Taanit 6b (ו:) — the Talmud in English

As we learned:

One who vows

regarding something that he prohibited himself from benefiting from, and stipulated the time by saying

“until the rains,”

as, for example, if he said: “Konam if I benefit from this object until the rains,” or if he said: “Konam, this object is forbidden to me

until there are rains,”

he is prohibited from that object until

the second rainfall descends.

"

The reason is that with regard to vows, one follows the ordinary usage of people’s language. The first period of rainfall is not ordinarily called “rains,” because its descent is not felt so strongly. Only the second rainfall is called “rains,” because from that time the roads become damaged and unpleasant with mud and mire on account of the rain .

Rav Zevid said:

The time of the second rainfall has practical relevance

for

the matter of gathering

olives.

As we learned:

It is stated in the Torah that at the time of harvesting grain in the field, one must leave leket, shikheḥa, and pe’a for the poor . Similarly, at the time of gathering the fruit of a tree, one must leave pe’a and shikheḥa for the poor. It is also stated in the Torah that at the time of harvesting grapes in vineyards, one must leave the peret and the olelot for the poor.

We must clarify

from when

will

all

other

people,

even those who are not poor,

be permitted

to take leket

and

shikheḥa and pe’a

that remained in the field.

And the Mishna says that it is permitted to everyone

from

the time

when

the

nemushot pass through the field [

the identity of these “nemushot” will be explained below].

And from when are the other people, who are not poor, permitted

to take peret

and olelot

that remained in the vineyard?

When the poor have passed through the vineyard

to gather,

and come again

to gather . Once the poor have passed through the vineyard twice, the other poor have already abandoned hope of the gifts for the poor in the vineyard, and no longer have them in mind.

And from when are the other people permitted

to take

the shikheḥa and pe’a of the vineyard of

olives?

When the second rainfall descends .

The reason is that by that time, ordinarily everything that had been in the vineyard has already been gathered.

This is what we said above: We must know when the time of the second rainfall is, with regard to olives.

And since we cited the Mishna, the Gemara explains its words:

What are nemushot

—who are these “nemushot” mentioned in the Mishna?

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Elderly people who walk with a staff

[elderly people who walk with support ]. Since they walk slowly and are bent over their staffs, they see every stalk that remains in the field. Therefore, after they have passed through the field, the other poor despair of finding anything there .

Reish Lakish said: “Nemushot” means

“Late gleaners” means

those who gather after those who gather .

That is, a poor person gathers, and leads his son after him to gather as well . After these have gathered, the other poor have already despaired of finding anything in the field.

The Gemara now returns to the question posed above: For what purpose must we know when the time of the second rainfall is?

Rav Pappa said:

The time of the second rainfall is necessary for us

in order

to know until when it is permitted

to walk along the paths of

permission .

That is, to shorten one’s route by walking along paths through fields that do not belong to him. This was one of the ten conditions that Joshua established when the Jewish people entered the Land of Israel , namely, that everyone would be permitted to walk along paths through fields.

For the Master said: Everyone may walk along paths of permission until the second rainfall descends .

The reason is that from then onward the grain begins to sprout and grow , and walking on it damages it.

and walking on it damages it.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

It has practical relevance with regard

to removing seventh-year produce.

As we learned: Until when may one benefit

and burn

[that is, until when is it permitted to burn it for some purpose of benefit, such as cooking or fuel, and the like]

straw and stubble

of the seventh year

[that is, plants that grew on their own during the seventh year and possess the sanctity of the seventh year, or grain sown before the seventh year whose growth took place after the seventh year began]

Until the second rainfall descends.

"

What is the reason?

What is the reason that it is permitted to benefit from them specifically until the time of the second rainfall?

As it is written: “The Sabbath of the land shall be yours for consumption, for you, for your servant and maidservant, for your hired laborer and resident who dwell with you.

'And the sabbath of the land shall be for food for you, for your servant and for your maid, and for your hired worker and for the sojourner who sojourns with you.'

And for your animal and the wild animal that is in your land

all its produce shall be for consumption.”

This is the meaning of the verse: What is prohibited with regard to produce of the seventh year is to treat it as the property of an owner. But eating and benefiting from it like any other person is permitted.

