{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Rambam on Mishnah Taanit",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/texts",
    "versionTitle": "Translation by Rabbi Robert Alpert, 2023",
    "versionNotes": "",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
    "languageFamilyName": "english",
    "isSource": false,
    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "רמב\"ם משנה תענית",
    "categories": [
        "Mishnah",
        "Rishonim on Mishnah",
        "Rambam",
        "Seder Moed"
    ],
    "text": [
        [
            [
                "Already preceding you at the conclusion of the second of [Tractate] Sukkah, that the falling of rain during Sukkot is not desirable (i.e., it is deemed the sign of a curse). And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehoshua."
            ],
            [
                "סמוך לגשמים – it is the Musaf Pray of the last day of The Festival (i.e., Shemini Atzeret) as Rabbi Yehuda explained.",
                "ויום טוב הראשון של פסח, הראשון – And the person who is praying/leading the Morning service recites, “Causes the rain to fall”; והאחרון – and the one who recites the Musaf does not mention rain, but rather states, “who causes dew to fall.” And at this time, when we make the Festival a two day holiday because of the custom, he states “who causes the rain to fall” in the Musaf [prayer] of the first last day, and he continues as such on the second day (i.e., Simhat Torah) and beyond. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda."
            ],
            [
                "This one who hears that he heard here in the name of Rabbi Yehuda: \"עד שיעבור הפסח\" is not the same person who heard in his name what was mentioned above (see Tractate Taanit 4b), and we have already said in a teaching that preceded above that the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehudah. But the Halakha is according to Rabban Gamaliel (see Tractate Taanit 6a). And all of this is in the Land of Israel and anything that is similar to it, and similarly, all of what will be stated further with regard to the times of the fasts, it is not other than in the Land of Israel and every place whose atmosphere is close to its (i.e., the Land of Israel’s), but I n the rest of the lands, surely the question will be at the appropriate time for rain in that location, and for surely that specific time is like those which is the seventh of [the month of] Mar Heshvan, and if the rains were delayed after that specific time because of the relationship of these times that are mentioned here, surely these [people] fast like is mentioned here, because there are lands where the time of the rains doesn’t begin other than in Nisan, and there are lands that in [the month of] Mar Heshvan, it is summer (i.e., in the summer hemisphere), and the rains there are not a blessing but rather destroy and devastate, and how can people from that place request rains in [the month of] Mar Heshvan, is this not falsehood? And this is correct and clear (see Jerusalem Talmud Tractate Taanit, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1 and in the Babylonian Talmud of Tractate Taanit 14b like the people who dwell in Nineveh. See also Maimonides’ the Laws of Fasts, Chapter 3, Halakha 10)."
            ],
            [
                "יחידים – these are the Sages (see Tractate Taanit 10a). And these fast days are Monday, Thursday and Monday."
            ],
            [
                "Every place where it (i.e., the Mishnah) states, \"אוכלין משחשכה\", it is permitted to eat until the crack of dawn, but if he slept, it is prohibited for him to eat nor drink after sleeping at all in whatever the fast will be (see Tractate Taanit 12a and see the Jerusalem Talmud Tractate Taanit, Chapter 1, the end of Mishnah 4, and the language of our teacher is exact in The laws of Fasts, Chapter 1, Halakha 8)."
            ],
            [
                "These seven fasts complete thirteen fasts on the community, because they have already fasted six [days].\"ומטין עם חשכה\" - that they open slightly the doors of the stores with sunset (see Tractate Taanit 14b) and he doesn’t remove merchandise that is in the stores and arrange them."
            ],
            [
                "נזופים – rebuked. It is the Aramaic translation of (Genesis 37:10): “his father berated him,” – that his father berated him (in Aramaic).",
                "ובנין ונטיעה – that are prohibited on these fasts, for it is a building of joy and a planting of joy, as for example, the basins and paintings that the rich make in their buildings and the planting of fragrant trees and the gardens that kings make. But a building for a dwelling and planting to eat of its fruits and to be supported from it are not prohibited and we don’t prevent this at all (see Tractate Taanit 14b and in Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah in the Laws of Fasts, Chapter 3, Halakha 8). And the rains [which fall] after Nisan are a \"סימן קללה\" until this time and in the Land of Israel or in everything similar to it as we have explained above."
            ]
        ],
        [
            [
                "This arrangement (i.e., bringing to the Ark to the open spaces of the town and placing upon it putting wood ashes upon it, etc.) is not operative other than in the seven last fasts."
