Taanit

But he sent ambassadors to him, saying1 : What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: and God hath given command to speed me; forbear thee from meddling1 with God, who is with me, that He destroyeth thee not.1 What is meant by ‘God who is with me’? — Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: Idols. Josiah said [to himself], Since he [Pharaoh-Necho] puts his trust in his idols I will prevail over him. And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants: Have me away, for I am sore wounded.2 What is meant by, ‘For I am sore wounded’? Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: This teaches that his whole body was perforated like a sieve.3 R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: Josiah was punished because he should have consulted Jeremiah and he did not. On what did Josiah rely? — On the divine promise contained in the words, Neither shall the sword go through your land.4 What sword? Is it the warring sword? It is already stated [in the same verse], And I will give peace in the land.4 It must surely refer to the peaceful sword. Josiah, however, did not know that his generation found but little favour [in the eyes of God]. When he was dying Jeremiah observed that his lips were moving and he feared that perhaps, Heaven forfend,[Josiah] was saying something improper because of his great pain; he thereupon bent down and he overheard him justifying [God's] decree against himself saying, The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against His word.5 He [Jeremiah] then cited of him, The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord.6 IT HAPPENED THAT THE ELDERS RETURNED FROM JERUSALEM TO THEIR OWN CITIES etc. The question was asked, [Does the Mishnah mean] as an oven full of grain, or as an oven full of bread?7 — Come and hear: As much as would fill the opening of an oven. The following question however still remains, Does it mean [as much bread] as would close the opening of an oven, or a row of loaves extending to the opening of the oven? This is left undecided. THEY ALSO ORDAINED A FAST BECAUSE WOLVES DEVOURED etc. ‘Ulla said in the name of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak: It happened that wolves devoured two children and they passed them out through their secretory canal and the question came up before the Sages and they declared that the flesh [of the children] was clean but that their bones were unclean. 8 THE ALARM IS SOUNDED ON THE SABBATH etc. Our Rabbis have taught: When a city is surrounded by hostile Gentiles, or threatened with inundation by the river, or when a ship is foundering in the sea, or when an individual is being pursued by Gentiles or robbers or by an evil spirit,9 the alarm is sounded [even] on the Sabbath; and on account of all these an individual may afflict himself by fasting. R. Jose says: An individual may not afflict himself by fasting lest thereby he come to need the help of his fellow men and it may be that they will not have mercy upon him. Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: R. Jose's reason is because It is written, And became a living soul;10 Scripture thereby implies, [God says], Keep alive the soul which I gave you. SIMEON THE TEMANITE SAYS [THE ALARM IS SOUNDED] ALSO EVEN ON ACCOUNT OF PLAGUE etc. The question was asked: Did the Rabbis disagree with him only when it was a question of sounding the alarm on the Sabbath, but on weekdays they agreed with him; or, perhaps they did not agree with him in any circumstances? — Come and hear: The alarm is sounded on account of plague on the Sabbath, and, it goes without saying, on weekdays. R. Hanan b. Pitom,11 a disciple of R. Akiba, said in the name of R. Akiba: We may not under any circumstances sound the alarm on account of plague. THE ALARM IS SOUNDED ON ACCOUNT OF ANY VISITATION, THAT COMES UPON THE COMMUNITY! Our Rabbis have taught: The alarm is sounded on account of any visitation that comes upon the community! except on account of an overabundance of rain. Why?- R. Johanan said: Because we may not pray on account of an excess of good. R. Johanan further said: Whence do we derive that we may not pray on account of an excess of good? For it is said, Bring ye the whole tithe into the storehouse . . . that there shall be more than sufficiency.12 What is the meaning of, ‘More than sufficiency’? — Rami son of R. Yud interpreted: Until your lips grow weary with saying, Sufficient. Rami son of R. Yud said: In the Diaspora the alarm is sounded on account of this.13 It has been taught likewise: In a year of excessive rain the Men of the Mishmar send [a message] to the Men of the Ma'amad:14 Think of your brethren in the Diaspora that their houses may not become their graves.15 R. Eliezer was asked, How excessive must the rainfall be to warrant prayer for it to cease? He replied: When a man standing on Keren Ofel16 is able to dabble his feet in water. But has it not been taught ‘his hands’? — I mean, his feet [at the same time] as his hands.17 Rabah bar b. Hana related: Once as I was standing on Keren Ofel I saw [below] an Arab with a spear in his hand riding on a camel and to me he looked as small as a flax-worm. The Rabbis have taught: And I will give you rains in their season.18 [This means that the soil shall be] neither soaked nor parched, but moderately rained upon. For whenever the rain is excessive it scours away the soil so that it yields no fruit. h,hkjv is connected with kkj to pierce through.] retaining their solid nature, do; cf. Lev. V, 2-3. representatives in Jerusalem known as the Men of the Ma'amad (v. Glos.) stood by during the sacrificial ceremonies reciting prayers (v. Malter, a.l. and infra 27a notes). of rain. Ofel would have to rise five hundred feet. V. Buchler, op. cit. p. 197.] water had risen so high that one can sit on the Keren Ofel and wash his hands whilst his feet dabble in the water.]