Taanit

Is not one having a large family with no means of support the same as one whose house is empty? — R. Hisda replied: The latter refers to a man whose house is free from sin.1 Whose youth was unblemished. Abaye said: This is one against whom no evil reputation had gone forth in his youth. My heritage is become unto to Me as a lion in the forest; she hath uttered her voice against Me; therefore have I hated her.2 What is the meaning of, ‘She hath uttered her voice against Me’? — Mar Zutra b. Tobiah said in the name of Rab, some say R. Hama said in the name of R. Eleazar: This refers to an unfit person who steps down before the Ark [to act] as Reader. AND HE RECITES BEFORE THEM TWENTY-FOUR BENEDICTIONS, THE EIGHTEEN RECITED DAILY TO WHICH HE ADDS SIX MORE. Are there only six? Are they not actually seven, as we have learnt: THE SEVENTH [BENEDICTION] HE CONCLUDES WITH BLESSED BE HE WHO HAS MERCY UPON THE EARTH! — R. Nahman b. Isaac replied: [Do you know] which is THE SEVENTH? it is the seventh of the longer benedictions.3 As it has been taught: [The benediction], ‘Who redeemest Israel,’ is prolonged and at its conclusion [the Reader] adds, He who answered Abraham on Mt. Moriah, He shall answer you and hearken this day unto the voice of your cry. Blessed art Thou who redeemest Israel, and the congregation respond, Amen. The synagogue attendant4 calls out unto them, ‘Blow a Teru'ah, ye children of Aaron, blow a Teru'ah, and [the Reader] resumes with, ‘He who answered our fathers at the Red Sea, He shall answer you and hearken this day to the cry of your voice. Blessed art Thou O Lord who rememberest forgotten things’; and the congregation responds, Amen. The synagogue attendant calls out, Sound a Teru'ah,O ye children of Aaron, sound a Teru'ah. And likewise [he does] with the other benedictions, at one he calls out, sound a Teki'ah, and another, sound a Teru'ah. The order of service5 [in which the congregation responds, Amen] holds good for the country generally but not for the Temple, because the response, Amen’ is not made use of in the Temple.6 And whence can it be adduced that the response, Amen, was not made use of in the Temple? — For it is said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting; and and let them say: Blessed be Thy glorious Name, that is exalted above all blessing and praise.7 You might have thought that there shall be only one form, of praise after all Benedictions, therefore the text adds, ‘Exalted above all blessing and praise’; that is to say, Give him ‘praise’ after every blessing. ‘What them was said in the Temple? Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed art Thou who redeemest Israel; and the congregation respond, Blessed be the name of his glorious kingdom for ever and ever.8 The synagogue attendant calls out unto them, Blow a Teki'ah, O Priests, sons of Aaron, blow a Teki'ah, and [the Reader] resumes with, he who answered Abraham on Mt. Moriah, He will answer you and hearken to the voice of your cry. Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel, who remembers forgotten things; and the congregation respond, Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever. The synagogue attendant calls out, Sound a Teru'ah, O Priests, children of Aaron, sound a Teru'ah etc. And likewise [he does] with the other benedictions; at one he calls out, Blow a Teki'ah, and at another, Sound a Teru'ah, until he completes them all. R. Halafta made this order of procedure the custom of Sepphoris and R. Hananya b. Tradyon made it the custom of Siknin. When however the matter came to the notice of the Sages they declared that this custom was observed only at the eastern gates and on the Temple mount. Some report [the passage just cited] in the form taught in the following Baraitha: [The Reader] recites before them twenty-four benedictions; the eighteen recited daily, to which he adds six more. ‘Where are those six included? Between the benedictions for redemption and Healing the Sick,9 the latter benediction being prolonged and the congregation respond, ‘Amen’, after every benediction. This was the custom in the country generally, but in the Temple they said, Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed art Thou O Lord who redeemest Israel and there was no response, ‘Amen’, after it. And why all this [long response]? Because it was not customary to respond ‘Amen’, in the Temple. And whence can it be adduced that they did not respond, ‘Amen’, in the Temple? For it is said, ‘Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting, and let them say: Blessed be Thy glorious name that is exalted above all blessing and praise’; that is to say, Give Him praise after every benediction. Our Rabbis have taught: When concluding the first benediction he says: Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed art Thou who redeemest Israel. And the congregation respond, Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever. The synagogue attendant calls out, Sound a Teki'ah, Priests, Sound a Teki'ah, and [the Reader] then resumes, He who answered Abraham on Mt. Moriah, He will answer you and hearken this day to the voice of your cry. And they blow a Teki'uh and sound a Teru'ah, and blow a Teki'ah [again]. When concluding the second benediction he says: Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed art Thou who rememberest forgotten things; and the congregation respond, Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever. The synagogue attendant then calls out, Sound a Teru'ah, children of Aaron, sound a Teru'ah, and the reader resumes, He who answered our fathers at the Red Sea, He will answer you and hearken this day to the voice of your cry. They then sound a Teru'ah and blow a Teki'ah and sound a Teru'ah [again]; and likewise he [does] after every benediction, at one he calls out, Blow a Teki'ah, and at another, Sound a Teru'ah, until all the benedictions are concluded. R. Halafta made this order of procedure the custom of Sepphoris and R. Hananya b. Tradyon made it the custom of Siknin. When, however, the matter was brought to the notice of the Sages, they declared that this custom was observed only at the eastern gate and on the Temple mount. R. JUDAH SAYS: HE NEED NOT RECITE THE ZIKRONOTH AND SHOFAROTH etc.: Said R. Adda of Joppa; what may be R. Judah's reason? Because Zikronoth and Shofaroth are recited only on New Year ‘Who redeemest Israel’ (ktrah ktud) was on rain fasts increased by the addition of the formula, ‘He who answered etc.’ inserted before its conclusion. After this followed the six additional special benedictions as described in the Mishnah thus making a total of seven long benedictions. On the reading vfurtk of cur. edd. render the seventh from the seventh lengthened benediction (of the daily Tefillah)] . 202, n. 4.] does not mean that the response, Amen, was not allowed in the Temple, but that the solemnity of the service, heightened by the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton as written, demanded a more extensive and impressive formula. V. also Blau, REJ. XXXIX, p. 188.]