            ],
            [
                "ביתו ריקן – it (i.e., the Mishnah) wants to state that it is empty of food and empty from sin (see Tractate Taanit 16b). But the first condition for a person that they appoint [to be the leader of prayer] is that he is accustomed to be the emissary of the congregation (i.e., prayer leader/Cantor) and to speak before the community, and afterwards his seniority and the pleasantness of his voice, when is this said? With regard to each emissary of the congregation; it (i.e., the Mishnah) adds upon him here that he will have children and that his house was empty [of means] (i.e., that he is poor), and certainly also that he did not have a bad reputation throughout his youth in order that the heart of the entire congregation would turn to him and that everyone will receive his words favorably. And these six blessings are recited [the blessing], “who redeems Israel” but before [the blessing] “who heals.”"
            ],
            [
                "The prayers of Remembrance/Zikhronot and the Shofarot/Sounding of the Shofar are like that which was explained in [Tractate] Rosh Hashanah (regarding the special prayers added to the Musaf service) meaning to say, that he should not recite an individual [prayer of] Remembrance nor a Remembrance of Retribution (see Tractate Taanit, Chapter 4, Mishnah 7). But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda (see also The Laws of Fasts, Chapter 4, Halakha 5)."
            ],
            [
                "It is stated [in the Mishnah]: \"על השביעית\" - meaning to say, the seventh of the blessings that he added to them (i.e., the blessings of the Amidah), for it said already that one adds only six blessings, but he adds an additional [blessing] at [the blessing of] “who redeems Israel, and concludes it [with the words]: “He who answered Abraham on Mount Moriah,” etc., but since he counted [the blessing] “who redeems Israel” as one on account of the additional [blessings] that he added to it, and called it the first [of them], it became seven blessings, “He who redeems Israel” which is included within the Eighteen Benedictions (though there are really nineteen blessings on weekdays) and the six that he added (see Tractate Taanit 16b)."
            ],
            [
                "Meaning to say the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount and the Eastern Gate of the [Temple] court. And the Halakha is according to the Sages."
            ],
            [
                "It was already explained at the end of [Tractate] Sukkah that the divisions of duty of the Kohanim were twenty-four [in number], each division of duty serves a week according to the order. And in each division of duty are subsections/priest’s division that serve in the same division of duty in turn. And that which it (i.e., the Mishnah) states: \"אנשי בית אב\", meaning to say that family that works on that day, we are lenient with it in regard to the fast because of the Service in the Temple in order that their bodies are not weakened. And the Halakha is according to the Sages."
            ],
            [
                "The prohibition of drinking on the \"אנשי משמר\"/the men of the division of duty during the day is constant and the reason is lest the Service becomes weighty on the men of the subsections/priest’s division and the men of the priest’s division will come and help them. And on men of the \"אנשי בית אב\" /subsection/priest’s division all the time that they are clearing the altar [of ashes], because they are busy with the Divine Service (see Tractate Taanit 17a), and you already know that the Torah forbade engaging in any matter from the matters of the Temple while drunk, as it states (Leviticus 10:9): “Drink no wine or other intoxicant, [you or you sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you may not die].” But the post (i.e., a corresponding division in the country towns, answering to the divisions of the Kohanim and Levites), which is from the Israelites, and its matter will be explained at the end of this Tractate. And the reason that cutting the hair is prohibited on the men of the Divisions of Duty and the men of the post [in the country towns] all the time of their duty in order that they would not enter to their work when they are repulsive, like the reason of its prohibition during the Intermediate Days of the Festival (see Tractate Moed Katan 14a)."
            ],
            [
                "They had a scroll with them, which was called, \"מגלת תענית\" and it was mentioned in it certain days during certain months that God did for them miracles, and cancelled from them religious persecution, and therefore, they would honor those days, from them days that were mentioned in that Scroll where it was prohibited to offer eulogies, and from them that are mentioned in it is prohibited to fast, and they already cancelled all of them, but eulogies and fasting are not prohibited on those days themselves, all the more so on the days before them and after them, and it states regarding them [in the Mishnah] that the Scroll of Fasting has been cancelled (see Tractate Rosh Hashanah 18b) except for Purim and Hanukkah in which eulogies and fasting are prohibited but before and after them, it is permitted."
