Taanit 8a — the Talmud in English

Reish Lakish said: If you saw a student ![](pamud.bmp "

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whose learning is difficult for him like iron,

who has many questions during his learning -

that is

because his Mishna is not ordered for him.

Because the Mishnayot are not ordered in his mind, he does not clearly remember what is written in them, and therefore he does not know how to answer his questions.

And from where do we know this?

As it is stated: “And he did not smooth the face.”

We expound the verse as though it were stated, “And he spoiled what is before.” That is, he spoiled the Mishna, which is before and prior to the Gemara. And because it is not clear to him, his learning is difficult for him.

What is his remedy,

how and by what shall he rectify the matter?

He should increase sitting,

and arrange his learning.

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

That is, the students, who are troops upon troops, will strengthen and arrange their learning.

“And the advantage that prepares wisdom” -

all the more so

that it is preferable

if

his

Mishna was ordered for him from the outset.

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

As in this case

as we find,

for 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 enter to study before Rabbi Yohanan.

For as we said, only after the foundations of the matters have been thoroughly ordered and clarified is it then possible to discuss and study those subjects from the mouth of a teacher.

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

, corresponding to Torah, Prophets

and Writings, which are twenty-four books,

and

only then

he would enter before Rava

to enter to study before Rava.

Rava said: If you saw a student whose learning is difficult for him like iron,

the reason is:

because of his teacher, who does not explain

and illuminate

his face to him.

As it is stated: “And he did not smooth the face.”

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

What is his remedy?

How shall the student rectify the matter?

He should increase upon him

upon his teacher

friends,

he should increase sending his companions and friends to his teacher, in order to appease him and persuade him to explain and show him a friendly face.

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

Later in the verse it is written:

“And the advantage that prepares 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

at the beginning. For then he would have illuminated his face to him from the beginning, and would not have needed to increase friends upon him for this purpose.

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

If you saw a generation upon which the heavens are rusted like copper

their faces becoming red like rust

from bringing down dew and rain -

that is

because of the whisperers of whispers who are not in that generation

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

What is their remedy,

how shall 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 companion will pray for him. And this verse was stated in the Book of Job concerning 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 “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 one of the generation, and that pious one should increase upon him

that pious one

in prayer.

As it is stated

in that same matter, in the Book of Job:

“And he commanded it concerning him with entreaty.”

And entreaty means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “But you, do not pray for this people, and do not raise on their behalf song and prayer, and do not entreat Me.”

And if he whispered

a prayer,

and it succeeded in his hand,

and he was answered from Heaven,

and

because of this

he becomes haughty over it

he grows proud of it,

he

brings

through this the wrath of

anger

anger

upon the world.

As it is stated: “Acquiring anger upon what rises.”

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

Rava said: Two Torah scholars who sit in one city and are not comfortable with one another in halakha they do not cooperate in matters of halakha; rather, on the contrary, they compete with one another, and as a result remain in their error. For if they consulted with one another, one would accept the opinion of his companion -

[they do not cooperate in halakhic matters; on the contrary, they compete with one another, and as a result they remain in error. Had they consulted one another, one would have accepted the other’s view]—

They are jealous through anger, and raise it up.

As it is stated: “Acquiring anger upon what rises.”

That is, they are jealous and provoke anger, and bring it upon themselves.

Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If the snake bites without enchantment , and there is no advantage to the master of the tongue”?

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

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

, and they will say to it:

We understand the

lion,

which

tears and eats,

and the

wolf

which

preys

and carries its prey to its den,

and

afterward

eats,

for indeed they kill, but they derive pleasure from this, since they eat their prey and quiet their hunger.

But

you,

snake,

what pleasure do you have

in biting and killing creatures? After all, you do not eat them in the end, and you have no pleasure from this?

The snake said to them,

the snake:

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

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

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

For his soul is directed in his palm. That is, with a whole heart.

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

And the Gemara asks:

Is that so?

Is that so?

Can it be so?

