1 . Our Rabbis have taught: Palestine was created first and then the rest of the world, as it is said, While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields. Palestine is watered by the Holy One, blessed be He, and the rest of the world is watered by a messenger, as it is said, Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields. Palestine is watered by the rain and the rest of the world is watered by the residue, as it is said, ‘ Who giveth rain upon the earth, etc’. Palestine is watered first and then the rest of the world, as it is said, ‘Who giveth rain upon the earth, etc’. This may be compared to a man making cheese; he removes first what is edible and discards the refuse. The Master said: ‘[The waters of the ocean] are sweetened by the clouds’ — Whence does he learn this? R. Isaac b. Joseph said in the name of R. Johanan: It is written, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies, and it is also written, Distilling of waters, thick clouds of the skies,’ take away the kaf and add it to the [word written with] resh and read haksharath. As for R. Joshua what use does he make of these verses? — He is of the opinion that these verses are the basis for the statement made by R. Dimi when he came [to Babylon] and he reported that in Palestine people say, If the clouds are bright they contain little water, but if they are dark they contain much water. In keeping with whose view is the teaching which has been taught: The upper waters remain suspended by Divine command, and their fruit is the rain-water, as it is said, The earth is full of the fruit of Thy works? This is according to R. Joshua. And as for R. Eliezer?-[He is of the opinion] that this [verse] refers to the other handiwork of God. R. Joshua b. Levi said: The whole world is watered by the residue of the Garden of Eden, as it is said, And a river went out of Eden, etc. A Tanna taught: The residue of a kor is enough to irrigate a tarkab. Our Rabbis taught: Egypt is four hundred parasangs by four hundred, and it is one sixtieth of the size of Ethiopia; Ethiopia is one sixtieth of the world, and the world is one sixtieth of the Garden [of Eden]. and the Garden is one sixteenth of Eden, and Eden is one sixtieth of Gehenna; thus the whole world compared with the Gehenna is but as a lid to the pot. Some say that Gehenna has no limit In size; others say that Eden is without limit. R. Oshaia said: What is the meaning of the verse, O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures? What has brought it about that Babylon's treasures are full of corn? Because it dwells by many waters. Rab said: Babylon is rich because it harvests without rain. Abaye said: We have a tradition, Better is a flooded land than an arid land. MISHNAH. ON THE THIRD OF MARCHESHVAN WE [BEGIN TO] PRAY FOR RAIN. R. GAMALIEL SAYS: ON THE SEVENTH, [THAT IS.] FIFTEEN DAYS AFTER THE FEAST SO THAT THE LAST ISRAELITE MAY REACH THE RIVER EUPHRATES. GEMARA. R. Eleazar said: The halachah is according to R. Gamaliel. It has been taught: Hananiah says: In the Diaspora [we do not begin to pray] until the sixtieth day after the [Tishri] cycle. R. Huna b. Hiyya said in the name of Samuel: The halachah is according to Hananiah. Is it really so? Was not a question asked of Samuel: When do we begin to make mention [of the words] ‘and give dew and rain’? and he replied, ‘When wood is brought into the house of Tabut, the fowler’? — Perhaps the two time limits are identical. A question was asked in the school: Is the sixtieth day counted with those that precede it or with those that follow it? -Come and hear: Rab said: The sixtieth day is counted with those that follow it; and Samuel said: With those that precede it. R. Nahman said: The mnemonic for this is, the highlands need water, but the lowlands do not. R. Papa said: The halachah is that the sixtieth day is counted with those that follow it. MISHNAH. IF THE SEVENTEENTH OF MARCHESHVAN CAME AND NO RAIN FELL THE YEHIDIM [INDIVIDUALS] BEGIN TO FAST THREE FASTS; THEY MAY EAT AND DRINK AFTER IT GETS DARK [AND ON THESE FASTS] IT IS PERMISSIBLE FOR THEM TO DO WORK, TO BATHE, TO ANOINT THEMSELVES WITH OIL, TO WEAR SHOES, AND TO HAVE of Tabernacles may reach home without being inconvenienced by the rain. MARITAL RELATIONS. IF THE NEW MOON OF KISLEV CAME AND NO RAIN FELL THE BETH DIN ORDAIN UPON THE COMMUNITY THREE FASTS; [ON THESE] THEY MAY EAT AND DRINK WHILST IT IS STILL DARK AND IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO DO WORK, TO BATHE, TO ANOINT ONESELF WITH OIL, TO WEAR SHOES, AND TO HAVE MARITAL RELATIONS. GEMARA. Who are the yehidim? R. Huna said: The rabbis. R. Huna further said: The yehidim fast three fasts, [that is to say, on] Monday, Thursday and Monday. What new fact does he teach us? Has it not already been taught to us: No fast is ordained upon the community to begin on a Thursday in order to prevent a rise in food prices. Hence the order of the first three fasts must be, Monday, Thursday, Monday? You might have thought that this applies only to public fasts but not to those of individuals therefore he teaches us [that it applies] equally to those of individuals. The same has been taught us elsewhere: When the yehidim begin to fast they fast on Monday, Thursday and Monday, and they interrupt their fasts on New Moonᵃᵇᶜᵈᵉᶠᵍʰⁱʲᵏˡᵐⁿᵒᵖᵠʳˢᵗᵘᵛʷˣʸᶻᵃᵃᵃᵇᵃᶜᵃᵈ
2 and on such festive days as are enumerated in the Scroll of Fasts. The Rabbis have taught: Let not a man say, ‘I am but a disciple and I am therefore not worthy to consider myself a yahid’, since all Disciples of the Wise are accounted yehidim. Who is a yahid? And who is a disciple? A yahid is one worthy to be appointed Leader of the Community; a disciple is one who is asked any question of halachah connected with his studies and can answer it — even though it is on a subject dealt with in the Tractate Kallah. Our Rabbis have taught: Not everyone desirous to consider himself a yahid may do so; a disciple however may do so; this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Jose says: Anyone may do so, and may he be remembered for good, because it is not an advantage to him but a hardship. Another [Baraitha] teaches: Not everyone desirous to consider himself a yahid may do so; a disciple however may do so; this is the opinion of R. Simeon son of R. Eliezer. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: This only applies to things which are to his distinction but in things which cause him hardship any one may do so and may he be remembered for good, because it is not an advantage to him but a hardship. Our Rabbis have taught: If one fasted on account of some visitation and it passed, or for a sick person and he recovered, he should nevertheless complete his fast. If one journeys from a place where they do not fast to a place where they do, he should fast with them; from a place where they do fast to a place where they do not, he should nevertheless complete his fast. If he forgot and ate and drank let him not make it patent in public nor may he indulge in delicacies, as it is written, And Jacob said to his sons: Why should you show yourself?’ Jacob conveyed thereby to his sons’ ‘When you are fully sated do not show yourselves either before Esau or before Ishmael that they should not envy you’. See that ye fall not out by the way. R. Eleazar said: Joseph said to his brethren, ‘Do not busy yourselves with questions of law lest the road become uncertain for you [you lose the way]’. Is it really so; did not R. Elia b. Berackiah say: Two scholars who are journeying on the road and they do not discuss words of Torah merit to be devoured by fire, as it written, And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them asunder? — [They parted asunder] only because they talked [of Torah] but if they had not talked they would have merited to be devoured by fire! — There is no contradiction. The latter case speaks of repeating one's studies, and the former of cogitation. A Tanna taught: [Joseph said to his brethren] ‘Do not take big strides and bring the sun into the city’. ‘Do not take big strides’: For a Master said: Big strides rob a man of one five-hundredth part of his eyesight. ‘And bring the sun into the city’: As Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: Let a man always leave [the city by ‘daylight’, and enter it by ‘daylight, as it is said, As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away. Rab Judah said in the name of R. Hiyya: He who journeys on the road should not eat more than one eats in years of famine. Why? Here [in Babylonia] they explained the reason to be in order to prevent digestive troubles but in Palestine they said, in order [to make] his provisions last [throughout the whole journey]. What is the difference between the two [reasons]? — The difference isᵃᵉᵃᶠᵃᵍᵃʰᵃⁱᵃʲᵃᵏᵃˡᵃᵐᵃⁿᵃᵒ