Taanit

only when the appetite is satisfied and the stomach is full? Is that so? Did not R. Papa on one occasion when coming to the synagogue at Abi-Cobar1 ordain a fast and rain fell before midday and yet he first recited the Hallel and only after that the people ate and drank! — It is different with the people of Mahuza, because drunkenness is frequent amongst them.2 MISHNAH. ON THREE OCCASIONS OF THE YEAR, ON FAST-DAYS, ON MA'AMADOTH,3 AND ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT DO THE PRIESTS LIFT UP THEIR HANDS TO BLESS [THE PEOPLE] FOUR TIMES DURING THE DAY, NAMELY AT THE SHAHARITH4 [SERVICE], AT MUSAF,5 AT MINHAH6 AND AT THE CLOSING OF THE GATES [NE'ILAH].7 THE FOLLOWING ARE [THE DETAILS CONCERNING] THE MA'AMADOTH. BECAUSE8 IT IS SAID, COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [AND SAY UNTO THEM]: MY FOOD WHICH IS PRESENTED UNTO ME.9 NOW HOW CAN A MAN'S OFFERING BE BROUGHT [ON THE ALTAR] AND HE IS NOT PRESENT? [THEREFORE] THE EARLIER PROPHETS10 INSTITUTED TWENTY-FOUR MISHMAROTH,11 AND EACH MISHMAR WAS REPRESENTED [AT THE TEMPLE] IN JERUSALEM BY ITS OWN MA'AMAD OF PRIESTS, LEVITES AND ISRAELITES. WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR THE MISHMAR TO GO UP [TO JERUSALEM] THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES WENT UP TO JERUSALEM AND THE ISRAELITES OF THAT MISHMAR ASSEMBLED IN THEIR CITIES AND READ [FROM THE LAW] THE STORY OF CREATION.12 THE MEN OF THE [ISRAELITE] MA'AMAD FASTED ON FOUR DAYS OF THAT WEEK, FROM MONDAY TO THURSDAY; THEY DID NOT FAST ON FRIDAY OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH NOR ON SUNDAY IN ORDER NOT TO CHANGE OVER [WITHOUT A BREAK] FROM THE REST AND DELIGHT [OF THE SABBATH] TO WEARINESS AND FASTING AND SO [PERHAPS] DIE. ON SUNDAY [THEY READ],13 IN THE BEGINNING, AND, LET THERE BE A FIRMAMENT; ON MONDAY,14 LET THERE BE A FIRMAMENT, AND, LET THE WATERS BE GATHERED TOGETHER; ON TUESDAY,15 LET THE WATERS BE GATHERED TOGETHER, AND, LET THERE BE LIGHTS; ON WEDNESDAY,16 LET THERE BE LIGHTS, AND, LET THE WATERS SWARM; ON THURSDAY,17 LET THE WATERS SWARM, AND, LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH; ON FRIDAY,18 LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH, AND, AND THE HEAVENS [AND THE EARTH] WERE FINISHED. TWO PERSONS READ BETWEEN THEM A LONG SECTION19 AND ONE A SHORT SECTION. AT SHAHARITH, MUSAF, AND MINHAH THEY ASSEMBLED AND READ [THE REQUISITE] SECTION BY HEART, IN THE SAME WAY AS PEOPLE RECITE THE SHEMA’. THEY DID NOT ASSEMBLE AT MINHAH ON FRIDAY OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH. ON ANY DAY WHEN HALLEL20 WAS RECITED THERE WAS NO MA'AMAD [SERVICE]21 AT SHAHARITH;22 [ON THE DAY WHEN] A MUSAF-OFFERING [WAS BROUGHT] THERE WAS NONE. AT NE'ILAH, [ON THE DAY OBSERVED AS] THE WOOD-FESTIVAL23 THERE WAS NONE AT MINHAH;24 THIS IS THE OPINION OF R. AKIBA. BEN ‘AZZAI SAID TO HIM: THUS DID R. JOSHUA LEARN: [ON THE DAY WHEN] A MUSAF-OFFERING [WAS BROUGHT] THERE WAS NONE AT MINHAH; [ON THE DAY OBSERVED AS] THE WOOD-FESTIVAL THERE WAS NONE AT THE CLOSING OF THE GATES. THEREUPON R. AKIBA RETRACTED AND LEARNT LIKE BEN ‘AZZAI. NINE TIMES IN THE YEAR [WAS OBSERVED] THE WOOD-FESTIVAL OF THE PRIESTS AND THE PEOPLE; ON THE FIRST OF NISAN THE FAMILY OF ARAH25 OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH BROUGHT THE OFFERING OF WOOD; ON THE TWENTIETH OF TAMMUZ THE FAMILY OF DAVID OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH;26 ON THE FIFTH OF AB THE FAMILY OF PAROSH27 OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE SEVENTH OF THE SAME MONTH, THE FAMILY OF JONADAB OF THE RECHABITES;28 ON THE TENTH OF THE SAME MONTH THE FAMILY OF SENAAH OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN;29 ON THE FIFTEENTH OF THE SAME MONTH THE FAMILY OF ZATTU30 OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, AND WITH THEM WERE THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES AND ALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT CERTAIN OF THEIR TRIBE AND THE BENE GONBE ‘ALI AND THE BENE KOZE KEZI'OTH;31 ON THE TWENTIETH OF THE SAME MONTH THE FAMILY OF PAHATH MOAB32 OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE TWENTIETH OF ELUL THE FAMILY OF ADIN33 OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH; ON THE FIRST OF TEBETH THE FAMILY OF PAROSH A SECOND TIME; ON THE FIRST OF TEBETH THERE WAS NO MA'AMAD FOR THEREON THERE WAS HALLEL, MUSAF-OFFERING34 AND THE WOOD-FESTIVAL. FIVE MISFORTUNES BEFELL OUR FATHERS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB. ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ service is now represented by the Ne'ilah service on the Day of Atonement.] Levite and Israelite) read from the Law, there were not sufficient verses in any one section for the reading, and therefore two sections had to be coupled. Even then on some days (e.g., Sunday and Monday) a verse had to be repeated because the two sections did not have the minimum number of nine verses. reference is to Hanukkah, when Hallel is read but not Musaf.] Musaf and wood-offering.