But Shmuel appointed an amora over him

and behold, Shmuel appointed an amora over him, to make his words heard aloud,

and expounded

as follows: It is written in Psalms:

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

“faithful to His covenant,” and nevertheless

it is stated in the following verse:

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

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

It is not difficult: Here,

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

to an individual

who is praying.

And whereas

here,

what Shmuel said—that prayer is heard even if it was not said with a complete heart—namely

in

the prayer of the congregation

.

Rabbi Ami said: Rain falls only on account of men of faith .

That is, on account of people who speak truth.

As it is said: “Truth sprouts from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.”

That is, when there is truth and faithfulness in business dealings on earth, then “righteousness”—that is, rain, which is charity—“looks down from heaven” [falls from heaven

Maharatz Chajes explains this based on the words of the Tosafot in tractate Shabbat [31a, s.v. “Faith”], who brought in the name of the Jerusalem Talmud: One who believes in the Living One of the worlds—and sows. That is because the seed rots and is completely spoiled before it begins to sprout. And one who sows must believe that he is not losing his money, but that, by the will of God, his seeds will sprout. And this is the reason they called the Order of Seeds “ Faith ”. And likewise here, if he is not among men of faith, the rains are in vain. So explained Rashi. And Maharsha further wrote that it is possible to learn that the verse speaks of rain from what is said in the verses following it: “ The Lord, too, will give the good, and our land will give its produce ”. He further wrote that “righteousness” means the planet Jupiter, which indicates rain. See there. And Rabbi Ami said: Come and see how great are men of faith [that is, how important this matter of being particular about truthful words is].

that is, how important it is to be exact in keeping one’s word].

From where? F

rom the incident that occurred with

Huldah and the Well,

which caused two people to die, because there was no insistence there on truth.

This is how the incident happened: A certain girl was walking to her father’s house . On the way she passed beside a well, did not pay attention, fell into it, and was unable to climb out.

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

She said to him: Yes!

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

They said: Who will testify between us concerning this?

And a certain weasel was walking before the well.

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

After some time, the young man violated his faith and his oath, married another woman, and had two sons by her.

But the girl remained faithful to her pledge and did not marry another .

One day, one of the children fell into a well—and died. And the other—the weasel bit him, and he 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 that he had sworn to that girl and said to her: This is how and how the incident 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 virgin.

And one who believes in the weasel and the well,

that they would be his witnesses—

so

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

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

that He would be his witness—

all the more so

that the testimony will be fulfilled!

Rabbi Yohanan said: Anyone who justifies himself [that is, who conducts himself in ways of righteousness, making his deeds fit and adorning them

]

below,

in this world—

the judgment is justified against him above

[from the heavenly court], and they scrutinize his deeds even to the measure of a hairsbreadth , in order to cleanse his sins.

And from where do we have this matter?

As it is said: “Truth sprouts from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.”

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

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

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

“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 his sins .

Resh Lakish said: From here,

from the following verse we learn this matter:

“You encountered the one who joyfully does righteousness; in Your ways they will remember You. Indeed, You were angry and we sinned; through them, forever, may we be saved” .

That is, those people who rejoice and do righteousness—you encounter them if they sin in some matter, and they are “in Your ways,” in those ways through which You chastise them; “they will remember You” favorably. And they say: “Indeed, You were angry” because we sinned; “through them, forever, may we be saved”—on account of them we shall be saved for the life of the World to Come .

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

brings salvation to the world.

As it is said: “

You encountered the one who joyfully does righteousness, and so forth

through them, forever, may we be 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, forever, may we be saved”: he brings salvation to the world.

And the Gemara returns again to speak about rain.

Resh 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, it resembles

the matter

of a woman who is in labor [who has labor pains]—

and does not give birth.

So too the heavens: they want to bring down rain, but they cannot. And this matter is difficult for the world .

So too, the heavens wish to bring down rain but cannot. This is difficult for the world .

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

There are several parallel expressions concerning the falling of rain and concerning a woman’s giving birth.

A.

The expression

of

restraint was said with regard to rain, and the expression

of

restraint was said with regard to a woman.

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.