Taanit 9b — the Talmud in English

It was read to him in his dream [they showed Rav Pappa in the night dream the verse]:

they showed Rav Pappa in his nighttime dream the verse]:

“And I will destroy the three shepherds”

on one day. That is, they wanted from Heaven to punish them because they had shamed him.

On the following day [the next day],

[the following day],

when they were taking leave of him [when Rav Huna, Rav Shmuel, and Rav Hiyya left from before Rav Pappa],

[when Rav Huna, Rav Shmuel, and Rav Hiyya departed from before Rav Pappa],

he said to them: Let the Sages go in peace [let the Sages go in peace]. For he did not want them to be punished.

[May the Sages go in peace]. He did not want them to be punished.

Rav Shimi bar Ashi was frequently before Rav Pappa [he was present before Rav Pappa, for he studied Torah from him].

[he was regularly in Rav Pappa’s presence, studying Torah from him].

He would raise many difficulties for him [Rav Shimi would raise many objections to Rav Pappa’s words].

[Rav Shimi would raise many objections to Rav Pappa’s statements].

One day he saw him fall on his face [one day Rav Shimi saw Rav Pappa falling on his face].

[one day Rav Shimi saw Rav Pappa fall on his face].

He heard him say: May the Merciful One save us from Shimi’s humiliation [he heard Rav Pappa praying and saying: May the Holy One, blessed be He, save me from Shimi’s humiliation].

[he heard Rav Pappa praying and saying: May the Holy One, blessed be He, save me from Shimi’s embarrassment].

When Rav Shimi heard this,

he accepted silence upon himself, and he no longer raised difficulties for him [he accepted silence upon himself, and again he did not raise objections to Rav Pappa’s words].

[he accepted upon himself to remain silent, and thereafter he did not challenge Rav Pappa’s statements].

And Reish Lakish as well held

like Rabbi Yohanan, that

rain

comes

comes for the sake of an individual.

For Reish Lakish said: From where do we know concerning rain

that it comes

for the sake of an individual?

For it is written: “Ask from the Lord rain at the time of the late rain; the Lord makes lightning, and He gives them rain, to each man grass in the field”.

Could it be that one might say that the Holy One, blessed be He, gives rain only when it is needed

that it could be said that the Holy One, blessed be He, gives rain only when it is needed

by everyone,

but for the need of one individual He does not give it?

The verse states: “He gives them rain

“He gives rain to them

to each man.”

It follows that the Holy One, blessed be He, gives rain even for the need of one person.

And it was taught in a beraita: If

only

“to each man” were stated, one might think

that rain falls only when it is needed

for all his fields

of that man, but for the need of one field belonging to one person—it does not fall?

The verse states: “field.”

It follows that rain falls even for the need of one field.

If “field” [and if only the word “field” had been stated],

alone had been stated,

one might think

that rain falls only when it is needed

for all

that

field,

but for the need of part of a single field belonging to one person—it does not fall?

The verse states: “grass.”

It follows that rain falls even for the sake of one blade of grass.

As [as we find],

we find

for Rav Daniel bar Ketina had a certain garden [he had one garden].

[he had one garden].

Every day he would go and inspect it [every day Rav Daniel would go and inspect it].

[Rav Daniel would go and inspect it every day].

And while he was inspecting it,

he would say: This garden bed needs water, and this garden bed does not need water [this garden bed needs watering, and this garden bed does not need it].

[this bed requires watering, and this bed does not require it].

And rain would come and water wherever he needed water [and the rain would come and water every place where Rav Daniel said that water was needed].

[the rain would come and water every place where Rav Daniel had said that water was needed there].

And since the Gemara brought that verse for the purpose of that exposition, the Gemara continues and explains it.

What is “The Lord makes lightning”?

What is the meaning of “lightning,” in the plural?

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said: It teaches that for every righteous person, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes lightning separately for him.

That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings rain to his fields separately.

What are “lightnings”?

What are those “lightnings”?

Rav Yehuda said: Flying things.

Rabbi Yohanan said: A sign of rain

that will come is—

flying things.

When one sees those flying things, it is a sign that rain will come immediately.

What are “flying things”?

What are those “flying things”?

Rav Pappa said: A thin cloud beneath a dense cloud [a weak cloud beneath a thick and heavy cloud]. When one sees clouds of this kind, it is a sign that rain will come immediately.