However, the continuation of the verse must be understood: “And for your animal and the wild animal that is in your land all your produce shall be for consumption.” For seemingly this is puzzling: If it is possible to feed a wild animal, whose sustenance is not your responsibility, then all the more so is it permitted to feed an animal belonging to you, whose sustenance you are responsible for! If so, why did the verse specify that it is permitted to feed animals?!

Rather, the verse comes to teach us this principle

As long as an animal eats in the field,

that is, as long as food is still available to it in the field, its habitat—

feed

you

your animal in the house

from produce of the seventh year.

But when

it is finished

[the kaf and lamed are vocalized with kamatz], when the food

for the animal is finished from the field,

so that it no longer has anything to eat, then

finish

[the kaf is vocalized with pataḥ and the lamed with tzere]—cease, you too, from feeding

your animal from the house .

Thus Rambam wrote (Hilchot Shevi'it ch. 7): " Rambam [Hilchot Nezikin ch. 5] and the [Laws of Sabbatical Year and Jubilee, chapter 7]: “ "

And since from the time the second rainfall has descended there is no longer straw or stubble in the fields, because the rains turn them into fertilizer, from that time onward it is prohibited to benefit from straw and stubble of the seventh year even in the house.

Rabbi Abbahu said: What is the meaning of the term “revi’a”?

Why is the descent of rain called “revi’a”?

Because rain is

something that lies with

[has intercourse with]

the earth.

That is

as

stated by

Rav Yehuda said.

For Rav Yehuda said: Rain

is the husband of the earth

[rain is the husband of the earth].

As it is stated: “For just as the rain and snow descend from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth and cause it to give birth and sprout forth” .

Thus, the prophet compared rain to a husband, who causes the earth to give birth.

And Rabbi Abbahu said:

If during the

first rainfall

so much rain descended that

it descended

and moistened and dissolved

to a

depth of

one handbreadth in the earth,

they are beneficial rains, and there is no need to fast .

The

second rainfall—

if so much rain fell that the earth became very soft and loose, to the point that

one can seal the mouth of a barrel with it,

so that one can make a stopper from it [a covering for a barrel] without having to mix water into it , they are beneficial rains .

Rav Ḥisda said: Rain that fell in an amount sufficient to seal the mouth of a barrel with it

[as explained above]—

does not constitute

the fulfillment of what is stated: “And the anger of the Lord will burn against you,

and He will restrain

the heavens, and there will be no rain” .

And Rav Ḥisda said: Rain that fell before

the time for reciting the Shema, in which one says:

“And He will restrain

the heavens” —

there is no element of “And He will restrain

the heavens” in it, even if a great amount of rain did not fall.

Abaye said: We said this

[we stated this matter]

only

when rain fell

before

the recitation of

“And He will restrain”

in the Shema

of the evening

[of the evening prayer].

But

if rain fell only

before

the recitation of

“And He will restrain” of the morning

[of the morning Shema] —

it does contain an element of “And He will restrain,”

since it did not fall during the day, and such rain is never beneficial.

For Rav Yehuda bar Yitzḥak said: These morning clouds have no substance

[those morning clouds have no substance], and they contain no blessing. The Gemara will explain below which clouds are being discussed.

Proof of this is

as it is written: “What shall I do for you, Ephraim; what shall I do for you, Judah? Your kindness is like a morning cloud

and so on.”

That is, your kindness has no substance, just as morning clouds have no substance.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: But people say

[there is a common proverb among people]:

“When the doors are opened at the time of rain”

[if, when the doors are opened early in the morning, rain falls] —

“The donkey-driver, fold up your sack and go to sleep”

[they say to the donkey-driver who transports grain on a donkey to sell it in the marketplace: Fold up your sack and lie down upon it to sleep]!

Why do they say this to him? Because the year will be blessed and there will be plenty in the world, so he will not profit from selling grain.

Thus, morning rain is, on the contrary, beneficial!

The Gemara explains:

This is not difficult.

Here,

what people commonly say, that morning rain is beneficial, refers to

when the sky is thickly clouded

[when the heavens have become covered with thick clouds].

