Taanit

drizzling rain [‘urpila] even to the seeds under a hard clod. What is ‘urpila? ‘Uru pili [‘Wake up ye cracks’]. Raba further said: A young scholar may be likened to the seeds under a hard clod; once he has sprouted he soon shoots forth. Raba further said: If a young scholar gets into a rage it is because the Torah inflames him, as it is said, Is not my word like a fire? said the Lord.1 R. Ashi said:2 A scholar who is not as hard as iron is no scholar, as it is said, And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.3 R. Abba said to R. Ashi: You have learnt this from that verse but we have learnt it from the following verse: A land whose stones are iron.4 Do not read, abaneha [stones] but boneha [builders].5 Rabina said: Despite this, a man should train himself to be gentle, for it is said, Therefore remove vexation from thy heart, etc.6 R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: Three [men] made haphazard requests,7 two of them were fortunate in the reply they received and one was not, namely, Eliezer, the servant of Abraham; Saul, the son of Kish; and Jephtha the Gileadite. Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, as it is written, So let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, ‘Let down thy pitcher etc.’8 She might have been lame or blind, but he was fortunate in the answer given to him in that Rebecca chanced to meet him. Saul, the son of Kish, as it is written, And it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter.9 [He] might have been a slave or a bastard. He too was fortunate in that it chanced to be David. Jephtha, the Gileadite, as it is written, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house etc.10 It might have been an unclean thing. He, however, was fortunate in that it so happened that his own daughter came to meet him. This is what the prophet had in mind when he said to Israel, Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?’’ And it is further written, Which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it to my mind.11 ‘Which I commanded not’: This refers to the sacrifice of the son of Mesha, the king of Moab, as it is said, Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead and offered him for a burnt-offering.12 ‘Nor spake it’; This refers to the daughter of Jephtha.13 ‘Neither came it to my mind’: This refers to the sacrifice of Isaac, the son of Abraham. R. Berekiah said: The Congregation of Israel also made a thoughtless request, yet God granted that request,14 as it is said, And let us know, eagerly strive to know the Lord. His going forth is sure as the morning: and He shall come to us as the rain.15 The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her [Israel]: My daughter, thou askest for something16 which at times is desirable and at other times is not desirable, but I will be unto thee something which is desirable at all times, as it is said, I will be as dew unto Israel.17 She further made another thoughtless request. She said before Him,: O God, Set me as a seal upon thy heart,- as a seal upon thine arm.18 Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to her: My daughter, thou askest for something which at times can be seen and at other times cannot be seen. I, however, will make of thee something which can be seen at all times, as it is said, Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.19 WE PRAY FOR RAIN ONLY etc. [The scholars] were of the opinion that ‘praying’ and ‘making mention’ are one and the same thing. Who is the authority for this?-Raba replied: It is R. Joshua, who said, [We begin to make mention of rain] from the time when the Lulab is discarded —20 Abaye said to him: You can even say, that it is R. Eliezer; ‘praying’, however, is one thing and ‘making mention’ is another. Others have the reading: determined if he is to succeed in his lofty mission. manner.