Parallel
תענית 26
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
only when the appetite is satisfied and the stomach is full? Is that so? Did not R. Papa on one occasion when coming to the synagogue at Abi-Cobar ordain a fast and rain fell before midday and yet he first recited the Hallel and only after that the people ate and drank! — It is different with the people of Mahuza, because drunkenness is frequent amongst them. MISHNAH. ON THREE OCCASIONS OF THE YEAR, ON FAST-DAYS, ON MA'AMADOTH, AND ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT DO THE PRIESTS LIFT UP THEIR HANDS TO BLESS [THE PEOPLE] FOUR TIMES DURING THE DAY, NAMELY AT THE SHAHARITH [SERVICE], AT MUSAF, AT MINHAH AND AT THE CLOSING OF THE GATES [NE'ILAH]. THE FOLLOWING ARE [THE DETAILS CONCERNING] THE MA'AMADOTH. BECAUSE IT IS SAID, COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [AND SAY UNTO THEM]: MY FOOD WHICH IS PRESENTED UNTO ME. NOW HOW CAN A MAN'S OFFERING BE BROUGHT [ON THE ALTAR] AND HE IS NOT PRESENT? [THEREFORE] THE EARLIER PROPHETS INSTITUTED TWENTY-FOUR MISHMAROTH, AND EACH MISHMAR WAS REPRESENTED [AT THE TEMPLE] IN JERUSALEM BY ITS OWN MA'AMAD OF PRIESTS, LEVITES AND ISRAELITES. WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR THE MISHMAR TO GO UP [TO JERUSALEM] THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES WENT UP TO JERUSALEM AND THE ISRAELITES OF THAT MISHMAR ASSEMBLED IN THEIR CITIES AND READ [FROM THE LAW] THE STORY OF CREATION. THE MEN OF THE [ISRAELITE] MA'AMAD FASTED ON FOUR DAYS OF THAT WEEK, FROM MONDAY TO THURSDAY; THEY DID NOT FAST ON FRIDAY OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH NOR ON SUNDAY IN ORDER NOT TO CHANGE OVER [WITHOUT A BREAK] FROM THE REST AND DELIGHT [OF THE SABBATH] TO WEARINESS AND FASTING AND SO [PERHAPS] DIE. ON SUNDAY [THEY READ], IN THE BEGINNING, AND, LET THERE BE A FIRMAMENT; ON MONDAY, LET THERE BE A FIRMAMENT, AND, LET THE WATERS BE GATHERED TOGETHER; ON TUESDAY, LET THE WATERS BE GATHERED TOGETHER, AND, LET THERE BE LIGHTS; ON WEDNESDAY, LET THERE BE LIGHTS, AND, LET THE WATERS SWARM; ON THURSDAY, LET THE WATERS SWARM, AND, LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH; ON FRIDAY, LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH, AND, AND THE HEAVENS [AND THE EARTH] WERE FINISHED. TWO PERSONS READ BETWEEN THEM A LONG SECTION AND ONE A SHORT SECTION. AT SHAHARITH, MUSAF, AND MINHAH THEY ASSEMBLED AND READ [THE REQUISITE] SECTION BY HEART, IN THE SAME WAY AS PEOPLE RECITE THE SHEMA’. THEY DID NOT ASSEMBLE AT MINHAH ON FRIDAY OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH. ON ANY DAY WHEN HALLEL WAS RECITED THERE WAS NO MA'AMAD [SERVICE] AT SHAHARITH; [ON THE DAY WHEN] A MUSAF-OFFERING [WAS BROUGHT] THERE WAS NONE. AT NE'ILAH, [ON THE DAY OBSERVED AS] THE WOOD-FESTIVAL THERE WAS NONE AT MINHAH; THIS IS THE OPINION OF R. AKIBA. BEN ‘AZZAI SAID TO HIM: THUS DID R. JOSHUA LEARN: [ON THE DAY WHEN] A MUSAF-OFFERING [WAS BROUGHT] THERE WAS NONE AT MINHAH; [ON THE DAY OBSERVED AS] THE WOOD-FESTIVAL THERE WAS NONE AT THE CLOSING OF THE GATES. THEREUPON R. AKIBA RETRACTED AND LEARNT LIKE BEN ‘AZZAI. NINE TIMES IN THE YEAR [WAS OBSERVED] THE WOOD-FESTIVAL OF THE PRIESTS AND THE PEOPLE; ON THE FIRST OF NISAN THE FAMILY OF ARAH OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH BROUGHT THE OFFERING OF WOOD; ON THE TWENTIETH OF TAMMUZ THE FAMILY OF DAVID OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE FIFTH OF AB THE FAMILY OF PAROSH OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE SEVENTH OF THE SAME MONTH, THE FAMILY OF JONADAB OF THE RECHABITES; ON THE TENTH OF THE SAME MONTH THE FAMILY OF SENAAH OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN; ON THE FIFTEENTH OF THE SAME MONTH THE FAMILY OF ZATTU OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, AND WITH THEM WERE THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES AND ALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT CERTAIN OF THEIR TRIBE AND THE BENE GONBE ‘ALI AND THE BENE KOZE KEZI'OTH; ON THE TWENTIETH OF THE SAME MONTH THE FAMILY OF PAHATH MOAB OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE TWENTIETH OF ELUL THE FAMILY OF ADIN OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE FIRST OF TEBETH THE FAMILY OF PAROSH A SECOND TIME; ON THE FIRST OF TEBETH THERE WAS NO MA'AMAD FOR THEREON THERE WAS HALLEL, MUSAF-OFFERING AND THE WOOD-FESTIVAL. FIVE MISFORTUNES BEFELL OUR FATHERS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB. ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ
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THE TABLES [OF THE LAW] WERE SHATTERED, THE DAILY OFFERING WAS DISCONTINUED, A BREACH WAS MADE IN THE CITY AND APOSTOMOS BURNED THE SCROLL OF THE LAW AND PLACED AN IDOL IN THE TEMPLE. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED THAT OUR FATHERS SHOULD NOT ENTER THE [PROMISED] LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST AND SECOND TIME, BETHAR WAS CAPTURED AND THE CITY [JERUSALEM] WAS PLOUGHED UP. WITH THE BEGINNING OF AB REJOICINGS ARE CURTAILED. DURING THE WEEK IN WHICH THE NINTH OF AB FALLS IT IS FORBIDDEN TO CUT THE HAIR AND TO WASH CLOTHES BUT ON THE THURSDAY IT IS PERMISSIBLE IN HONOUR OF THE SABBATH. ON THE EVE OF THE NINTH OF AB ONE MAY NOT PARTAKE OF A MEAL OF TWO COURSES NOR EAT MEAT NOR DRINK WINE. RABBAN SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: ONE SHOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS DIET. R. JUDAH MAKES IT OBLIGATORY TO TURN THE BED OVER; THE SAGES, HOWEVER, DID NOT AGREE WITH HIM IN THIS. R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: THERE NEVER WERE IN ISRAEL GREATER DAYS OF JOY THAN THE FIFTEENTH OF AB AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. ON THESE DAYS THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM USED TO WALK OUT IN WHITE GARMENTS WHICH THEY BORROWED IN ORDER NOT TO PUT TO SHAME ANY ONE WHO HAD NONE. ALL THESE GARMENTS REQUIRED RITUAL DIPPING. THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM CAME OUT AND DANCED IN THE VINEYARDS EXCLAIMING AT THE SAME TIME, YOUNG MAN, LIFT UP THINE EYES AND SEE WHAT THOU CHOOSEST FOR THYSELF. DO NOT SET THINE EYES ON BEAUTY BUT SET THINE EYES ON [GOOD] FAMILY. GRACE IS DECEITFUL, AND BEAUTY IS VAIN; BUT A WOMAN THAT FEARETH THE LORD, SHE SHALL BE PRAISED. AND IT FURTHER SAYS, GIVE HER OF THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS; AND LET HER WORKS PRAISE HER IN THE GATES. LIKEWISE IT SAYS, GO FORTH, O YE DAUGHTERS OF ZION, AND GAZE UPON KING SOLOMON, EVEN UPON THE CROWN WHEREWITH HIS MOTHER HATH CROWNED HIM IN THE DAY OF HIS ESPOUSALS, AND IN THE DAY OF THE GLADNESS OF HIS HEART. ‘ON THE DAY OF HIS ESPOUSALS:’ THIS REFERS TO THE DAY OF THE GIVING OF THE LAW. ‘AND IN THE DAY OF THE GLADNESS OF HIS HEART:’ THIS REFERS TO THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE; MAY IT BE REBUILT SPEEDILY IN OUR DAYS. GEMARA. ON THREE OCCASIONS OF THE YEAR DO THE PRIESTS LIFT UP THEIR HANDS [TO BLESS THE PEOPLE]. Is there then MUSAF ON FAST-DAYS and ON MA'AMADOTH? — There is a clause wanting [in our Mishnah]. It should read thus: ‘on three occasions do the priests lift up their hands [to bless the people] at all services, and on one of these occasions four times during the day, at the Shaharith [service], at Musaf, at Minhah and at