

eat

at it

one type of dish.

And if he was accustomed to dining

at his meals

with

a group of

ten people,

he should alter his practice at the meal on the eve of the Ninth of Av and

eat

this meal

with five

people.

If he was accustomed to drinking

at all

his meals

ten cups,

he should alter his practice at his meal and

drink five cups .

In what circumstances does this apply,

that he must alter his practice at his meal? Specifically, if he eats it

from six hours

onward.

But

if he eats it

before six hours,

even though this is the final meal, since he does not intend to eat afterward, it is

permitted

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

We thus have support for Rav Yehuda’s first law: even at the final meal, at which one may not eat two cooked dishes, meat, or drink wine, nevertheless, if he eats it before six hours, it is permitted.

It was taught 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 or drink wine.

These are the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say:

He may eat two cooked dishes, but he should

alter

his practice at the meal,

and diminish his meat and wine,

though 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 full log

of

wine, he should drink

now

half a log of wine.

But if he is not accustomed

to eating meat and drinking wine at his meal

at all

[in any way],

it is prohibited

for him 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, by which point it no longer has much flavor]

after his meal,

he has the option

of eating them even on the eve of the Ninth of Av

. It was taught in another beraita

:

Any

meal

that he

eats

because of the Ninth of Av,

such as the final meal,

he is prohibited from eating meat and prohibited from drinking wine.

And

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

he is prohibited from bathing.

Once he has begun observing mourning because of the Ninth of Av at his meal, he must also observe mourning by refraining from bathing and anointing himself, even though he is still permitted to eat and drink until nightfall

. Anyone whose meal is not because of the Ninth of Av,

such as a final meal before a communal fast, or a meal that he eats on the eve of the Ninth of Av but which is not his final meal,

is permitted to eat

at it

meat and drink wine.

And

likewise, he is still

permitted

to bathe

.

Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei,

disagrees with the tanna’s words and

says in the name of his father: Whenever it is permitted to eat

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

permitted

even

to bathe.

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

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

apply on the Ninth of Av

.

These are the prohibitions that apply on the Ninth of Av: A.

It is prohibited to eat and 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 from the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, and to study Mishna, Talmud, Midrash, halakhot, and aggadot

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

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

to read

regularly, and he may study 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 may read the Kinot,

and

in

the book of

Job, and in the harsh passages in the book of

Jeremiah.

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

And

even

schoolchildren are idle

from their study .

The reason it is forbidden to study Torah is

because

the words of Torah gladden the heart.

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

Rabbi Yehuda says: He may not even read in a place where he is not accustomed to read, nor study in a place where he is not accustomed to study.

For even this study gladdens his heart.

But he may read Job, the Kinot, and the harsh passages in Jeremiah.

And schoolchildren are idle from their study on it.

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

We learned in our Mishna:

“He may neither eat meat nor drink wine.”

A tanna [

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

but he may eat salted meat

that remained in salt for three days, for remaining in salt diminishes the meat’s flavor, and it no longer gladdens.

And

likewise

he may drink

wine from its vat

new wine, whose treading in the vat has only just been completed. For its taste is not as good as that of aged wine. Moreover, it causes diarrhea and harms a person.

Salted meat

that remained in salt,

for how long

is it still considered meat and forbidden for a mourner and for everyone to eat on the eve of Tisha BeAv?

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

in salt

for

the length of time during which the meat of the offering of

Shelamim may be eaten.

That is, two days and one night .

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

And wine from its vat—

for how long

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 is forbidden to a mourner and to everyone on the eve of Tisha BeAv.

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

A tanna:

the prohibition against drinking wine that was left uncovered, because it is feared that a snake may have drunk from it and injected its venom, applies specifically to aged wine. But

fermenting wine is not subject to the prohibition of

the

uncovered-liquid prohibition.

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

And how long

is

its fermentation? Three days.

The Gemara now returns to discuss the eve of Tisha BeAv.

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: This was the practice of Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Ila'i

on the

eve of Tisha BeAv: