Taanit 8a (ח.) — the Talmud in English

if their deeds were made fit of the generation from the outset [ initially], rather than their having been compelled only now, because of the withholding of rain, to strengthen forces through prayer. For if they made their deeds fit from the outset, more rain will come to them. And this is how the verse is explained: “And the advantage,” it is preferable to strengthening forces through prayer now, if “wisdom has been made fit,” meaning that they made their deeds fit from the outset. Reish Lakish said: If you see a student

whose learning is as difficult for him as iron,

who has many questions in the course of his study—

that is,

because his Mishna is not ordered for him.

Since the mishnayot are not arranged in his mind, he does not remember clearly what is written in them, and therefore he does not know how to resolve his questions.

And from where do we know this?

As it is stated: “And he has not prepared the face.”

We expound the verse as though it said, “And he has spoiled the face.” That is, he has spoiled the Mishna, which precedes and comes before the Gemara. And because it is not clear to him, his learning is difficult for him.

What is his remedy,

how and by what means can he rectify the matter?

He should increase his time in the study hall,

and arrange his learning.

As it is stated: “And forces will prevail.”

That is, the students, who are arranged in groups like forces, should strengthen and arrange their learning.

“And the advantage of preparing wisdom”—

all the more so

it is preferable

if

his

Mishna had been ordered for him from the outset.

For this is how we expound the verse: “And the advantage”—it would have been preferable—“of preparing wisdom,” if his wisdom and Mishna had been prepared and ordered for him from the beginning, so that he would not have needed to rectify the distortion belatedly.

As in this case

as we find:

Reish Lakish would arrange his Mishna forty times

he would arrange his Mishna for himself forty times,

corresponding to the forty days during which the Torah was given, and

only afterward

he would enter before Rabbi Yohanan

to study before Rabbi Yohanan.

For, as we have said, only after the foundations of the matter have been thoroughly arranged and clarified is it possible to analyze and learn those subjects from a teacher.

Rav Adda bar Ahava would arrange his Mishna twenty-four times

, corresponding to the Torah, the Prophets,

and the Writings, which comprise twenty-four books,

and

only then

he would enter before Rava

to study before Rava.

Rava said: If you see a student whose learning is as difficult for him as iron,

the reason is:

because his teacher does not explain

and illuminate

the countenance for him.

As it is stated: “And he has not prepared the face.”

That is, because his teacher showed him an angry and stern countenance, he spoiled the student’s learning.

What is his remedy?

How should the student rectify the matter?

He should increase toward him

toward his teacher

friends,

sending more of his companions and friends to his teacher, so that they will appease him and persuade him to show him a favorable countenance.

As it is stated: “And forces will prevail.”

(as one who keeps it in his pocket),

The continuation of the verse states:

“And the advantage of preparing wisdom.”

And this is how we expound the verse:

all the more so,

it would have been better

if his deeds had been prepared before his teacher from the outset

from the beginning. For then he would have shown him a favorable countenance from the start, and would not have needed to increase friends toward him for this purpose.

And Rabbi Ami said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If the snake bites without enchantment, then there is no advantage to the master of the tongue”?

Rashi explained in his commentary on Ecclesiastes [10:11]: (as one who keeps it in his pocket),

If you see a generation upon which the heavens have become like copper

their surface reddening like rust

from bringing down dew and rain—

that is,

because there are no whisperers of whispers in that generation

there are no people in the generation who pray a silent prayer.

What is their remedy,

how should they rectify the matter?

They should go to one who knows how to whisper,

so that he will pray.

As it is written: “His companion will declare concerning him.”

That is, his fellow will pray on his behalf. This verse is stated in the Book of Job with regard to the descent of rain.

“And there is no advantage to the master of the tongue.”

And one who is able to whisper but does not whisper—what benefit does he have?

This is the meaning of “there is no advantage to the master of the tongue”: Although he is a master of the tongue, who knows how to whisper, there is no advantage in this if he does not use this knowledge.