[a thin cloud beneath a thick, heavy cloud]. When one sees this type of cloud cover, it is a sign that rain will come immediately.

Rav Yehuda said: Fine rain [fine rains like flour]

[rain as fine as flour]

before rain [that come before rain]—

[which comes before the rain]—

rain comes [it is a sign of rain that will come in abundance and will not stop quickly].

[it is a sign of abundant rain that will come and not soon stop].

And if those fine rains come

after rain [after the rain]—it is a sign that

[after the rain], it is a sign that

the rain will stop [that the rain will stop immediately].

[the rain will stop immediately].

And Rav Yehuda gives a sign for the matter:

Before rain—

rain comes [when such rains come before the rain, rain will come],

[when such rain comes before the rain, rain will come],

and your sign [and the sign for the matter]:

[and the sign for this] is

a sifter [a sieve used for sifting]. At first fine flour comes out, and finally the bran comes out, which is coarser. So too here: first fine rain comes, and afterward heavy rain.

[a sieve used for sifting]. At first, fine flour comes out, and afterward the bran, which is coarser, comes out. So too here: first fine rain comes, and afterward heavy rain.

When it is after rain, the rain stops [when such rains come after the rain, the rain will stop],

[when such rain comes after the rain, the rain will stop],

and your sign [and the sign for the matter]:

[and the sign for this] is

goat dung [the excrement of goats]. At first it comes out coarse, and afterward fine, and then it stops. So too here: first heavy rain comes, afterward fine rain, and afterward it stops.

[goat excrement]. At first it comes out coarse, and afterward fine, and then it stops. So too here: first heavy rain comes, afterward fine rain, and afterward it stops.

Ulla happened to come to Babylonia [he happened to arrive in Babylonia].

[he came there by chance].

He saw [he saw]

[he saw]

flying things.

He said to them

to the people of the place:

Clear away the utensils [clear the utensils from the courtyards], so that they would not be damaged by the rain,

[clear the utensils from the courtyards], so that they will not be damaged by the rain,

for now rain is coming [for now rain will come]. For, as we said, the flying things are a sign of rain!

[for rain will now come]. After all, as we said, flying flashes are a sign of rain!

In the end, rain did not come [rain did not come].

[no rain came].

He said

Ulla:

Just as the Babylonians lie, so

their rains lie [just as the Babylonians lie, so too their rain lies].

[just as the Babylonians lie, so too their rain lies].

That is, just as the Babylonians produce lies that in the end are revealed as mere empty talk, so too concerning the rain: flying things appear, as though rain is destined to come, and in the end the rain does not come.

Again,

Ulla happened to come to Babylonia.

He saw a full basket of dates for one zuz [he saw that a full basket of dates was sold for one zuz. That is, very cheaply].

[he saw that a basket full of dates was sold for one zuz—that is, very cheaply].

Ulla was astonished and

said: A full basket of honey for one zuz [Ulla called the dates “honey,” because honey is made from dates],

[Ulla called the dates “honey,” because honey is made from dates],

and the Babylonians do not engage in Torah study [and the Babylonians do not engage in Torah study]?! Yet they have food cheaply and without toil!

[and the Babylonians do not engage in Torah study]?! Yet they have food available cheaply and without exertion!

At night [at night],

[during the night],

they caused him distress—the dates that he had eaten during the day. For dates loosen the bowels and cause abdominal pains.

the dates he had eaten during the day, because dates have a laxative effect and cause abdominal pain.

Now Ulla changed his expression from one extreme to the other, and

said

in astonishment and admiration:

A full basket of knives for one zuz [now Ulla called the dates “knives,” because the dates distressed him like knives piercing the body], and since they are cheap, people eat many of them and suffer pains,

[now Ulla called the dates “knives,” because the dates caused him pain like knives stabbing the body]. Since they were inexpensive, people ate many of them and suffered pain,

and

nevertheless

the Babylonians engage in Torah study?!

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Eliezer says: The entire world drinks from the waters of the Ocean

It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: The entire world drinks from the waters of the Ocean

it drinks.

That is, the source of the rain is the water on the earth, and not water that comes from above.

As it is stated: “And a mist rose from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground”.

Rabbi Yehoshua said to him:

How is it possible to say that the world drinks from the waters of the Ocean,

when surely the waters of the Ocean are salty,

and grain cannot grow through them!

