Taanit 7a (ז.) — the Talmud in English

Rav Pappa said: Therefore,

since Rabbi Yohanan concludes “the majority of thanksgivings,” whereas Rava concludes “God of the thanksgivings,”

let us say both of them

: Therefore, let us conclude the blessing with both expressions and say as follows:

“God of the thanksgivings, and the majority of thanksgivings.”

For the expression “majority” is ambiguous: it may mean “most, but not all,” or it may be an expression of abundance. Once we mention “God of the thanksgivings,” it is clear that “the majority of thanksgivings” means an abundance of thanksgivings—He is praised with abundant thanksgivings—and not “the majority.”

The expression “majority” is ambiguous: it may mean “most, but not all,” or it may be an expression of abundance. Once we mention “God of the thanksgivings,” it is clear that “the majority of thanksgivings” means an abundance of thanksgivings—He is praised with abundant thanksgivings—and not “the majority.”

Rabbi Abbahu said: The day of rain is greater—

more

than the revival of the dead.

For whereas the revival of the dead—

is only

for the righteous ,

Whereas

the

rain

falls and brings benefit

both to the righteous

and

to the wicked.

And

the words of Rabbi Abbahu

disagree with Rav Yosef

[they are in conflict with the words of Rav Yosef].

For Rav Yosef said: Since it—

the descent of rain—

is equivalent to the revival of the dead,

they established it in the blessing of the revival of the dead

[in the blessing “Who revives the dead”].

Thus, Rav Yosef equates the descent of rain with the revival of the dead, and does not hold that it is greater.

The reason for this is that rain also brings life to human beings, for grain grows through the rain .

Rav Yehuda said: The day of rain is as great as the day on which the Torah was given .

As it is stated: “Let My teaching drip

as the day on which the Torah was given.

like rain,”

and “teaching” means nothing other than Torah,

as it is stated: “For I have given you a good teaching; do not forsake My Torah.”

Thus, the verse compares the falling of rain to the Torah.

Thus, the verse compares the falling of rain to the Torah.

Rava said:

The day of rain is

greater than the day on which the Torah was given! As it is stated: “Let My teaching drip like rain.”

But

which is compared to which? You must say: The lesser is compared to the greater.

That is, when one thing is compared to another, it means that the lesser thing is likened to the greater.

If so, from the fact that the verse says that the Torah will be like rain for Israel, it is evident that the day of rain is greater.

Rava raised a contradiction

[he posed the following difficulty]: On the one hand,

it is written: “Let My teaching drip like rain,”

which shows that the Torah is compared to rain.

And

on the other hand,

it is written: “Let My speech flow like dew,”

which shows that the Torah is compared to dew! Rather,

if

your student

is a proper Torah scholar—

treat him

like dew,

which falls gently.

But if not—

make him drip like rain

[kill him ].

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Bana’a would say: Anyone who engages in Torah for its own sake,

because of the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not so that he will be called Rabbi

—his Torah becomes for him an elixir of life .

As it is stated: “It is a tree of life to those who grasp it.”

That is, the Torah is a tree of life for those who grasp it and engage in it.

And it says

[there is an additional proof from another verse]:

“It shall be healing to your navel.”

That is, the Torah will be healing for your navel [“your navel”—your navel ].

And it says: “For whoever finds Me finds life,

and obtains favor from God.” That is, one who finds the Torah and engages in it will find life and find favor in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He.

All this was said concerning one who engages in Torah for its own sake.

But

by contrast,

anyone who engages in Torah not for its own sake,

but so that he will be called Rabbi and be honored —

his Torah becomes for him

the

elixir of death .

As it is stated: “Let My teaching drip like rain” .

And “dripping” means nothing other than killing, as it is stated

concerning the heifer whose neck is broken:

“And there they shall break the heifer’s neck in the valley.”

And “teaching” means nothing other than Torah, as the Gemara brought above.

And “teaching” means nothing other than Torah, as the Gemara cited above.

Rabbi Yirmeya said to Rabbi Zeira: Let the Master come and teach

[come, and let the Master study with me]!

He said to him: My heart is weak, and I am unable

[my heart is weak, and I cannot study at present].

Rabbi Yirmeya said to him: If so,

let the Master say a matter of aggada

[let the Master say a matter of aggada] .

He said to him: This is what Rabbi Yohanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written, “For is a human being a tree of the field”

, and is a human being

a tree

of the field?

Rather, indeed, it is obvious that a human being is not literally a tree of the field. It is only that the verse compares a human being to a tree of the field in a certain respect.

This is because

it is written

concerning the making of a siege against a city that fruit trees should not be cut down, so that they can be used to assist in making the siege. The reason for this is:

“For you may eat from it, but you shall not cut it down.”

