1 IN SUCH A CASE THAT CITY FASTS AND SOUNDS THE ALARM, BUT THOSE [IN THE PLACES] AROUND IT FAST BUT DO NOT SOUND THE ALARM. R. AKIBA SAYS: THEY SOUND THE ALARM BUT DO NOT FAST. AND SO TOO IF A PLAGUE RAGES IN A CITY OR [ITS BUILDINGS] COLLAPSE THEN THAT CITY FASTS AND SOUNDS THE ALARM, BUT THE PEOPLE [IN THE PLACES] AROUND IT FAST BUT DO NOT SOUND THE ALARM. R. AKIBA SAYS: THEY SOUND THE ALARM BUT DO NOT FAST. WHAT CONSTITUTES A PLAGUE? IF IN A CITY THAT CAN SUPPLY FIVE HUNDRED FOOT-SOLDIERS THREE DEATHS TAKE PLACE ON THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THIS CONSTITUTES A PLAGUE; LESS THAN THIS IS NO PLAGUE. THE ALARM IS SOUNDED EVERYWHERE ON ACCOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING [VISITATIONS]: BLAST, MILDEW, LOCUST, CRICKET, WILD BEASTS AND THE SWORD, AS THEY ARE ALL PLAGUES LIKELY TO SPREAD. IT HAPPENED THAT ELDERS WENT DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO THEIR OWN CITIES AND ORDERED A FAST BECAUSE THERE WAS OBSERVED IN ASKELON BLAST WHICH AFFECTED AS MUCH GRAIN AS WOULD FILL AN OVEN [WITH LOAVES MADE THEREOF]. THEY ALSO ORDAINED A FAST BECAUSE WOLVES DEVOURED TWO CHILDREN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN; R. JOSE SAID: NOT BECAUSE THEY DEVOURED [THE CHILDREN] BUT [MERELY] BECAUSE THEY WERE SEEN. THE ALARM IS SOUNDED ON THE SABBATH ON ACCOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING MISHAPS: IF A CITY IS BESIEGED BY HOSTILE TROOPS OR [INUNDATED BY] THE RIVER, OR IF A SHIP IS FOUNDERING ON THE SEA, R. JOSE SAYS: [THE ALARM IS SOUNDED] FOR HELP BUT NOT FOR A CALL TO PRAYERS. SIMEON THE TEMANITE SAYS: [THE ALARM IS SOUNDED] ON ACCOUNT OF PLAGUE, BUT THE SAGES DID NOT AGREE WITH HIM. THE ALARM IS SOUNDED ON ACCOUNT OF ANY VISITATION, THAT COMES UPON THE COMMUNITY EXCEPT ON ACCOUNT OF AN OVER-ABUNDANCE OF RAIN. IT HAPPENED THAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO HONI THE CIRCLE DRAWER, PRAY FOR RAIN TO FALL. HE REPLIED: GO AND BRING IN THE OVENS [ON WHICH YOU HAVE ROASTED] THE PASCHAL OFFERINGS SO THAT THEY DO NOT DISSOLVE. HE PRAYED AND NO RAIN FELL...WHAT DID HE DO? HE DREW A CIRCLE AND STOOD WITHIN IT AND EXCLAIMED, MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, THY CHILDREN HAVE TURNED TO ME BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE ME TO BE AS A MEMBER OF THY HOUSEHOLD; I SWEAR BY THY GREAT NAME THAT I WILL NOT MOVE FROM HERE UNTIL THOU HAST MERCY UPON THY CHILDREN. RAIN THEN BEGAN TO DRIP, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED: IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN [TO FILL] CISTERNS, DITCHES AND CAVES. THE RAIN THEN BEGAN TO COME DOWN WITH GREAT FORCE, AND THEREUPON HE EXCLAIMED; IT IS NOT FOR THIS THAT I HAVE PRAYED BUT FOR RAIN OF BENEVOLENCE, BLESSING AND BOUNTY. RAIN THEN FELL IN THE NORMAL WAY UNTIL THE ISRAELITES IN JERUSALEM WERE COMPELLED TO GO UP [FOR SHELTER] TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. THEY CAME AND SAID TO HIM: IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR [THE RAIN] TO FALL PRAY [NOW] FOR THE RAIN TO CEASE. HE REPLIED: GO AND SEE IF THE STONE OF CLAIMANTS HAS BEEN WASHED AWAY. THEREUPON SIMEON B. SHETAH SENT TO HIM [THIS MESSAGE]: WERE IT NOT THAT YOU ARE HONI I WOULD HAVE PLACED YOU UNDER THE BAN, BUT WHAT CAN I DO UNTO YOU WHO IMPORTUNE GOD AND HE ACCEDES TO YOUR REQUEST AS A SON THAT IMPORTUNES HIS FATHER AND HE ACCEDES TO HIS REQUEST; OF YOU SCRIPTURE SAYS, LET THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER BE GLAD, AND LET HER THAT BORE THEE REJOICE. IF WHILST THEY ARE FASTING RAIN FALLS, IF IT IS BEFORE SUNRISE THEY DO NOT COMPLETE THE FAST, IF AFTER