Taanit

[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],1 and for the cisterns, ditches and caves even during2 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,3 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.4 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;5 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.6 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 baked7 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 kor8 is no more than [the waste] in grinding a kab9 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 year fifteen days before the feast. ‘a host or king's gift, donation indefinite as to time and amount’, hence, irregular.