            ],
            [
                "להפקיע את השערים (to raise prices arbitrarily/unsettle the market) – The market will be unsettled, and the prices will rise, because the sellers (i.e., the shopkeepers that engage in business transactions) would say, were it not for the great need for rain, we would not decree a fast close to the Sabbath. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yossi (see The Laws of Fasts, Chapter 3, Halakha 3)"
            ],
            [
                "אם התחילו אין מפסיקים – It (Rabban Gamaliel) wishes to state that if they began observe one fast, they don’t stop the fasting but rather they fast on that Rosh Hodesh or except for it (see The Laws of Fasting, Chapter 1, Halakha 7). And what Rabbi Meir stated: \"מודה היה שאין משלימין\", he means to say that they fast part of the day and eat at its conclusion, and similarly, the Ninth of Av that occurs on Friday, they fast part of the day and eat at is end because of the honor of the Sabbath (note: This cannot happen today, given the way the Jewish calendar has been fixed since the days of Hillel II in the fourth century CE). But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Meir, but if they began to fast, they complete the fast. But the Ninth of Av that occurs on Friday, they fast ab initio and complete it, but Tisha B’Av does not occur on Friday unless they made it based upon the sighting [of the New Moon] and not according to the calculations of the intercalation that we have in our hands today."
            ]
        ],
        [
            [
                "מפולת – this is that the strong walls would fall without a revealed reason (see Tractate Taanit 20b). But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiba in all [of this Mishnah]."
            ],
            [],
            [],
            [],
            [
                "חיה רעה (wild beasts) – that the beasts cause fear in the settlement areas, and with the condition that they will cause fear during the daytime. And similarly, if it pursued two people, it is abandoned and we sound the Shofar over it (see Tractate Taanit 22a – and in a field near a lake and so also it is found in the Lasts of Fasts, Chapter 2, Halakha 7).",
                "And it is stated [in the Mishnah]: \"על החרב\" – even if the arm did not intend to fight them, but rather to right against a different nation, but they passed upon us only, this is a calamity and we sound the Shofar upon it (see Tractate Taanit 22a) and from the promises that God made to us (Leviticus 26:6): “and no sword shall cross your land.” And it is stated [in the Mishnah]: \"כמלוא תנור\", meaning to say, a place in the field that its measure is like an oven’s mouth, and such is what it says (see Tractate Taanit 22b): \"כמלוא פי תנור\"/an oven’s mouth’s extent (i.e., that there was a wind that spoiled a quantity of grain sufficient to make loaves of bread to fill the front opening of a baking oven). And we have already stated that if the wild animals that damage during the day in the settlement, we sound the Shofar."
            ],
            [],
            [
                "Rabbi Yossi states that they would not sound the Shofar on Shabbat other than in order to gather the people to help that province, but it is prohibited to pray to God and to fa st, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yossi who prohibited the summoning/warning upon them on the Sabbath, but they cry out and fast upon them with out the sounding of the Shofar. But not according to Rabbi Shimon the Temani who states that they sound the Shofar on the matter, but the law among us is that we don’t sound the Shofar on this matter at all (see Tractate Taanit 22b), but rather fast upon it alone, and only those upon whom the matter occurred fast and sound the Shofar as we will explain."
            ],
            [
                "עג עוגה– he made a circle.",
                "ואבן טועים – a large [or high] stone was in Jerusalem, announcing upon it that whomever found a lost object until those who lost it were informed and it was returned to them (see Tractate Bava Metzia 28b), and therefore it was called, “the place where lost and found things were deposited and claimed”/אבן טועים. and he wanted when it stated [in the Mishnah] \"נמחת\": /blotted out, covered over, that the water had covered it over. And the end of the episode is that they would pray on its removal and it would be removed and blotted over, on this, Shimon ben Shetach, (would pray and confess his sins and immediately, the rain would be removed and this matter was difficult for Shimon ben Shetach) as you see, and this is what he wished to teach from this matter. And the explanation [of the word] \"מתחטא\" is would wallow and be imperious."
            ],
            [
                "הלל הגדול- this is from (Psalms 136:1): “Praise the LORD; for He is good, His steadfast love is eternal” until \"By the rivers of Babylon” (Psalm 137 – though the notes list Psalm 138). And the reason that they didn’t recite the Large Hallel until they ate and drank is because the general principle among us is that we don’t recite the large Hallel other than with a satiated soul and a full stomach (see Tractate Taanit 26a). And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer."
