json/Mishnah/Rishonim on Mishnah/Bartenura/Seder Moed/Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit/English/Bartenura on Mishnah, trans. by Rabbi Robert Alpert, 2020.json

{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit",
    "versionSource": "http://sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Bartenura on Mishnah, trans. by Rabbi Robert Alpert, 2020",
    "versionNotes": "",
    "shortVersionTitle": "Rabbi Robert Alpert, 2020",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
    "languageFamilyName": "english",
    "isBaseText": false,
    "isSource": false,
    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "ברטנורא על משנה תענית",
    "categories": [
        "Mishnah",
        "Rishonim on Mishnah",
        "Bartenura",
        "Seder Moed"
    ],
    "text": [
        [
            [
                "מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים – Since the Mishnah teaches in the Tractate Rosh Hashanah that it happens from there that we are judged by the water on the holiday [of Sukkot], the Mishnah teaches here “from when do we mention God’s power to cause rain?” And because the rains are one of the powers of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written (Job 5:9-10): “Who performs great deeds which cannot be fathomed…Who gives rain to the earth,” because of this they call them “the power to cause rain [to fall].",
                "מיום טוב אחרון של חג – But not [during] all seven days of the holiday [of Sukkot], for rain during the days of Sukkot is a sign of a curse. There is a parable telling of a servant who came to pour a cup for his master and the master spilled the pitcher on his face, that is to say, I don’t need your service (see Mishnah Sukkah 2:9).",
                "אם כן – You state that we mention [God’s ability to cause the rain to fall], even though we don’t request [rain] since it implies [that we pray for rain] at its appropriate season; [for] even during the summer they mention God’s ability [to cause rain] and that you give a sign [for rain] from the first day of the holiday [of Sukkot]. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehoshua."
            ],
            [
                "אין שואלין את הגשמים – that is we don’t mention the rains.",
                "אלא סמוך לגשמים – that is the eighth day of the holiday [of Sukkot], for from the holiday and onwards is the time for rain, and the anonymous Mishnah is like the teaching of Rabbi Yehoshua. Another explanation: Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua argued above about the mentioning [of God’s power to cause] rain, but they admit that regarding the request/prayer, that is to say, “provide dew and rain” – we don’t make the request for rain until near the rainy season, that is on the third day of [the month of] Mar Cheshvan or on the seventh of it [Mar Cheshvan], as the Tannaim interpret further on in our Mishnah.",
                "האחרון – He who recites the Musaf prayer mentions, “who causes the rain to fall.”",
                "והראשון – He who recites the Morning Amidah prayer does not mention rain, but [only the prayer for] dew. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda, and since it is taught nearby in the Mishnah that Rabbi Yehuda says that [one makes the request for rain] until Passover passes, and here Rabbi Yehuda is speaking about the first day of the holiday of Passover; [in] the last prayer [i.e. Musaf], one does not mention [the request for rain]. These are two different Tannaim according to Rabbi Yehuda."
            ],
            [
                "בשלשה במרחשון שואלין את הגשמים – We recite “ and grant dew and rain for a blessing” in the blessing of the years (the ninth blessing of the Amidah on weekdays), and these words (of reciting the prayer “and grant dew and rain for a blessing”) are in the Land of Israel. But in the Diaspora, we don’t request [for rain] until sixth days from the autumnal equinox, and on the sixtieth day itself, we begin to pray for rain.",
                "האחרון שבישראל לנהר פרת – those who came up [to Jerusalem] for the festival [of Sukkot] who are returning to their homes, so that the rains don’t stop them [from traveling]."
            ],
            [
                "הגיע שבעה במרחשון – and three time periods have already passed – which are the third of Mar Cheshvan, the seventh [of Mar Cheshvan] and the seventeenth [of the month].",
                "התחילו היחידים – scholars/Sages",
                "שלש תעניות – Monday, Thursday [and the following] Monday.",
                "אוכלים ושותים משחשיכה – They are permitted to eat and drink all the night of the fast until the crack of dawn all the while that they are not sleeping. But after one has had one’s fixed period of sleep, it is forbidden to each or drink if one didn’t make a condition [to do so] at first prior to going to sleep. And there are those who say that eating requires a condition made. Drinking does not require a condition made, for there is no fixed period for drinking and that makes sense."