And if

the one who knows how to whisper

whispered,

prayed,

and

nevertheless

was not answered—

what is his remedy?

He should go to the pious man of the generation, and he should increase toward him

that pious man

in prayer.

As it is stated

in that context, in the Book of Job:

“And he commanded concerning it through an intercessor.”

And “intercession” means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “But you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up on their behalf song and prayer, and do not intercede with Me.”

And if he whispered

a prayer,

and it succeeded,

and he was answered from Heaven,

and

because of this

he becomes arrogant

he takes pride in it,

he

brings

thereby wrath

of

anger

upon the world.

As it is stated: “Acquiring wrath through rising.”

That is, one who becomes arrogant and “rises” “acquires” and brings “wrath” upon the world.

Rava said: Two Torah scholars who sit in one city and are not comfortable with one another in matters of halakha

they do not cooperate with one another in matters of halakha; rather, they compete with one another, and consequently remain in their error. For if they would consult with one another, one would accept the opinion of the other—

They provoke wrath, and elevate it.

(as one who keeps it in his pocket),

As it is stated: “Acquiring wrath through rising.”

That is, they provoke and incite wrath, anger, and bring it upon themselves.

Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If the snake bites without enchantment

(as one who keeps it in his pocket),

, and there is no advantage to the master of the tongue”?”

In the future, all the animals will gather and come to the snake

(as one who keeps it in his pocket),

, and they will say to it:

We understand the

lion,

which

rends and eats,

and the

wolf,

which

devours

and carries its prey to its den,

and

afterward

eats,

and

for although they kill, they derive benefit from it, since they eat their prey and satisfy their hunger.

But

you,

the snake,

what benefit do you have

from biting and killing creatures? After all, you do not eat them in the end, and derive no benefit from it?

The snake said to them,

the snake replied:

“And there is no advantage to the master of the tongue.”

That is, human beings also do this: they speak evil speech, although they derive no benefit from it.

Rabbi Ami said: A person’s prayer is heard only if he places his soul in his palm.

That his soul is directed toward his palm—that is, with a whole heart.

As it is stated: “Let us lift our hearts to our palms.”

(as one who keeps it in his pocket),

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

Is that so?

Is this indeed the case?

But Shmuel appointed a public speaker over him

and behold, Shmuel appointed a public speaker over him to proclaim his words aloud,

and expounded

as follows: It is written in Psalms:

“They enticed Him with their mouth and lied to Him with their tongue, and their heart was not steadfast with Him and they were not

faithful to His covenant”; and nevertheless

the following verse states:

“But He, being merciful, forgives iniquity, etc.!”

Despite what is stated here, we find in the Zohar severe statements concerning one who prays without concentrating on what he says. And so it wrote [Parashat Bamidbar]: “ (as one who keeps it in his pocket),

Thus, although they do not pray to the Holy One, blessed be He, with a whole heart, as it is stated, “And their heart was not steadfast with Him,” nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, atones for their sins! And the Gemara answers:

It is not difficult: Here,

what Rabbi Ami said—that a person’s prayer is heard only if he places his soul in his palm—applies

to an individual

who is praying.

But here,

what Shmuel said—that prayer is heard even if it was not recited wholeheartedly—refers to

the

prayer of the

prayer of

congregation.

Rabbi Ami said: Rain falls only on account of those who are trustworthy .

That is, on account of people who speak the truth.

As it is stated: “Truth will sprout from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.”

That is, when there is truth and trustworthiness in the land in business dealings, then “righteousness”—that is, rain, which is charity—“will look down from heaven” [it descends from heaven] .

And Rabbi Ami said: Come and see how great are those who are trustworthy

[that is, how important this matter of being exact about truthful words is].

From where? From

the incident involving

the weasel and the pit,

which caused two people to die because truthfulness had not been upheld there.

This is what happened: A certain young woman was walking to her father’s house . On the way, she passed by a pit, did not notice it, fell into it, and was unable to climb out.

