Taanit 3a — the Talmud in English

The Gemara asks:

If he holds this view

if Rabbi Akiva holds]

like Rabbi Judah ben Beteira, let him say like him

that he should say like him, that the rains are mentioned from the second day of the festival]! The Gemara explains:

He holds

he maintains]

that Rabbi Akiva

since

when an additional libation is written

when an additional libation is written, beyond the regular libation of the other days of the year]

in

the offerings of the day, the

sixth is the day that is written,

for on the sixth day the word “and their libations” was stated, whose meaning is two libations; therefore it is reasonable to begin mentioning the rains from the sixth day.

In any event, the surplus of the letters mem, yod, mem serves to teach us that one of the two libations is [a libation] of water.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Natan says:

It is written concerning the daily offering:

“In the Sanctuary, pour a libation, a libation of strong drink, to the Lord.”

From the repetition of the expression

“pour a libation, a libation,” we learn that

the two

возлияниях

libations

that are poured during the festival of Sukkot

are spoken of by the verse: one, the libation of water, and one, the libation of wine.

The Gemara asks: From where does Rabbi Natan know that it refers to the libation of water and wine?

Say

perhaps let us say] that

both are of wine

that both of them are wine]!

The Gemara explains: It is impossible to say so, for

if so,

if it refers to the same type of libation, except that it is brought twice, the verse should have repeated the very same word, and

the verse should write

that the verse should write]

either

the expression

“pour, pour,” or

the expression

“libation, libation”!

What

is the meaning of the expression

“pour a libation, a libation”

that the verse employed?

You can infer from it

you can hear and learn from this] that there are two different libations:

one is of water

one of water],

and one is of wine

and one of wine].

The Gemara asks:

But as for that which we learned

in a beraita:

“The libation of water is [performed] all seven”

on each day of the seven days of the festival of Sukkot water is poured],

whose view is it

who is the tanna who holds this]?[ ^75]

If

if]

it is Rabbi Joshua,

is the tanna,

let us say one day

let it be said and taught in the beraita that water is poured only one day], for he holds that they begin mentioning the rains only from the seventh day of the festival of Sukkot, which is the time when the lulav is put down![ ^76]

If it is Rabbi Akiva,

let it be said that water is poured

two days

two days], for he holds that the rains are mentioned only from the sixth day![ ^77]

If it is Rabbi Judah ben Beteira,

let it be said that water is poured

six days

six days], for he holds that they begin mentioning the rains on the second day of the festival!

The Gemara says:

In truth,

in fact, the beraita is the view of

Rabbi Judah ben Beteira.

And

do not object: If so, the libation of water should be only six days!

For

he holds

he maintains]

according to

the view of

Rabbi Judah of the Mishna

in tractate Sukkah.

For we learned

that we learned in the Mishna in tractate Sukkah]:

Rabbi Judah says: With a log

of water

he would pour all eight.

That is, they would pour water upon the altar for eight days.

However, Rabbi Judah’s view is that water is poured for eight days, that is, on the seven days of the festival and also on the Eighth Day of Assembly, and this is unlike any of the views we have brought until now. But in any event, it emerges from his words that water is poured also on the Eighth Day of Assembly.

Rabbi Judah ben Beteira holds this view partially,

and removes

and takes out] the

first

day, for he does not hold that water is poured on it, since the libation of water is alluded to only on the second day,

and brings in

and includes] the

eighth

day among the days on which water is poured. Thus we have seven days on which it is poured, from the second day through the eighth day.

The Gemara asks:

And in what way is it different

what is different about] the

first day, that not

water is poured on it, because

when they are alluded to

when they are alluded to], the

waters—

on

the

second day they are alluded to,

if so, on the

eighth day also

also], let us say that water is not poured on it, since

when the waters are alluded to—

on the seventh they are alluded to

as we brought above, that the final letter of the word “waters” is alluded to in the word “according to their ordinance,” which was stated in the offerings of the seventh day]!

And since this is so, it is impossible to say that the beraita follows the view of Rabbi Judah ben Beteira, for certainly he does not hold that water is poured for seven days.

Rather,

this beraita is the view of

Rabbi Joshua,

who holds that the rains are mentioned from the seventh day, which is the time when the lulav is put down.

And

as for what we learned in the beraita, that

the libation of water is all seven

days, this is not because the time for mentioning the rains is all seven, but rather

it was learned as a halakha [“

it is a halakha given to Moses at Sinai”].

But it is impossible to establish the beraita according to the view of Rabbi Judah ben Beteira, for he holds that the libation of water is alluded to on the second day, and if so, necessarily they poured only from the second day. And likewise Rabbi Akiva, who holds that the libation is alluded to in the offerings of the sixth day, necessarily according to his view they poured only from the sixth day.

And from where do we know that it is a halakha given to Moses at Sinai?

For Rabbi Ami said that Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Nehunya, the man of the Valley of Beit Hورتan ,

these three matters:

a.

ten saplings ,

a place-name [ Rashi Moed Katan 3b].

On the eve of the Sabbatical Year, it is permitted to plow a “white field,” which is a grain field, only until Shavuot, because plowing afterward serves as preparation for sowing in the following year, the Sabbatical Year. And since it is a mitzva to add from the non-sacred to the sacred, one must refrain from performing in the sixth year work on the land that serves as preparation for the seventh year.

But a “tree field,” which is a field in which trees are planted, may be plowed until thirty days before Rosh Hashanah of the Sabbatical Year. For plowing it is not preparation for the needs of the seventh year, but rather serves the needs of the tree in the sixth year.