            ],
            [],
            [
                "שהן שלשה עשר תעניות על הציבור – for they already have fasted six [times] and the individual fasts are not part of the count.",
                "מתריעין – with Shofars",
                "בשני מטין – on the second of the fasts, they open the doors of the stores slightly towards evening. But they don’t take their wares outside.",
                "ובחמישי מותרים – to open [the stores] all day long."
            ],
            [
                "בבנין ובנטיעה – and specifically joyous building, such as a wedding hall to conduct his wedding; or joyous planting, such as a large tree throwing a shadow (forming a tent) over the ground (see Mishnah Ohalot Chapter 8, Mishnah 2) to carry the kings underneath. But a home to live in or the planting of a tree for its fruit is permitted.",
                "יצא ניסן הגשמים סימן קללה – when rain did not fall at all prior to the end of Nisan. And all of these laws [apply] in the Land of Israel and areas similar to it, but the further islands – at the time when tie r rains are not like the time of the rains in the Land of Israel, each person prays for rain at the time that he needs them. And if the known time has passed and rains have not fallen, the Jewish court of that place decrees fasts on the community after individuals have fasted according to the order taught in our Mishnah."
            ]
        ],
        [
            [
                "סדר תעניות כיצד – It is speaking about the last seven fasts.",
                "את התיבה – the ark which the Torah scroll is placed in, that is to say, we had a modest utensil which was despised by our sins And why is it brought to the city street? To say, we cried out in private in the synagogue and we were not answered; we will despise ourselves in public in the city street.",
                "אפר מקלה – ashes from the burning, and because dust is called ashes, the Mishnah teaches, אפר מקלה – ashes from the roast (i.e. vegetable ashes) and because dust is called ashes, for here, it is necessary that they are ashes specifically in order that the Holy One, blessed be He remember the Binding of Israc and be merciful [upon us].",
                "על גבי התיבה – because as it is written (Isaiah 63:9): “In all their troubles He was troubled, [and the angel of His Presence delivered them…].”",
                "ובראש הנשיא וכו' – But they themselves do not take, in order that they be even more embarrassed, since one who is embarrassed on his own is not the same as one who is embarrassed by others.",
                "דברי כבושים – words that conquer the heart of a person to return him to the good.",
                "ובקבלה – the words of the prophets."
            ],
            [
                "ורגיל – who knows the order of prayer.",
                "ויש לו בנים וביתן ריקן – But his home lacks what to support his children, and because his soul is in grief, he prays with spiritual intention; alternatively, his home is empty from sin, for a bad name has not gone - out during his youth about him.",
                "ומוסיפין עליהם שש – between [the blessing] “who redeems [Israel] (the fifth blessing of the weekday Amidah) and [the blessing] “who heals [the infirm of his people Israel] (the eighth blessing of the weekday Amidah), he recites these six blessings."
            ],
            [
                "זכרונות ושופרות – all the Biblical verses like we recite on Rosh Hashanah.",
                "ואומר חותמיהן – After the [Biblical verses] of Zikhronot/God remembers, the concluding blessing for that section and after [the Biblical verses of] Shofarot/God redeems through the sound of the Shofar, the concluding blessing for that section, and after all of them as it explains further on."
            ],
            [
                "על הראשונה – in [the seventh blessing of the Amidah] “who redeems Israel” , he begins to enlengthen, and even though it is not part of the number six, he recites it first, because in it he begins to add and enlengthen.",
                "על השביעית – of the blessings that he lengthens, but the blessings that he adds because of the fast day are only six, for the first blessing which is “who redeems Israel” of the Shemonah Eshreh which he lengthens.",
                "מי שענה את דוד ואת שלמה בנו – And even though that Jonah [came] after David and Solomon. Nevertheless, we place them first, because it is necessary to close the blessing at its conclusion, “Blessed be…who has mercy on the Land,” for David and Solomon his son are they who prayed over the Land of Israel; David [as it is written concerning him] (II Samuel 21:1): “There was a famine during the reign of David, [year after year for three years],” ; and Solomon [as it is written concerning him] (I Kings 8:37): “So, too, if there is a famine in the land, [if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts or caterpillars…].”"
