Taanit

‘withholding’ is applied to a woman, as it is said, For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs;1 and ‘withholding’ is applied to rain, as it is written, ‘And He will shut up the heaven.’ ‘Bearing’ is applied to a woman, and ‘bearing’ is applied to rain; ‘bearing’ is applied to a woman, as it is written, And she conceived and bore a son;2 and ‘bearing’ is applied to rain, as it is written, And make it bear3 and bud.4 ‘Remembering’ is applied to a woman and ‘remembering’ is applied to rain; ‘remembering’ is applied to a woman, as it is written, And the Lord remembered Sarah;5 and ‘remembering’ is applied to rain, as it is written, Thou hast remembered the earth, and watered her, greatly enriching her, with the river of God that is full of water.6 What is the meaning of, ‘With the river of God that is full of water’? — A Tanna taught: There is in heaven a kind of chamber from which the rain issues. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: What is the meaning of the verse, Whether it be for correction, or for His earth, or for mercy, that He cause it to come?7 If the rain is ‘for correction,’ [then it falls] upon the mountains and upon the hills; if it is ‘for mercy’, He causes it to come upon His earth, upon the fields and upon the vineyards;8 if it is ‘for correction’, upon the trees; if it is upon His earth, upon the seeds [in the ground]; if it is ‘for mercy’, He causes it to come for cisterns, pits and caves. In the days of R. Samuel b. Nahmani there was a famine and pestilence. People asked, What shall we do? Shall we pray for [the removal] of the two? That is not possible. Let us then pray for [the removal of] the pestilence and we will endure the famine. Thereupon R. Samuel b. Nahmani said to them: Let us rather pray [for the removal of] the famine, because when the All-Merciful gives plenty, He gives it for the living, as it is said, Thou openest Thy hand, and satisfiest every living thing with favour.9 How do we know that it is not fitting to pray for two things [at the same time]? — Because it is written, So we fasted and besought our God for this.10 ‘This’ would indicate that there were other things to pray for. In the West [Palestine] it was reported in the name of R. Haggai that it could be adduced from this verse, That they might ask mercy of the God of heaven concerning this secret.11 ‘This would indicate that there were other things too [to pray for]. In the days of R. Zera there was a religious persecution and fasting was also prohibited. R. Zera said to his colleagues: Let us now resolve to fast and when the decree is rescinded we will observe these fasts. His colleagues asked him: What is your authority for this? He replied: Because it is written, Then said he unto me, ‘Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day when thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard’.12 R. Isaac said: If rain falls on the eve of Sabbath then though the years be [years of drought] as in the days of Elijah13 it is yet none-the-less but a sign of [divine] anger.14 This is in agreement with the statement of Rabbah b. Shila who said: The day when rain falls is as hard [to bear]15 as a day of Judgment.16 Amemar said: Were it not that mankind must have rain we would pray and have it cease. R. Isaac further said: Sunshine on the Sabbath is an act of kindness towards the poor, as it is said, But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. 17 R. Isaac further said: The day when rain falls is great for thereon even the peruta18 in one's purse is blessed, as it is said, To give the rain of Thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hands.19 R. Isaac further said: Blessing is only possible in things hidden from sight, as it is said, The Lord will command the blessing with thee in thy barns.20 In the school of R. Ishmael it was taught: Blessing is only possible in things not under the direct control of the eye, as it is said, ‘The Lord will command the blessing with thee in thy barns.’ Our Rabbis have taught: On entering the barn to measure the new grain one shall recite the benediction, ‘May it be Thy will O Lord, our God, that Thou mayest send blessing upon the work of our hands’. Once he has begun to measure he says, ‘Blessed be He who sends blessing into this heap’. If, however, he first measured the grain and then recited the benediction then his prayer is in vain, because blessing is not to be found in anything that has been already weighed or measured or numbered, but only in a thing hidden from sight. (Mnemonic: Gathering of Armies, Charity, Tithes, Sustenance.) R. Johanan said: The day on which rain falls is as great as the day of the Gathering of exiled [Israel,] as it is said, Turn our captivity: O Lord, as the streams in the dry land.21 By ‘streams’ rain is meant, as it is said, And the channels of the sea appeared.22 R. Johanan further said: The day when rain falls is great, for thereon even warring armies cease [fighting], as it is said, Watering her ridges abundantly, settling down the furrows thereof. 23 R. Johanan further said: Rain is withheld only on account of those who subscribe to charity in public and fail to pay, as it is said, As vapours and wind without rain, so is he that boasteth himself of a false gift24 R. Johanan further said: What is the meaning of the verse leisure to enjoy the sunshine.