Ta'anit 5

A whimsical and philosophical daf today - at least according to me.

We begin with a Mishna about praying for rain.  When do we stop saying our prayer for rain?  Rabbi Yehuda says that we say this prayer until the end of Passover.  Rabbi Meir says that we say this prayer until the end of the month of Nissan based on a proof text from Joel (2:23).

The Gemara begins with descriptions of the year that rains fell in Nissan.  The rabbis speak about times of draught; of thirst and hunger.  A story is told about a miracle: after those first rains in Nissan, the second rains fell only days later.  The people had followed the advice of their prophets and had sown the land in time to reap the benefits.  The story ends with a lesson: those who went out in tears came back with joy. 

We may believe that our efforts are for nought.  We may sow our fields, put in the hard work that is demanded of us, and not expect to be rewarded. But in the end, we can trust that our work will yield a crop; we will eat on our ways home.  A lovely idea.

Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Yitzchak discuss a story told by Rav Yochanan.  In Kings, when there was a famine for seven years, what did the people eat?  Rabbi Yochanan names the food for each year, ending in horror as taught in Isaiah (9:19) in the seventh year they ate their sons and daughters; in the seventh year they ate the flesh of their own arms.  Steinsaltz does not comment specifically on this travesty.  A note mentions that this was said to have happened as it was recorded in Kings II.

We then switch tracks and learn about Jerusalem as a city below, on Earth, which is attached to a Jerusalem above, in the World-to-Come (Psalms 122:3).  When the rabbis wonder why G-d might not be able to enter the sacred city of Jerusalem (Hosea 11:9), they consider the possibility that G-d cannot enter G-d's own city of Jersusalem above until Moshiach comes.  This suggests that G-d is like those of us in the diaspora who are exiled from Jerusalem for now.  

Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Yitzchak continue their discussion.  Like the city of Jerusalem below and above, they look at another instance of "two in one".  This time the discussion is about idolatry, which they agree is one sin that counts as two sins.  They name a number of ways that this can be proven.  One describes the Kittites who worship fire thought it can be extinguished by water - which is idolized by another sect.  They also speak of our first two commandments which both allude to idolatry.

These two rabbis now speak about King Samuel, who was righteous and yet died young, at age 52.  Could he have been punished for an unknown sin with karet?  No-one wants to believe that this could be possible.  Instead they decide that a person who dies at 52 has not died before his/her years and thus karet refers to an even younger death.

Once Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Yitzchak were eating together and one asked the other to begin a conversation about Torah. The other reminded him not to speak - even of Torah - during a meal to protect one's health, for food could become lodged in the wrong place.  Perhaps the rabbis were simply tired of talking to each other?  But in all seriousness, we learn in a note that this is still practiced in some communities today.  It is quite difficult for me to imagine Jews silent during all meals.

After the meal, they discussed Rabbi Yochanan's notion that Jacob did not die.  How could this be possible?  Well, he lives on through his  seed.  And because he was a flawless person, we can expect great things from his children, as well.

Two last stories about these rabbis.  The first is disturbing to me. Rabbi Yitzchak tells Rabbi Nachman that any man just saying the name of a particular woman: Rachav, Rachav, will have a seminal emission right then.  When Rabbi Nachman challenges this based on his own experience, Rabbi Yitzchak modifies his statement: I was referring to a man who knew her [in the Biblical sense] and who recognized her.  

Is Rabbi Yitzchak married to Rachav?  Is he suggesting that he had sexual relations with her?  Was this a socially acceptable topic of conversation after dinner?   What were the circumstances of this woman?  Such a bizarre statement reminds me that our Sages were simply people of their time, with similar character flaws in imperfections as we have today.  

Finally, Rabbi Nachman asks Rabbi Yitzchak to bless him.  Rabbi Yitzchak tells the story of a man in the desert - hungry, thirsty, tired.  He comes across a tree by water that offers him fruit, shade and drink.  The man wishes to offer the tree a blessing.  But it has sweet fruit, wonderful shade and thirst-quenching water already!  So the man blesses the tree saying, may it be G-d's will that your saplings that plant from you be just like you.  In this way, Rabbi Yitzcha blesses Rabbi Nachman by asking that G-d make his children just like him.

Today we observe the relationship between two rabbis and the wisdom - and folly! - that comes from their conversations.  A beautiful blessing to end a truly esoteric, interesting daf.