            ],
            [
                "בימי רבי חלפתא – This was in Sepphoris.",
                "ולא ענו אחריו אמן – As our tradition reads it, because In the Temple, they would not answer Amen after every blessing but rather “Praised be the name of the God’s glorious kingdom forever and ever>’ as we read in the Gemara of Berakhot in the Chapter “HaRoeh” (ninth chapter). And these were not in the Temple and they behaved as they would in the Temple.",
                "תקעו בני אהרן תקעו – The sexton of the synagogue would say to them such each and every blessing.",
                "לא היינו נוהגין כן – That they would not say “Amen” [at the conclusion of each blessing] but rather, “Praised be the name of God’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.”",
                "אלא בשער המזרח – at the eastern gate of the Temple Mount and at the eastern gate of the Temple Courtyard (which had seven gates – See Mishnah Middot Chapter 1, Mishnah 4). For they would mention God’s special name (i.e., the Tetragrammaton) at the conclusion of each blessing and it was not sufficient to say “Amen.” And this is not to say that they did not have the practice of sounding the Shofar other than in the Temple, for they clearly did sound the Shofar outside [of Jerusalem], as is proven in this Tractate and in Rosh Hashanah, and the Halakha is according to the Sages."
            ],
            [
                "אנשי משמר – there were twenty-four priestly divisions and each division serves on its week.",
                "אנשי בית אב – Each division is divided into seven distinct units corresponding to the days of the week. Each one serves on its particular day.",
                "מתענין ולא משלימין – The first fasts were not so stringent. Therefore they would not complete them for if the service was that weighty on the men of a particular priestly division that they were doing that day, others would come to help them so that they would have the strength to serve [appropriately]."
            ],
            [
                "אנשי משמר מותרין לשתות יין – This is not referring to the fast, but it is these are speaking of the membes of the division that they bring it here.",
                "בלילות – that we should not fear lest the service become too heavy on the men of each division who served daily at night where they [i.e., others] would need to come to assist them.",
                "לא ביום ולא בלילה – since they had to bring up all night fats and limbs that sprang from the altar.",
                "אנשי מעמד – these were Israelites who were set up in Jerusalem and stood over the sacrifices of their brethren and would pray that it would be accepted with favor. And during the time of the Divine Service, representatives from all Israel would stand there, for how could the sacrifice of a person be offered and he was not standing by it, as the Bible states (Numbers 28:2): “…Be punctilious in presenting to Me at stated times.” For the Israelite, it was a commandment that they should stand over the Kohanim at the time of Divine Worship.",
                "אסורים לספר ולכבס – When they entered into their division, all the entire week, in order that they should cut their hair prior to that, therefore they would not enter their division while they look repulsive.",
                "ובחמישי – in the midst of their division service [on the given Thursday]. מותרים – it is the manner of most people to get their hair cut on Thursday and not put off shaving/cutting their hair until Friday because of the pain-staking preparations."
            ],
            [
                "כל הכתוב במגילת תענית – days in which miracles were performed for Israel during the Second Temple period and they established holidays. There is a day where one only does not fast on them and there are days in which they were more stringent by not giving eulogies on them, and those in which they were more stringent, it was forbidden to give eulogies.",
                "לפניו אסור – to give eulogies [on the day before], lest they come to do this on the holy day itself [where it was absolutely forbidden].",
                "לאחריו מותר – since the holiday passed, we are not concerned. And we establish for ourselves [today] since the Scroll of Fasts has been voided, that all of the days that were written there to not fast or to give eulogies on them – all of them are permissible [now] to fast and give eulogies [on them], except for Hanukkah [25 Kislev to 2/3 Tevet] and Purim [i.e. 14 Adar or 15 Adar in a walled city from the time of Joshua] , which in which giving eulogies and fasting are prohibited, but on the days before them and after them, it is permissible."
            ],
            [
                "שלא להפקיע את השערים – When we see that store owners would purchase two large meals at the conclusion of the fifth day of the week (i.e., Thursday), one for the night of the fast and one for Shabat, people would think that there a famine is coming in the world causing prices to rise and unsettling the market. But when they started to fast on Mondays, people knew that it was none other than because of [the need to] fast [for rain to fall]. Another explanation: that they should not say that if the Jewish court did not see that the famine is coming, they would not have pushed to decree a fast now so close to Shabbat, and because of that, the prices would rise and the market became unsettled."