the closing of the Gates. The following are the three occasions, Fast-days, Ma'amadoth and the Day of Atonement’. R. Nahman said in the name of Rabbah b. Abbuha: This is the opinion of R. Meir. The Sages, however, say: At Shaharith and at Musaf there is ‘lifting up of hands’ but at Minhah or at Ne'ilah there is no ‘lifting up of hands’. Who are meant by ‘the Sages’? — It is R. Judah. For it has been taught: At all [services, namely] at Shaharith, at Musaf, at Minhah and at Ne'ilah there is ‘lifting up of hands’; this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Judah says: At Shaharith and at Musaf there is ‘lifting up of hands’ but at Minhah or Ne'ilah there is no ‘lifting up of hands’. R. Jose says: At Ne'ilah there is ‘lifting up of hands’ but at Minhah there is no ‘lifting up of hands’. Wherein do they differ? R. Meir holds the view that the reason why on ordinary days the priests do not ‘lift up their hands’ at Minhah is because of the likelihood of intoxication, but on the days [cited above] the question of Intoxication does not arise. R. Judah takes the view that as drunkenness during [the time of] Shaharith and Musaf on ordinary days is not usual the Rabbis did not prohibit the lifting up of hands [at these services on fast-days also], whereas at [the time of] Minhah and Ne'ilah since on ordinary days drunkenness is quite a likely occurrence the Rabbis prohibited the ‘lifting up of hands’ [at these services even on fast-days]. R. Jose holds the view that the Rabbis confined their restriction to the Minhah only seeing that it is read every day, but they did not to the Ne'ilah which is not read every day. R. Judah said in the name of Rab: The halachah is in accordance with the view of R. Meir. R. Johanan said: The people followed the view of R. Meir. And Raba said: The established custom is in accordance with the view of R. Meir. On the view that the halachah is according to R. Meir we teach it [explicitly] in the school sessions; but if we say that the established custom is according to R. Meir, then we should not teach it explicitly in the school sessions but we may give our decisions in accordance with it; if, however, we say that the people followed the view of R. Meir then we do not definitely give a decision in accordance with it, but should one have acted on it we do not declare his action null. But R. Nahman said: The halachah is according to R. Jose. And the halachah is [indeed] according to R. Jose. But nowadays why do the priests ‘lift up their hands’ [to bless the people] on fast-days at Minhah? — As they lift up their hands [in blessing] very near sunset it is as if this was the Ne'ilah [service]. It is, however, generally agreed that an intoxicated [priest] may not lift up his hands [in benediction]. Whence is this view adduced? — R. Joshua b. Levi said in the name of Bar Kappara: Why does the section dealing with [the blessing by] the priest follow immediately after the portion of the Nazirite? In order to teach you that, just as the Nazirite is forbidden to drink wine, so too is the priest about to recite the priestly benediction. The father of R. Zera, and some say Oshaiah b. Zabbda, demurred to this: [If that is so], then just as the Nazirite is forbidden to eat the shells [of grapes], so too should the priest about to recite the priestly benediction be forbidden [to eat] the ‘shells of grapes’.-R. Isaac replied: Scripture says, To minister unto Him and to bless in His name; [from this is to be inferred] that just as the officiating priest may eat the shells [of grapes] so too may the priest about to recite the priestly benediction.
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