SUNRISE, THEY DO COMPLETE THE FAST. R. ELIEZER SAYS: IF BEFORE NOON THEY DO NOT COMPLETE THE FAST, AFTER NOON THEY DO COMPLETE IT. IT HAPPENED THAT THE RABBIS ORDAINED A FAST IN LYDIA AND RAIN FELL BEFORE NOON. THEREUPON R. TARFON SAID TO THEM: GO, EAT AND DRINK AND OBSERVE THE DAY AS A HOLIDAY. THEY WENT AND ATE AND DRANK AND OBSERVED THE DAY AS A HOLIDAY AND AT EVENING TIME THEY CAME AND RECITED THE GREAT HALLEL. GEMARA. THE ORDER OF PUBLIC FASTS AFOREMENTIONED IS OBSERVED ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH [THE WITHHOLDING] OF THE FIRST RAIN. A contradiction was raised against this Mishnah: [If rain is withheld at the time of] the first and second rainfalls prayers are offered; if at the third rainfall, fasts are observed! Rab Judah replied: The Mishnah means this: The order of fasts aforementioned is observed only when the time for the first, second and third fructification rainfalls has passed and no rain fell, but if rain fell at the time for the first fructification rainfall and they sowed but nothing sprouted forth, or if the [plants] did sprout forth but they had undergone an unusual change the alarm is sounded at once. R. Nahman said: Only when they had undergone an unusual change, but not if they merely withered away. Is not this self-evident? We clearly learned, HAVE UNDERGONE A CHANGE[R. Nahman's statement] is needed to cover the case of seeds that have already shot up into stalks. You might have thought that this is a sign of recovery, he therefore informs us [that it is not]. THE SAME TOO IS DONE IF FORTY DAYS ELAPSED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND RAINFALLS AND NO RAIN FELL etc. What is the nature of the plague of drought? Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: A plague which leads to scarcity. R. Nahman said: When [grain] has to be transported by riverᵃᵇᶜᵈᵉᶠᵍʰⁱ
2 [from one city to another] it is drought, but when it has to be brought [overland] from one province to another it is famine. R. Hanina said: If a se'ah of grain costs one sela’ and is obtainable it is drought; but if four se'ahs cost a sela’ but are not easily obtainable, then it is a famine. R. Johanan added: This holds good only when money is cheap and food dear, but if money is dear and food cheap then the alarm is sounded at once. For R. Johanan said: I remember well [the time] when four se'ahs cost one sela’ and yet there were many in Tiberias swollen from hunger because there was not a coin to be had. IF RAIN FALLS FOR CROPS BUT NOT FOR THE TREES. It is of course possible [for rainfall to be beneficial] for crops and not for the trees when [the rain] falls gently and not heavily; similarly, It can be beneficial for trees and not for crops when it falls heavily and not gently; similarly, it can be beneficial for both of them and yet not for cisterns, ditches and caves if it falls heavily and gently but yet not in great enough volume. But is it possible for rain to fall for cisterns, ditches and caves and yet not be beneficial for both of these [crops and trees] as has been taught in the Baraitha? — When the rain is torrential. Our Rabbis have taught: The alarm [for rain] for the trees is sounded during the middle of the Passover [season], and for the cisterns, ditches and caves even during the middle of the Tabernacles [season]; and at any time should there be no water to drink the alarm is sounded at once. What is meant by ‘at once’? — On the [following] Monday, Thursday and Monday. The alarm is sounded for all the aforementioned only in the particular province affected. In the case of croup the alarm is sounded only when deaths result from it, but if no deaths result the alarm is not sounded. In the case of locust the alarm is sounded no matter how small in number. R. Simeon b. Eleazar says: [The alarm is sounded] also in the case of grasshoppers. Our Rabbis have taught: The alarm is sounded for the trees during the working years of the Sabbatical Cycle, but for the cisterns, ditches and caves even on the Sabbatical year. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: [The alarm is sounded] also for the trees during the Sabbatical year because the poor derive their livelihood from them. Another Baraitha taught: The alarm is sounded for trees during the six working years of the Sabbatical Cycle, but for the cisterns, ditches and caves even on the Sabbatical year. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: [The alarm is sounded] also for the trees. For what grows of itself the alarm is sounded even on the Sabbatical year because the poor derive their livelihood from them. It has been taught: R. Eleazar b. Perata said: Ever since the day the Temple was destroyed the rains have become irregular; there are years in which rains are abundant, and there are other years when they are scanty; there are some years when the rains come in season, and there are other years when they do not. To what may be compared the years when the rains come in season? To a servant to whom his master gave his week's food allowance [in advance] on the first day of the week, with the result that the dough is baked well and eatable. To what may be compared the years when the rains do not come in season? To a servant to whom his master gave his week's food allowance on the eve of the Sabbath with the result that his dough is not well baked and uneatable. To what may be compared the years when the rains are abundant? To a servant to whom his master gave his [year's] food allowance in one lot so that the [waste of] the mill in grinding a kor is no more than [the waste] in grinding a kab and likewise the waste in kneading a kor is no more than in kneading a kab. To what may be compared the years when the rains are scanty? To a servant to whom his master gave his [year's] food allowance little by little, so that the waste in grinding a kab is no less than in grinding a kor, and likewise the waste in kneading a kab is no less than in kneading a kor. Another explanation: When the rains are plentiful they may be compared to a man kneading clay; if he has a plentiful supply of water then the clay is well kneaded without all the water being used up, but if the supply is scanty the water will give out and the clay is not well kneaded. Our Rabbis have taught: Once it happened when all Israel came up on pilgrimage to Jerusalem that there was no water available for drinking. Thereupon Nakdimon b. Gurion approached a certain [heathen] lord and said to him: Loan me twelve wells of water for the Pilgrims and I will repay you twelve wells of water; and if I do not, I will give you instead twelve talents of silver, and he fixed a time limit [for repayment]. When the time came [for repayment] and no rain had yet fallen the lord sent a message to him in the morning: Return to me either the water or the money that you owe me. Nakdimon replied: I have still time, the whole day is mine. At midday he [again] sent to him a message, Return to me either the water or the money that you owe me. Nakdimon replied: I still have time to-day. In the afternoon he [again] sent to him a message, Return to me either the water or the money that you owe me. Nakdimon replied, I still have time to-day. Thereupon the lord sneeringly said to him, Seeing that no rain has fallen throughout the whole yearʲᵏˡᵐⁿᵒᵖᵠʳ