            ],
            [
                "ואם התחילו – that they decreed these fasts earlier than this and began to fast on the trouble, even one day, and one of these days came up, we don’t halt [from fasting].",
                "מודה הוא שאין משלימין – to fast on them the entire day, but he eats in the evening close to sunset.",
                "וכן ט' באב שחל להיות בערב שבת – such as at the time when the Jewish court would establish [the months] through visual [sighting of the New Moon]. But he would eat in the evening near sunset because of the honor of the Sabbath, so that he would not enter the Sabbath while he is hungry. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Meir but rather, we complete the fast. Similarly, Tisha B’Av that occurs on a Friday, we complete the fast (Note: Today, this situation would never arise due to the fact that the first day of Passover is always the same day of the week as Passover, and the first day of Passover can never fall on a Friday, since the tine and edicts of Hillel II in the fourth century CE)."
            ]
        ],
        [
            [
                "סדר תעניות האלו – that are mentioned in the chapter above, are not observed other than for the rainfall in the autumn. If the three times of the early rainfall passed, which are the third of Marcheshvan, the seventh [of Marcheshvan] and the seventeenth [of Marcheshvan] and rain did not fall, then individuals would fast, and afterwards, the community would [observe] thirteen fasts according to the order that was mentioned.",
                "אבל – if rains fell at their appropriate time and the seeds sprouted and changed, such as in place of wheat came thorns and in place of barley came the early stages of ripening, or another change.",
                "מתריעין עליהם מיד – with the first fast, for all the stringency related to the latter fasts are practiced immediately on the first fast.",
                "בין גשם לגשם—between the rainfall in the autumn and the second period.",
                "מכת בצורת – it is a sign of drought [of rain in season]."
            ],
            [
                "ירדו לצמחים ולא לאילן – such as it would rain gently, which is good for plants and grasses but is not sufficient for trees.",
                "לאילן ולא לצמחים – that [rain] fell with great force ",
                "for cisterns, ditches/pits and caves."
            ],
            [
                "וכל סביבותיה מתענות – since that city where rain did not fall would have to go to buy grain in a city where [rain] fell and there would be famine."
            ],
            [
                "מפולת – which have healthy walls fall, but those [walls] that were in disrepair/defective (Taanit 20b) are not the falling of houses [mentioned]."
            ],
            [
                "בכל מקום – and even those cities that were very far away from it, as the reason explained at the end [of the Mishnah] because of a continuing plague.",
                "שדפון – wind that destroys the grain and empties it of seed.",
                "ירקון – grain whose surface becomes pale; and there are those who explain [the word] ירקון as an illness that changes the face of man to be like the appearance of the vegetation of the field.",
                "ועל חיה רעה – that appears in the daytime on the settlement.",
                "ועל החרב – armies passing from place to place, and even though they are not coming to fight with that city."
            ],
            [
                "לעריהן – to the Land of Israel",
                "כמלוא פי תנור – that was struck by blast (i.e., emptied of grain) of so much grain that it would been capable to make of it bread to fill [the mouth of] the oven.",
                "באשקלון – in the land of the Philistines",
                "ועל שאכלו זאבים – which is an wild beast which continually does damage",
                "על שנראה – that came in the city"
            ],
            [
                "המטרפת – beaten down and broken , like an egg that is beaten in a bowl",
                "לעזרה – to gather the people that they should come to help and save. Therefore, we do not sound the Shofar or trumpets regarding them on Shabbat, unless it is was [absolutely] necessary to sound the Shofar to gather the people [together]. But they would fast and cry out and supplicate [God] on their behalf on Shabbat.",
                "שמעון התימני – He was from Yemen.",
                "אף על הדבר – they would sound the Shofar on Shabbat.",
                "ולא הודו לו חכמים - to sound the Shofar on Shabbat for [the plague of] pestilence, but they would sound the Shofar for it on weekdays."
            ],
            [
                "חוץ מרוב גשמים – it did not rain so much that it ruined the grain, but it already rained a lot that we have no further need for them and they are troublesome for people.",
                "תנורי פסחים – they are of earthenware and they are carried from place to place.",
                "שלא ימוקו – [they wouldn’t become soft] because of the [large amount of] rain",
                "עג עוגה – he made the circular incision/tracing on the ground, like a circle",
                "גשמי בורות – plenty of rain to fill the cisterns.",
                "אם נמחית – if it was entirely covered with water",
                "אבן טועים – a stone which was in Jerusalem – for whomever would find something had to stand on it and announce “I found this thing.” And [people] would come up and give its “signs” and take them, and that stone which was called “The Stone of Losers (Claims). And I found written that it was very high and that it was not possible for rains to cover it other than if a flood came to the world.",
                "לנדות – that we excommunicate on account of his great honor.",
                "מתחטא – on his rebellious conduct."
