Taanit

arose and divided them and increased them to twenty-four. [Lots were prepared] and mixed and placed in an urn. First came Jedaiah and took his portion and the portions of his colleagues,1 six [in all]; then came Harim and took his portion and the portions of his colleagues six [in all]; and likewise Pashhur; and likewise Immer. And the prophets amongst them stipulated that even if Jehoiarib, who was the chief of the Mishmaroth should go up to [Jerusalem]2 Jedaiah should not be ousted from his place, but Jedaiah3 should have precedence and Jehoiarib should be subordinate [to him].4 AND THE ISRAELITES OF THE MISHMAR ASSEMBLED IN THEIR CITIES AND READ [FROM THE LAW] THE STORY OF CREATION, On what is this based? — R. Jacob b. Aha said in the name of R. Assi: Were it not for the Ma'amadoth heaven and earth could not endure, as it is said, And he said: O Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?5 Abraham said: Master of the Universe, should Israel sin before Thee wilt Thou do unto them [as Thou hast done] to the generation of the Flood6 and to the generation of the Dispersion?7 [God] replied to him: No. He then said to him: Master of the Universe, ‘Let me know whereby I shall inherit it’. [God] answered: Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old etc.8 Abraham then continued: Master of the Universe! This holds good whilst the Temple remains in being, but when the Temple will no longer be what will become of them? [God] replied: I have already long ago provided for them in the Torah the order of sacrifices and whenever they read it I will deem it as if they had offered them before me and I will grant them pardon for all their iniquities. Our Rabbis have taught: The men of the Mishmar9 prayed over the sacrifice of their brethren that it may be favourably accepted, whilst the men of the Ma'amad assembled in their synagogues and observed four fasts, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week. On Monday [they fasted] for those that go down to the sea; on Tuesday for those who travel in the deserts; on Wednesday that croup may not attack children; on Thursday for pregnant women and nursing mothers, that pregnant women should not suffer a miscarriage, and that nursing mothers may be able to nurse their infants; on Friday they did not fast out of respect for the Sabbath; and certainly not on the Sabbath. Why did they not fast on Sunday? — R. Johanan said: Because of the Nazareans.10 R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: Because it is the third day after the creation of Man.11 Resh Lakish said: Because of the additional soul. For Resh Lakish said: Man is given an additional soul on Friday, but at the termination of the Sabbath it is taken away from him, as it is said, He ceased from work and rested12 [shabat wa-yinafash] that is to say, Once the rest had ceased, woe! that soul is gone. ON SUNDAY [THEY READ], ‘IN THE BEGINNING’, AND, ‘LET THERE BE A FIRMAMENT’. It has been taught: Two persons read [the section] ‘In the beginning’, and one ‘Let there be a firmament’. I can understand one person reading, ‘Let there be a firmament’, as it contains three verses, but how can two persons read, ‘In the beginning’, seeing that it contains only five verses? Has it not been taught: He who reads the Law should not read less than three verses? — Rab answered: [The third verse] is repeated. Samuel said: It is divided into two. Rab who says that the third verse is repeated why does he not agree that it is divided? — He is of the opinion that any verse which Moses did not divide, we may not divide. And as for Samuel who says that it is divided, may it then be divided? Did not R. Hanina, the Bible teacher, declare, I endeavoured hard to get permission from R. Hanina the elder to divide a verse into two and he would permit me only in the case of teaching children, because it is merely for teaching practice! — To this Samuel can reply: There [in the case of school children] the reason why [R. Hanina permitted the verse to be divided] was because it is not possible [for them to read the whole verse at one stretch], here too it is not possible. And as for Samuel who said, ‘It is divided’, why should he not agree that it be repeated? — In order to prevent any misunderstanding on the part of those who may enter or leave [the synagogue].13 An objection was raised: [A section of] six verses is read by two, but [a section of] five verses by one; should, however, the first person have read three verses then the second person reads the [remaining] two and one verse from the following section; some say, he reads three verses [from the following section] because we do not read from a [new] section less than three verses. Now in accordance with the view of him who says that it should be repeated,let then [the third verse of the first section] be repeated; and in accordance with the view of him who says that it should be divided, let the verse be divided? — There the position is different because they were attached to a priestly division (v. Me'iri and Malter, a.l.).] Talmud and Midrash, pp. 171-3. circumcision, was considered a critical period; cf. Gen. XXXIV, 25. divides into two, hu ‘woe’ and apb ‘soul’. only; similarly those leaving the synagogue when the first person reads verse three might conclude that the second person will read two verses only.