A special halakha was stated concerning a field containing ten “saplings,” which are young trees, evenly scattered within an area of a beit seah [fifty by fifty cubits], that it is permitted to plow there not only around each and every tree, but the entire field, until Rosh Hashanah of the Sabbatical Year. The reason is that with such a distribution of saplings, the saplings draw nourishment from the entire area of the field.

But if the saplings are not scattered in this manner, it is permitted to plow only around each and every tree, according to the measure of its nourishment from the ground [according to the calculation of ten saplings per beit seah].

And the reason for the special permission concerning saplings is that the plowing is not intended to improve them, but to preserve them. For if they do not plow around them, they will dry out.

b.

трактате Сукка подробно объясняет, что без вспашки вокруг них они засохнут. б.

the willow,

which they stand upright at the sides of the altar on the seventh day of the festival of Sukkot,

c.

and the libation of water,

these three matters—

are a halakha given to Moses at Sinai

.

We learned in the beraita brought above:

Rabbi Judah says in the name of Rabbi Joshua: The one who passes before the ark on the last festival day of the festival, the last one mentions [the rains], the first one does not mention [them]. On the first festival day of Passover, the first one mentions [them], the last one does not mention [them].

The Gemara asks:

Which Rabbi Joshua

is this—the ruling of Rabbi Joshua, in whose name Rabbi Judah stated his words?

If you say

if it is said] that the reference is to

Rabbi Joshua of the Mishna

of our Mishna],

this

here]

said

that

on the last festival day of the festival he mentions!

And it implies that in all the prayers of the last festival day of the festival, even in the morning prayer, they mention the rains, and not as Rabbi Judah says, that only one who prays Musaf mentions them!

And

rather

perhaps let us say that the reference is to

Rabbi Joshua of the beraita

whose words were brought in that beraita above]?

For he said

indeed he said] that the rains are mentioned

from the time when it is put down

the lulav, that is, on the seventh day of the festival of Sukkot, when they stop taking the lulav!

Furthermore

and additionally] one must ask and clarify

that which was taught

what we learned in another beraita]:

Rabbi Judah says in the name of ben Beteira: The one who passes before the ark on the last festival day of the festival

of Sukkot,

the

one who passes before the ark,

the last one,

the one praying Musaf,

mentions

the rains,

Which ben Beteira

who is that ben Beteira mentioned in this beraita]?

If you say

if it is said] that he is the same

Rabbi Judah ben Beteira

mentioned in the beraita brought above,

this

here]

said

that

on the second day of the festival he mentions,

and not like ben Beteira in this beraita, that the rains are mentioned only on the eighth day of the festival!

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

The two questions that we asked—who is this Rabbi Joshua in whose name Rabbi Judah stated his words, and who is the ben Beteira mentioned in the second beraita—are answered by one resolution:

Let both of them be

the words of a tanna not previously mentioned. That is,

according to

the view of

Rabbi Joshua ben Beteira.

That is, the reference is neither to Rabbi Joshua of our Mishna nor to Rabbi Judah ben Beteira, but to another tanna whose name is Rabbi Joshua ben Beteira.

But it must be understood why Rabbi Joshua ben Beteira is called “Rabbi Joshua” in one beraita and “ben Beteira” in another beraita.

The Gemara explains:

Sometimes he is called by his name

sometimes he is called by his name, “Rabbi Joshua”],

and sometimes he is called by his father’s name

and sometimes he is called by his father’s name, “ben Beteira”].

And this

—the fact that he is called by his father’s name—means

before they ordained him

before they ordained Rabbi Joshua to be called “Rabbi,” when his father was more important; therefore they called him by his father’s name].

And this,

what they call him by his name, that is

after they supported him [

after they supported him. For then he already had importance in his own right, and therefore they called him by his name].

Tanna [

we learned in a beraita]:

With dew and winds,

that is, to say, “He makes the wind blow and brings down the dew” -

the Sages did not obligate one to mention them,

even during the days of rain .

And if he comes to mention them

of his own will -

he mentions them .

What is the reason?

Why did the Sages not obligate him to mention them?

Rabbi Hanina said: Because

dew and winds

are never withheld

ever. For were it not for them, the world could not endure. And therefore it is not necessary to mention them and request them .

And now the Gemara explains from where we know that the dew and the winds are never withheld.

And dew -

from where do we know that it is not withheld [

from where do we know that it is never withheld]?

For it is written: “And Elijah the Tishbite, from the inhabitants of Gilead, said

to Ahab: ‘As the Lord, God of Israel, before whom I stand lives [

that I am accustomed to stand before Him in prayer],

if there shall be these years dew and rain, except according to my word [

until I come by the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, to inform you that there will already be rain]” . And in truth this is what happened, as it is said afterward: “And it came to pass at the end of the days, and the brook dried up, for there had been no rain in the land.”

Thus Elijah said that the dew and the rain would be withheld.

And

afterward

it is written,

that in the third year of the famine, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Elijah:

“Go, appear before Ahab, and I shall give rain upon the face of the earth.”

Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Elijah that from now on the rain would again fall upon the face of the earth.

But

with regard to

dew -

He did not say to him

the Holy One, blessed be He, that from now on it would return.

What is the reason?

Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, not say that the dew would again fall, when Elijah initially said that the dew too would be withheld, as it is stated: “If there shall be these years dew and rain, except according to my word”?