            ],
            [
                "רבי אליעזר אומר: קודם חצות לא ישלימו – and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer.",
                "צאו אכלו ושתו – and he did not say to them that they should first recite “The Great Hallel” (Psalm 136), for one should only say “The Great Hallel” with a full stomach and a satiated soul."
            ]
        ],
        [
            [
                "בשלשה פרקים בשנה וכו' – This is how it should be read: On three periods of time during the year, which are fast days, posts (i.e., divisions of popular representatives of Levites and Israelites deputized to accompany the daily services in the Temple with prayers) and Yom Kippur, that we offer up after this, Kohanim lift their hands [to bless the congregation] in each Amidah, that is, during Shaharit, Minhah and Neilah. And there is one day in each of these periods where they lift their hands four times during the day, and that is Yom Kippur, which has the Musaf prayer. And Our Mishnah is according to Rabbi Meir, who said that there is the lifting of the hands [of the Kohanim] at Minhah on fast days and posts, and every day, what is the reason why they don’t lift their hands at Minhah – because of being drunk, and today, there is no drunkenness. But Rabbi Yosi disputes this and says that we decree that Minhah of fast days is like the Minhah service of every day. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yosi on fast days, and on “posts” and on Yom Kippur which has the Neilah prayer, but on those fast days where we do not recite Neilah, Kohanim lift their hands at Minhah of the fast day, since it is near the setting of the sun we recite this prayer – as it is similar to Neilah, and a Minhah like this, we don’t have on every day. Therefore, they did not make decree to do this.",
                "בתעניות ובמעמדות – And this is how it should be read: And which are the three periods? Fast days, posts and Yom Kippur.",
                "ומעמדות – The men of the post would fast four days each week."
            ],
            [
                "אלו הן מעמדות – What is the reason that it is said? What is the reason that they decreed the posts? Since it is stated (Numbers 28:2): “Command the Israelite people and say to them: Be punctilious in presenting to Me at stated times [the offerings of food due Me, as offerings by fire of pleasing odor to Me].”",
                "על כל משמר ומשמר היה מעמד – from part of the tribes of Israel who were divided into twenty-four sections, messengers from all Israel to stand over the sacrifices with the Kohanim and Levites of each division of Kohanim (i.e., guard).",
                "וישראל שבאותו משמר מתכנסין לעריהם – Those who were far from Jerusalem and were not able to go up and stand over their sacrifice with their division, we gather in the synagogues in their cities and fast and pray and read from the Torah each day the Creation Story (i.e. Genesis, chapter 1), to announce that the world stands on the Divine Service that they do in the Temple."
            ],
            [
                "ולא היו מתענין בע\"ש מפני כבוד השבת – and one does not have to mention the Sabbath itself. And not on Sundays, because it is the third day [from] the creation [of mankind], since on Friday, man was created. And on the third day of his creation, he was weaker, as it is written (Genesis 34:25): “On the third day, when they were in pain…” Alternatively, because man was given the additional soul on the Sabbath and on Saturday night it w as taken from him, if they would fast on Sunday, they would be endangered. S And on each day, the men of the post would recite the Neilah prayer.",
                "פרשה גדולה קורין אותה בשנים – The portion of Genesis (i.e., the Creation story), after the first person read three verses, the second person would read the third verse that the first person read and complete the [first part] of the Creation [story]. And the third person would read (Genesis 1:6): “Let there be an expanse [in the midst of the water, that is separate water from water].” On the second day, the first person reads “let there be an expanse” (Genesis 1:6), and two read (Genesis 1:9), “Let the water below the sky be gathered into one area,[that the dry land may appear],” and so too for all of them.",
                "בשחרית ובמוסף כו' – Here we are speaking about the rest of the posts that were outside of Jerusalem when they read the Creation story according to the appropriate manner, even on a day when there is a Musaf sacrifice, for we don’t want to trouble them. But the posts in Jerusalem, on a day where there is Musaf sacrifice, they would not recite during Musaf the Creation story as is taught in the Mishnah further on – a Musaf Sacrifice which lacks a Minhah service. And now, the Musaf sacrifice which does supersede the Minhah post which is not his, his post, all the more so.",
                "בשחרית ובמוסף ובמנחה כו' – This is how it should be read: At Shaharit and at Musaf when we bring a Torah scroll and read a large portion by two and a small portion with one. But at Minhah, we do not bring a Torah scroll , because of the trouble of the fast, but we recite it by heart.",
                "ע\"ש במנחה לא היו נכנסים – [they would not enter] the synagogue and would not read [Torah] at all, since they would be troubled to prepare the needs of the Sabbath."