A young man passed by there. He stood at the mouth of the pit and said to her: “If I bring you up from the pit, will you marry me?”

She said to him: “Yes!”

And the two of them swore that he would not marry another woman and that she would not marry another man.

They said: “Who will testify between us concerning this?”

A weasel happened to be walking in front of the pit.

The young man said: “This pit and this weasel before us shall be witnesses to the matter.”

After some time, the young man violated his pledge and oath, married another woman, and fathered two sons with her.

But the young woman remained true to her pledge and did not marry another .

One day, one of the children fell into a pit and died. The other was bitten by a weasel and died.

His wife said to him: “What could be the reason that our sons are dying an unusual death?”

The young man remembered the oath he had sworn to that young woman and said to her: “This is what happened.”

His wife said to him: “If so, go and take her as a wife, as you swore to her.”

He wrote his wife a bill of divorce , and went and married the unmarried woman.

And if one who believes in the weasel and the pit

that they would be his witnesses—

so

it happened to him that the witnesses themselves caused him to fulfill his commitment—

one who believes in the Holy One, blessed be He,

that He would be his witness—

all the more so

the testimony will be fulfilled!

Rabbi Yohanan said: Anyone who justifies himself

[that is, who conducts himself in the ways of righteousness, refining and adorning his deeds]

below,

in this world—

the judgment is justified against him above

[in the heavenly court], which examines his deeds even to the measure of a hairsbreadth ,

in order to cleanse him of his sins.

And from where do we know this?

As it is stated: “Truth will sprout from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.”

That is, when “truth will sprout from the earth,” when a person justifies himself in this world, then “righteousness will look down from heaven”: They treat him from Heaven with the attribute of righteousness and judgment, in order to cleanse him of his sins.

we learn this matter from this verse. As it is stated:

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abin said in the name of Rav Huna: From here,

we learn this matter from this verse. As it is stated:

“And according to Your fear is Your wrath.”

Regarding one who fears You, Holy One, blessed be He, You hold Your wrath and anger against him ,

in order to cleanse him of his sins .

Reish Lakish said: From here,

from the following verse, we learn this matter: “ You have encountered one who rejoices and performs righteousness; they will remember You in Your ways. Indeed, You were angry, and we sinned; through them we have always been saved ” . That is, those people who rejoice and perform righteousness, You encounter them when they sin in some matter, and they are “in Your ways”—in those very ways through which You chastise them—“they will remember You” favorably. And they say: “Indeed, You were angry” because we sinned; “through them we have always been saved”—on their account we will be saved for life in the World to Come .

brings salvation to the world.

As it is stated: “

You encountered the one who rejoices and performs righteousness, and so on;

through them we will have eternal life and be saved.”

That is, if a person rejoices and is glad when the Holy One, blessed be He, afflicts him, then “through them we will have eternal life and be saved”: he brings salvation to the world.

The Gemara now returns to discussing rain.

Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written, “And He will restrain the heavens”?

When the heavens are restrained from bringing down rain, the matter resembles

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Anyone who rejoices in the sufferings that come upon him—

brings salvation to the world.

As it is stated: “You have encountered one who rejoices and performs righteousness, etc.”

“Through them we have always been saved.”

That is, if a person rejoices and is glad when the Holy One, blessed be He, encounters him and chastises him, then “through them we have always been saved”—he brings salvation to the world.

And the Gemara returns once again to discuss the matter of rain. Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written, “And He will restrain the heavens”? When the heavens are restrained from bringing down rain, the matter resembles a woman in labor [who is experiencing labor pains]— but does not give birth.

So too, the heavens wish to bring down rain but are unable to. And this is difficult for the world .

A.

The expression

of

restraint is used with regard to rain, and

the expression

And this is what Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara:

There are several parallel expressions concerning the descent of rain and concerning a woman giving birth. A. The expression of restraint is stated with regard to rain, and the expression of restraint is stated with regard to a woman.