Taanit

THE TABLES [OF THE LAW] WERE SHATTERED, THE DAILY OFFERING WAS DISCONTINUED, A BREACH WAS MADE IN THE CITY AND APOSTOMOS1 BURNED THE SCROLL OF THE LAW AND PLACED AN IDOL IN THE TEMPLE. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED THAT OUR FATHERS SHOULD NOT ENTER THE [PROMISED] LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST AND SECOND TIME, BETHAR WAS CAPTURED AND THE CITY [JERUSALEM] WAS PLOUGHED UP. WITH THE BEGINNING OF AB REJOICINGS ARE CURTAILED. DURING THE WEEK IN WHICH THE NINTH OF AB FALLS IT IS FORBIDDEN TO CUT THE HAIR AND TO WASH CLOTHES BUT ON THE THURSDAY IT IS PERMISSIBLE IN HONOUR OF THE SABBATH. ON THE EVE OF THE NINTH OF AB ONE MAY NOT PARTAKE OF A MEAL OF TWO COURSES NOR EAT MEAT NOR DRINK WINE. RABBAN SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: ONE SHOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS DIET. R. JUDAH MAKES IT OBLIGATORY TO TURN THE BED OVER;2 THE SAGES, HOWEVER, DID NOT AGREE WITH HIM IN THIS. R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAID: THERE NEVER WERE IN ISRAEL GREATER DAYS OF JOY THAN THE FIFTEENTH OF AB AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. ON THESE DAYS THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM3 USED TO WALK OUT IN WHITE GARMENTS WHICH THEY BORROWED IN ORDER NOT TO PUT TO SHAME ANY ONE WHO HAD NONE. ALL THESE GARMENTS REQUIRED RITUAL DIPPING.4 THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM CAME OUT AND DANCED IN THE VINEYARDS EXCLAIMING AT THE SAME TIME, YOUNG MAN, LIFT UP THINE EYES AND SEE WHAT THOU CHOOSEST FOR THYSELF. DO NOT SET THINE EYES ON BEAUTY BUT SET THINE EYES ON [GOOD] FAMILY. GRACE IS DECEITFUL, AND BEAUTY IS VAIN; BUT A WOMAN THAT FEARETH THE LORD, SHE SHALL BE PRAISED.5 AND IT FURTHER SAYS,6 GIVE HER OF THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS; AND LET HER WORKS PRAISE HER IN THE GATES. LIKEWISE IT SAYS, GO FORTH, O YE DAUGHTERS OF ZION, AND GAZE UPON KING SOLOMON, EVEN UPON THE CROWN WHEREWITH HIS MOTHER HATH CROWNED HIM IN THE DAY OF HIS ESPOUSALS, AND IN THE DAY OF THE GLADNESS OF HIS HEART.7 ‘ON THE DAY OF HIS ESPOUSALS:’ THIS REFERS TO THE DAY OF THE GIVING OF THE LAW. ‘AND IN THE DAY OF THE GLADNESS OF HIS HEART:’ THIS REFERS TO THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE; MAY IT BE REBUILT SPEEDILY IN OUR DAYS. GEMARA. ON THREE OCCASIONS OF THE YEAR DO THE PRIESTS LIFT UP THEIR HANDS [TO BLESS THE PEOPLE]. Is there then MUSAF ON FAST-DAYS and ON MA'AMADOTH? — There is a clause wanting [in our Mishnah]. It should read thus: ‘on three occasions do the priests lift up their hands [to bless the people] at all services, and on one of these8 occasions four times during the day, at the Shaharith [service], at Musaf, at Minhah and at the closing of the Gates. The following are the three occasions, Fast-days, Ma'amadoth and the Day of Atonement’. R. Nahman said in the name of Rabbah b. Abbuha: This is the opinion of R. Meir. The Sages, however, say: At Shaharith and at Musaf there is ‘lifting up of hands’ but at Minhah or at Ne'ilah there is no ‘lifting up of hands’. Who are meant by ‘the Sages’? — It is R. Judah. For it has been taught: At all [services, namely] at Shaharith, at Musaf, at Minhah and at Ne'ilah there is ‘lifting up of hands’; this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Judah says: At Shaharith and at Musaf there is ‘lifting up of hands’ but at Minhah or Ne'ilah there is no ‘lifting up of hands’. R. Jose says: At Ne'ilah there is ‘lifting up of hands’ but at Minhah there is no ‘lifting up of hands’. Wherein do they differ? R. Meir holds the view that the reason why on ordinary days the priests do not ‘lift up their hands’ at Minhah is because of the likelihood of intoxication,9 but on the days [cited above] the question of Intoxication does not arise.10 R. Judah takes the view that as drunkenness during [the time of] Shaharith and Musaf on ordinary days is not usual the Rabbis did not prohibit the lifting up of hands [at these services on fast-days also], whereas at [the time of] Minhah and Ne'ilah since on ordinary days drunkenness is quite a likely occurrence the Rabbis prohibited the ‘lifting up of hands’ [at these services even on fast-days]. R. Jose holds the view that the Rabbis confined their restriction to the Minhah only seeing that it is read every day, but they did not to the Ne'ilah which is not read every day.11 R. Judah said in the name of Rab: The halachah is in accordance with the view of R. Meir. R. Johanan said: The people followed the view of R. Meir. And Raba said: The established custom is in accordance with the view of R. Meir. On the view that the halachah is according to R. Meir we teach it [explicitly] in the school sessions; but if we say that the established custom is according to R. Meir, then we should not teach it explicitly in the school sessions but we may give our decisions in accordance with it; if, however, we say that the people followed the view of R. Meir then we do not definitely give a decision in accordance with it, but should one have acted on it we do not declare his action null. But R. Nahman said: The halachah is according to R. Jose. And the halachah is [indeed] according to R. Jose. But nowadays why do the priests ‘lift up their hands’ [to bless the people] on fast-days at Minhah? — As they lift up their hands [in blessing] very near sunset12 it is as if this was the Ne'ilah [service]. It is, however, generally agreed that an intoxicated [priest] may not lift up his hands [in benediction]. Whence is this view adduced? — R. Joshua b. Levi said in the name of Bar Kappara: Why does the section dealing with [the blessing by] the priest follow immediately after the portion of the Nazirite?13 In order to teach you that, just as the Nazirite is forbidden to drink wine, so too is the priest about to recite the priestly benediction. The father of R. Zera, and some say Oshaiah b. Zabbda, demurred to this: [If that is so], then just as the Nazirite is forbidden to eat the shells14 [of grapes], so too should the priest about to recite the priestly benediction be forbidden [to eat] the ‘shells of grapes’.-R. Isaac replied: Scripture says, To minister unto Him and to bless in His name;15 [from this is to be inferred] that just as the officiating priest may eat the shells [of grapes]16 so too may the priest about to recite the priestly benediction. Gemara infra 31a.] the young man, v. Malter.] God. 27b. Atonement.]