Whereas

here,

what we said, that they have no substance, refers to

when the sky is covered with thin clouds.

The heavens have become covered with tenuous clouds, in which case the rain has no substance.

The Gemara now brings various statements concerning rainfall.

Rav Yehuda said: It is good for the year when Tevet is a widow

[it is good for the year when the month of Tevet sits like a widow; that is, when no rain falls in it to impregnate the earth].

What is the reason?

Some say

[there are those who say] that the reason it is good when rain does not fall in Tevet is

that the Torah study courtyards are not desolate.

At that time, the places where Torah is studied are not empty and desolate.

For when rain does not fall, the roads are passable, and the students travel from place to place to study Torah.

And some say

that the reason is

that blight does not strike.

If rain does not fall in Tevet, blight does not take hold of and cling to the grain.

The Gemara asks:

Is that so?

Is this indeed the case?

But Rav Ḥisda said: It is good for the year when Tevet is filthy

[it is good for the year when the roads are sullied with mud in Tevet because of the rain]!

The Gemara answers:

This is not difficult.

Here,

what we said, that it is good for the year when rain does not fall, refers to a case where

rain came at the outset

—rain had already fallen in its season, in the month of Marḥeshvan.

Therefore, if rain falls again in Tevet, it is harmful, because the world has sufficient rain from Marḥeshvan.

Whereas

here,

what Rav Ḥisda said, that it is good for the year when rain falls in Tevet, refers to

when rain did not come at the outset,

when rain did not fall in its season, in Marḥeshvan; in that case it is good for rain to fall in Tevet.

And Rav Ḥisda said: Rain that fell on part of a country

[on part of the country],

while it did not fall on another part of the country —

there is no element of

the curse of

“And He will restrain

the heavens, and there will be no rain” in it. For the people living in the part of the country where rain fell will sell their produce to those living in the part where rain did not fall.

The Gemara asks:

Is that so?

Is this indeed the case? Is rain that falls in such a manner not a curse?

But it is written

in the prophecy of Amos:

“And I also withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused rain to fall upon one city, and upon another city I did not cause rain to fall; one portion was rained upon, and so on,” and Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

That which is stated in the prophecy concerning

both

—the city upon which rain fell and the city upon which rain did not fall —

was stated as a curse.

For even in the city upon which rain fell, the excessive rain will ruin the produce!

The Gemara answers:

This is not difficult.

Here,

what Rav said, that both were a curse, refers to a case where

too much came,

where an excessive amount of rain fell. In that case the produce is ruined.

Whereas

here,

what Rav Ḥisda said, that this does not constitute “And He will restrain,” refers to a case where

it came as it should

[the rain came as it ought to, and not excessively].

Rav Ashi said: It is also precise

[this explanation is also precise from the wording of the verse].

As it is written: “

One portion

shall be rained upon.”

The expression “shall be rained upon” implies

that it will be a place of rain.

That is, an excessive amount of rain will fall there; therefore, even for that city upon which rain fell, it is a curse.

And we conclude:

Learn from it

[indeed, this is proven from the wording of the verse].

Rabbi Abbahu said: From when does one recite a blessing

for

the falling

of rain?

In the Shulḥan Arukh [section 221, "

When the groom goes out to greet the bride.

That is, when so much rain has fallen that when one drop falls upon the ground, another drop emerges from the earth and rises opposite it [because the first drop has not had time to be absorbed into the ground due to the abundance of rain] .

What blessing does one recite?

Which blessing is recited over rain?

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: “We thank You, Lord our God, for every single drop that You have brought down

to us.”

Although it was said that all blessings begin with "

And Rabbi Yoḥanan concludes

and adds

to it,

in the blessing for rain,

as follows

[thus]:

“Were our mouths filled with song like the sea and our tongues with jubilation like the multitude of its waves, and so on,”

and he continues to recite this wording

until

he says:

“May Your mercies, Lord our God, not forsake us, and may You not forsake us,”

,

and he concludes:

“Blessed is He of abundant thanksgivings.”

Rather,

In

Rava said: Say

[let it be stated]:

“God of thanksgivings.”

This wording implies that the Holy One, blessed is He, is praised with all thanksgivings.