            ]
        ],
        [
            [
                "The subject of this Mishnah is regarding the three periods [in the year] that Kohanim lift up their hands [in blessing the people] in each service, and there of those four times during the day (see Tractate Taanit 26b), and it is on Yom Kippur and some of the lay posts, as will be explained. Because there are isn’t the Musaf prayer on fast days, but in the lay posts they would recite an additional prayer on each day, and it also was called Musaf, and this general rule was remembered . And all of this is the opinion of Rabbi Meir. But Rabbi Yossi states that there is the raising of palms [of the priests] at Shaharit/the Morning Service, at Musaf/the Additional Service, and at Neilah/the Concluding Service. But the Kohanim do not raise their hands at Minha/the Afternoon Service, and the reason for their dispute is because with us is the general rule that an inebriated Kohen should not raise his palms and bless [the people], for [God] surely states, may His name be exalted, (Deuteronomy 10:8): “to stand in attendance upon the LORD, and to bless His name,” in the same manner that Divine Service is prohibited to someone who is drunk, as will be explained in Scripture (see Leviticus 10:9), so also, he should not bless when he is drunk. And everyone agrees that on the other days except from these three periods, they do not raise their hands at Minha/the Afternoon Service, because it is a time that is known for drunkenness/inebriation, and most people then are drunk and we are concerned lest he raise his hands [in blessing the people] when he is drunk. And it will be explained to you that it is forbidden for the men of the post (i.e., division of popular representatives deputed to accompany the daily services in the Temple with prayers; also, a corresponding division in the country towns, answering to the divisions of priests and Levites) to eat on during the day on four days of the week. Rabbi Meir states that on these three periods when the fear/suspicion of drunkenness is removed from them, the Kohanim would raise their hands [to bless the people] at each service. But Rabbi Yossi says that the Minha/Afternoon Service that we recite every day, we make a decree, lest if we permit them the raising of the palms [in blessing the people] at the Minha/Afternoon Service during these periods, they will act likely in the rest of the days [of the year] when there is the suspicion/fear of drunkenness. But the Concluding Prayer/Neilah which is not [recited] other than on the days when they don’t have inebriation, they raise their palms and we don’t make a decree. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yossi. And that which we permit today for Kohanim to raise their hands [in blessing the people] at the Minha/Afternoon Service because we recite the Minha/Afternoon Service late, it is really like the Neilah/Concluding Prayer (see Tractate Taanit 26b and also the Laws of Raising the Palms, Chapter 14, Halakha 32)."
            ],
            [
                "And here will be explained to you from this language that the word \"משמר\" includes the priests of the division of duty of priests and Levites and the [Israelite] men of that post (i.e., corresponding to every guard was a post of priests, Levities and Israelites stationed in Jerusalem), and these men of the post are the representatives of all of Israel and it was their intention and their purpose was the engagement in the Divine Service and prayer and they are not engaged in their own matters, and that their minds and their thoughts are on the sacrifices, and when the time arrives for the post, everyone who was part of them from the men of that post who are close to Jerusalem will go up to Jerusalem and he will be found in the Temple at the time of the offering of the sacrifice with the Kohanim and Levities that are in that division of duty, but whomever was distant from Jerusalem gather in the synagogues in their cities and pray and read [from the Torah] like it says [in the Mishnah], and they will be engaged om the Divine Service that entire week which is their division of duty in prayer and fasting as will be explained. And they read the Creation story, for the fulfillment/completion of the reality is the Divine Service, but the Divine Service among us is nothing other than the sacrifices (see Maimonides’ commentary on Tractate Avot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2 and Tractate Yoma, Chapter 5, Mishnah 1), and such it is said (see Tractate Taanit 27b and Tractate Megillah 31b) that were it not for the sacrifices, the heaven and dearth would not have been established. And the men of the non-priestly watch/ post/מעמד would fast four days during the week from Monday until Thursday, but they do not fast on Fridays (i.e., the eve of the Sabbath) because of the honor of the Sabbath. And also not on Sundays in order that they don’t depart from the rest of the Sabbath and its joy to engage in fasting and become weakened."
            ],
            [
                "They would read from the Torah scroll at Shaharit/the Morning Service and at the Musaf/Additional Service, meaning to say, at their additional services which is their Musaf, but at Minha/the Afternoon Service, they would read by heart.",
                "And it is stated in the Mishnah: \"נכנסין\"/they assembled – meaning to say, to the synagogue. And the knowledge of which portion they would read, whether by one person and which [portion’ would be read by two people and how the order of the Reading is done will be explained in Tractate Megillah (Chapter 4, Mishnah 1)."