And

whereas with regard to a non-fruit-bearing tree

it is written: “You may destroy and cut it down.”

That is, you may destroy and cut it down in order to construct the siege.

Just as regarding a siege there is a distinction between one tree and another, so too with regard to a human being, whom the Torah compared to a tree of the field: There is a person from whom one must derive nourishment, and there is one from whom one must distance oneself .

Just as, with regard to a siege, there is a distinction between one tree and another, so too regarding a person, whom the Torah compared to a tree of the field: There is a person from whom one should benefit, and there is one from whom one should distance oneself.

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said:

Written by Yaakov wrote that he came to teach us that if a person cannot find a proper rabbi to learn from, two students should join together to learn in one group, by which they sharpen one another, as if they learned from the rabbi — and even more than their teacher, as the Gemara says nearby. And the and in any case they all should be in order: first one should learn from his masters all his need, and afterwards learn with his colleagues, and afterwards learn with his students. Which is not so in our many sins in these generations, that many study not for its own sake, and students who did not serve in all his needs take upon themselves a crown to learn with students, and they spoil themselves, and all the more they ruin the students etc., and they sin and cause others to sin, and are destined to give account, let him who can keep himself away from them.

,

which implies that the thirsty person must go himself to the water!

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, as it is written: “Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to the water”?

And Rabbi Oshaya said: Why are words of Torah compared to these three beverages: water, wine, and milk?

"

And where do we find that words of Torah are compared to these three beverages?

As it is written: “Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to the water,”

which demonstrates that Torah is compared to water.

And it is written

later in that same verse:

“Go, buy

which is an expression of acquisition

and eat; and go, buy without money and without price, wine and milk,”

which demonstrates that Torah is compared to wine and milk!

This is to tell you: Just as these three beverages are not preserved

that is, they are not well kept

except in the least valuable of vessels

that is, in the simplest vessels—for it is customary to place these beverages in simple earthenware vessels, and specifically in these vessels are they preserved—

so too, words of Torah are preserved only by one

whose mind is humble.

As

we find in the following incident ,

the daughter of the emperor said

that is, the emperor’s daughter

to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah

who was an unattractive man

“Oh, splendid wisdom”—

“in an ugly vessel!”

That is, it is inappropriate for such splendid Torah to reside in the body of an unattractive man.

He said to her

Rabbi Yehoshua, jokingly and by way of hint:

“Princess, in what does your father store wine”

that is, Princess, in what vessels does your father preserve his wine?

She said to him: “In earthenware vessels”

that is, he places the wine in earthenware vessels.

He said to her

Rabbi Yehoshua:

“Everyone uses earthenware vessels, and your father uses earthenware vessels”

that is, is it appropriate for your father to preserve his wine in earthenware vessels like all common people?!

He intended to hint to her that just as wine is preserved well specifically in an ugly vessel, made of earthenware, so Torah is better preserved by one whose mind is humble.

But the emperor’s daughter, who was not especially wise, did not understand the hint. Rather, she understood his words literally: He was wondering that the emperor placed his wine in simple and inexpensive vessels.

Therefore

she said to him

to Rabbi Yehoshua:

“Then in what shall we place it”

that is, in what vessels shall we place the wine? Everyone places wine in earthenware!

He said to her:

It is true that ordinary people place wine in earthenware vessels. But

for people as important as you

that is, people of such importance as yourselves—

place it in vessels of gold and silver

that is, put the wine in vessels of gold and silver!

The emperor’s daughter went

that is, she went

and told her father

Rabbi Yehoshua’s words: that it was not fitting for their wine to be kept in earthenware vessels. But she did not say that the words came from Rabbi Yehoshua.

They placed the wine in vessels of gold and silver, and it spoiled

that is, they indeed followed Rabbi Yehoshua’s “advice”: They placed the wine in vessels of gold and silver, and the wine turned sour.

They came and told him

that is, the emperor’s servants came and told him that the wine had spoiled.

He said to her

the emperor

to his daughter: “Who told you this”

that is, who told you this; who gave you this advice?

She said to him: “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah.”

They summoned him

that is, they called for him to appear before the emperor.

He said to him

the emperor:

“Why did you tell her this?”

Why did you give my daughter such bad advice?

He said to him

Rabbi Yehoshua:

“Just as she said to me”—

“so I said to her”

that is, as she said to me, so I said to her. In other words, I answered her in the same manner of speech. She wondered that Torah was placed in an ugly vessel, and I answered her that just as wine is preserved only in an ugly vessel, so Torah is preserved in me more than it would be if I were handsome. But certainly I did not intend that they should actually carry out this “advice.”

The emperor wished to preserve his daughter’s honor, and therefore continued by asking Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah:

“But are there not handsome people who are learned?”

That is, are there not also handsome people who are Torah scholars?!