He said to him

Rabbi Eliezer: The waters of the Ocean

are sweetened in the clouds, and then they descend to water the earth.

and then they descend to water the earth.

Rabbi Yehoshua disagrees with Rabbi Eliezer and

disagrees with Rabbi Eliezer and

says: The entire world—

drinks from the upper waters.

As it is stated: “You shall drink water from the rain of heaven.”

But

according to this, one must understand

how do I uphold [how is the verse fulfilled and explained]:

[how is the verse fulfilled and explained]:

“And a mist shall rise from the earth

and water the entire surface of the ground,” whose meaning is that the source of the rainwater is from the earth?

It teaches that the clouds grow strong and rise to the firmament, and they open

their

mouths like a wineskin [like the opening of a wineskin, which is a leather vessel intended to contain liquids],

[like the opening of a wineskin, a leather vessel intended to contain liquids],

and receive

from the upper waters

rainwater.

As it is stated: “They pour rain into His cloud.” “They pour” is like “they cast”.

That is, the firmaments pour the rainwater into the clouds [“His cloud” means clouds, as in “and a mist shall rise from the earth”].

And they are perforated [the clouds are perforated]

like

l

ike a

sieve [a sifter],

and the clouds come

and the clouds come

and

sprinkle [release, pour]

water upon the ground.

water upon the ground.

As it is stated: “The pouring

of water, the clouds of the skies.”

That is, the clouds pour [release] the waters of the skies upon the earth.

And there is no

distance

between one drop and another

of the falling rain except

the measure of a hair [the thickness of a single hair, which is exceedingly thin].

[the thickness of a single hair, which is extremely thin].

To teach you [the following verse teaches you]

[the following verse teaches you]

that the day of rain is great—

like the day on which heaven and earth were created.

As it is stated

in the Book of Job:

“He does great things beyond investigation,” and

further

it is also written

in the Book of Job:

“Who gives rain upon the face of the earth,” and it is written below,

in the prophecy of Isaiah:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God of eternity is the Lord; there is no investigation of His understanding.”

From the fact that the expression “investigated” is stated both regarding the descent of the rains and regarding the creation of the world, we learn that the day of the rains is as great as the day of the creation of heaven and earth.

According to whose view does that which is written

[as if to say, according to which view does the verse proceed]:

“Who waters the mountains from His upper chambers,” and Rabbi Yohanan said: “From His upper chambers”

means

from the upper chambers of the Holy One, blessed be He,

that is, from the upper waters?

According to whom —

according to Rabbi Joshua,

who said that the world drinks from the upper waters.

The Gemara raises an objection:

And Rabbi Eliezer,

who said that the world drinks from the waters of the Ocean, how will he explain this verse?

And the Gemara explains:

Since they rise there

[since the waters rise there, to the firmament], as was explained above, that the waters are sweetened in the clouds, and only then do they descend below, it is understood that

“Who waters from His upper chambers”

the verse calls them

the verse.

For if you do not say so

[that one can explain the verse in this way], that although the source of the waters is below, since in the end they descend from above, this is considered “Who waters from His upper chambers,”

then, what is meant by what is stated: “The Lord will give the rain of your land

dust and earth, from heaven

will descend upon you, etc.,”

how can one find it

[how can it be found], that dust and earth should descend from heaven?

Rather,

you are necessarily compelled to explain the verse in this way: the wind raises the dust and earth from the land to the heavens, and from there they descend to the land with the rain. And

since they are raised there

[and since the dust and earth rise there, to the heavens] — it is explained that

“from heaven” the verse calls it

[calls it] the verse!

So too here

[so also here], since

the

waters of the Ocean

rise there

[since they rise there, to the firmament], it is understood and resolved that

“from His upper chambers” the verse calls it

the verse.

According to whose view do the words of Rabbi Hanina proceed

[according to whose view do Rabbi Hanina’s words proceed] in explaining the verse

“He gathered the waters of the sea like a mound; He placed the depths in storehouses”: What caused the storehouses

[the places where grain is stored]

to be filled with grain

[grain] — the

depths

[which are the waters below, as it is stated regarding the splitting of the Reed Sea, “the depths covered them”],

is it possible to expound it this way

in accordance with Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua?!

But Rabbi Joshua said that the world drinks from the upper waters! And even Rabbi Eliezer, who holds that the world drinks from the lower waters, nevertheless said that they rise and are sweetened in the clouds, and only then descend to water the land!