            ],
            [
                "יום שיש בו הלל – without [the recitation of Musaf], are the days of Hanukkah, because they (i.e., the celebration of Hanukkah) were from the words of the Soferim who made them as stringent measures for the protection of the Law and they nullified the non-priestly watch of the Morning Service (see Tractate Taanit 28a). ויום שיש בו קרבן מוסף /on a day when there is a Musaf sacrifice, they would suspend/make inoperable the non-priestly watch from the Musaf service, meaning from their Musaf prayer, and from other prayer other than/besides the Musaf prayer, and what was stated above that the men of the non-priestly watch/post recite the [Torah readings] for the Musaf [sacrifice] , that implies that there is a non-priestly watch for Musaf, we have already explained that this matter is the additional and special prayers for the non-priestly watch, because the men of the non-priestly watch would recite an additional prayer on every day and it is called Musaf, but on a day when there is the obligation of the Musaf prayer for the entire world, they don’t recite an additional prayer nor at the Afternoon Prayer, and they don’t read [from the Torah] other than in the Morning Service and at the Concluding Service/Neilah. And from this Halakha, it will be explained to you that the men of the non-priestly watch would recite the Neilah/Concluding Service prayer on each day. And the Halakha is according to Ben Azzai."
            ],
            [
                "You already knew that the first of Tevet is within the [eight] days of Hanukkah and therefore, it ibecomes a day [for the recitation] of Hallel, not because it is Rosh Hodesh/the New Moon, because the Hallel of Rosh Hodesh is not obligatory, neither for an individual nor for the community, but rather it is a custom for the community to recite it with omissions (i.e., without reciting Psalms 115:1-11 and 116:1-11), and an individual should not begin [to recite it] but if he began, he should complete it (see Tractate Taanit 28b and the Mishneh Torah, Laws of Megillah and Hanukkah, Chapter 3, Halakha 7), for if Rosh Hodesh were a day [for the recitation] of Hallel, there would be no non-priestly watch on the first of Nisan. And this basis is the sacrifice of the wood that these families who are appointed, they arranged among themselves according to turn for the bringing of wood to the fire of the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple on these known times. And on the day that their turn occurred, they make freewill sacrifices, and this is the sacrifice of wood which is mentioned in Ezra (actually, Nehemiah 10:35 – as Ezra is known as “Second Ezra – which is implied in Tractate Bava Batra 14b and see also Tractate Megillah, Chapter 2, Mishnah 4)."
            ],
            [
                "This law has two conditions. The first is that the meal that he stops eating with, the second is that this meal shold be after midday, but if he at prior to noon, even if it was his intention to conclude eating with it, or after noon, and his intention is to eat more a second time, it is permitted for him to eat meat and to drink wine (see Tractate Taanit 30a), and that which Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel said [in the Mishnah]: \"ישנה\" /that he should make some variation, meaning to say, he should vary his routine/custom to exclude [eating],meaning, that he should lessen the overeating and drinking. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.",
                "And it is stated [in the Mishnah]: \"בחמישי מותרין\" , which are the words of Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel who states that all that week it is prohibited and even after the fast [of Tisha B’Av], but it is not the Halakha. But from what you need to know that all of the commandments that are practiced in mourning are practiced on Tisha B’Av, and it will be explained to you in the laws of Mourning in their place (see Tractate Moed Katan, Chapter 3). And the law of its fast is like the law of the fast of Yom Kippur, meaning to say, that one is prohibited in washing and in anointing and in sexual intercourse and in the wearing of leather shoes and we add from the weekday upon the holy (see Tractate Pesahim 54b and the Laws of Fasts, Chapter 5, Halakha 7 where he rules that at its twilight, it is forbidden, but he doesn’t mentioned any addition). And the performance of work on it is very reprehensible (see Tractate Taanit 30b)."
            ],
            [
                "All of the garments require ritual immersion because of the mixtures/combinations, for there is no doubt that there are among them that are not ritually pure, and so also with men that are not ritually pure. And the beauties among them would say: “Lift up your eyes and see what you are choosing for yourself,” for a wife is not for anything but beauty. But those who are of distinguished birth among them, if they lack repulsiveness, they say: “Do not set your eyes on beauty, but rather set your eye on family for a woman is not for anything other than children (see Tractate Taanit 31a). And they (i.e., the Sages of the Mishnah) chose the fifteen day of Av because on it the plague stopped from those who died in the wilderness in the last of the forty, years, because the death increased among them all of nine [days] of [the month of] Av but in the last year it stopped, and there remained those who look forward until the middle of the month and then their hearts are confident and they understood that already, came the will and the anger was completed and removed from them. Therefore, they made this [day] from then on as a day of happiness/joy (see the Petitkhta of Eikha Rabbati 33)."
            ]
        ]
    ],
    "sectionNames": [
        "Chapter",
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}