            ],
            [
                "יום שיש בו הלל – like the days of Hanukkah which have Hallel (Psalms 113-118) recited on them but they don’t have Musaf. No portion was read during Shaharit if they were in Jerusalem, since they don’t have free time to do their posts (through the division of popular representatives deputized to accompany the daily services in the Temple with prayers, and also a corresponding division in the country towns, answering to the divisions of Kohanim and Levites), since [the recitation of] Hallel supersedes them.",
                "קרבן מוסף – Rosh Hodesh which has a Musaf sacrifice, they would not read any portion at the closing of the gates (“Neilah”), and all the more so, they would not read a portion during Musaf itself, nor at the Afternoon service which precedes Neilah, for the Musaf sacrifice would supersede them.",
                "קרבן עצים אין בו מנחה – that is to say, a day on which there is a sacrifice of wood, as is found above, there would be no Musaf sacrifice, which supersedes the Ma’amad (i.e., the post) for the Afternoon service, but does not [supersede] the Neilah.",
                "כך היה ר' יהושע שונה – The wood offering/sacrifice supersets the post of Neilah, and all the more so, it supersedes the post of the Afternoon service, as the sacrifice of the wood of the Kohanim would be offered prior to the daily continuous offering at the eventide (i.e., 3:30 pm), and if it supersedes the post of Neilah, it also supersedes the post of the Afternoon service which is near it.",
                "חזר ר\"ע להיות שונה כדברי בן עזאי – Who thinks that the Musaf sacrifice comes from the Torah and this law is not superseded other than the post for the Afternoon service, for one should not suspect lest a sacrifice is superseded, for the words of the Torah do not require strengthening. But the sacrifice/offering of the wood, is considered like the words of the Sages, and the law is that they supersede the post of the Afternoon Service and Neilah which require strengthening, for just as they are not superseded for the sacrifice of the wood. And I did not go down to the end of the words of Maimonides, in his commentary of this Mishnah, since from his words, it appears that the men of the post would recite an additional prayer each day between Shaharit and Minhah and it is called the Musaf prayer. And this fact I did not find either in the Babylonian or the Jerusalem Talmud."
            ],
            [
                "זמן עצי הכהנים והעם – when the [Jews] from the Diaspora made Aliyah [to the land of Israel] (i.e. after Cyrus the Great In 516 BCE permitted the Jews to return to their land) and the did not find wood in the :compartment [of the Temple for the storage of wood] and they stood and donated from their own [supply and funds] and on the day that they bring wood, they bring with them a sacrifice of donation and make that day a holiday, and such is written in the book of Ezra (Nehemiah 10:35): “We have cast lots [among] the priests, [the Levites, and the people] to bring the wood offering to the House of our God [by clans] annually at set times [in order to provide fuel for the altar of the LORD our God as is written in our Teaching].”",
                "וכל מי שטעה שבטו – and they did not know with whom he should go, he should go with the Children of Zatu.",
                "ובני גונבי עלי – The Gemara explains that once the enemies decreed religious persecution on Israel that they should not bring their First Fruits to the Temple and placed guards along the roads for this. But honest men of that generation brought baskets of First Fruits and covered them with packed figs, which are dried figs and carried them on the shoulders pestle, which is a large tree made like a club that would crush the grit (i.e., a dish of pounded grain) with which they would regularly crush the packed figs to make of them cakes of pressed figs , and when they would approach the guard, would say to them: We are going to make two cakes of pressed figs in the mortar before us with this pestle that is on our shoulders, and this is how they would bring First Fruits to Jerusalem. And because of this, they were called, “those who steal pestles,” that is to say, they steal the hearts of the guards, with the pestle that is on their shoulders, and “those who pack figs” by dint of the fact that they cut fig cakes with tools (i.e. a knife or saw), and these honest men stood another time when they (the government) decreed religious persecution against them that they should not bring wood to the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple, and established ladders and would say to the guards – to take two pigeons from this dovecote that is before us on this ladder that is on our shoulders which we are walking with, and as a result of this, they are called, “the ladder carriers that are torn down” (?) for they would bring from them wood for the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple , and all of these bring wood with the children of Zatu.",
                "שבו בני פרעוש שניה – For after they finished this, they would take lots as to who would be in the end, as it says (Nehemiah 10:35), “We have cast lots [among] the priests, [the Levites, and the people] to bring [the wood offering to the House of our God (by clans) annually at set times]…”",
                "שהיה בו הלל – Because on the first of Tevet, Hanukkah always occurs, and on Hanukkah, we recite the complete Hallel, but regarding the Hallel of Rosh Hodesh, where the recitation of Hallel is only a custom, it does supersede the post. And for this reason, Rosh Hodesh Nisan is not considered, which also has Hallel and the Musaf sacrifice and the wood sacrirfice."
            ],
            [
                "בי\"ז בתמוז נשתברו הלוחות – For behold on the sixth of Sivan, the Ten Commandmentrs were given and on the seventh in the early morning, he [i.e., Moses] went up to receive the rest of the Torah and tarried there for forty days. Hence, it was that there were found the utensils (of the Golden Calf) on the seventeenth of Tammuz and when he [I.e., Moses] came down, he smashed the Tablets.",
                "ובטל התמיד – for there were no longer there lambs to sacrifice, since the city had come under a siege.",
                "העמיד צלם בהיכל – The Amoraim in Jerusalem argued: one said, an idol of Manasseh, and we are speaking [here] about the First Temple [period], and the other said: an idol of Apostomos who was of the Grecian rulers and [this occurred] in the Second Temple [period]."
            ],
            [
                "שבת שחל ט\"ב – the week in which the Ninth of Av occurs in its midst",
                "אסור לספר ולכבס – All that entire week until after the Fast passes.",
                "ובחמישי מותרים – When they would sanctify [the New Moon] by appearance, and Tisha B’Av occurred on Friday, it was permitted ot wash clothing on the Thursday before the fast because of the honor of the Shabbat.",
                "שני תבשילין – there is no prohibition regarding two cooked foods but rather something should not eaten raw/in its natural condition, but something that is eaten in its natural condition (i.e., raw) like milk and cheese and legumes at the time when it is moist, even though he cooked them, they are not considered like two cooked foods.",
                "לא יאכל בשר ולא ישתה יין – these words refer to after half the day has passed [on the eve of Tisha B’Av], and in the concluding meal [before the fast begins] where he has no intention of eating a set meal afterwards. But prior to the middle of the day, even at the concluding meal, or at the meal which is not the concluding meal, even after half the day [has passed] , it is permissible to eat two cooked foods, and with meat and wine.",
                "רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: ישנה – If he was accustomed to eat two cooked foods, he should eat one cooked food; If he was accustomed [to drink] two glasses of wine, he should drink one glass. But the Halakha does not follow the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.",
                "בכפיית המטה – He places the mattress on or near the floor and does not lie on it, but only on the ground. And the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda."
            ],
            [
                "כט\"ו באב – for on that [day] ended the deaths of the wilderness in the fortieth year, and on it, was abolished those guards which Jeroboam the son of Nabat had placed who prevented the Israelites from going up [to Jerusalem] on the Festivals. And on that day, those who had died in Betar were given up for burial, and on that day, they stopped cutting down trees [to provide wood] for the wood for the altar in the Temple, for from that day onward, the power of the [summer] sun weakened, and it didn’t have the power to dry the wood from its moistness.",
                "ויום הכפורים – for on the latter {second set] of Tablets were given, and it is the day of pardon and forgiveness.",
                "שאולים – for they were all borrowed , even for the rich women, so as to not embarrass those who lacked [funds to purchase them].",
                "טעונים טבילה – prior to their being worn, since not everyone was expert in her group lest she might have been a woman in her menses.",
                "יוצאות וחולות – like (Jeremiah 31:13): “Then shall maidens dance gaily, [young men and old alike. I will turn their mourning to joy, I will comfort them and cheer them in their grief].”",
                "במלך שלמה – The Holy One, blessed be He, whose peace is His.",
                "אמו – congregation of Israel",
                "זה מתן תורה – Yom Kippur on which were given the latter Tablets.",
                "זה בנין בית המקדש – which was dedicated on Yom Kippur."
            ]
        ]
    ],
    "sectionNames": [
        "Chapter",
        "Mishnah",
        "Comment"
    ]
}