Ta'anit 22 Being Close to G-d: Right Now and in the World-to-Come

So much inspiring, fascinating material to share!  I will share today's stories only briefly, but their impact is much larger.  Aggadot easily pull me into the thinking of the rabbis in a way that halacha cannot.

We begin with a story started in yesterday's daf.  Rava hears G-d's greeting only on Yom Kippur, Abaye on Shabbat, but Abba the Bloodletter is greeted daily.  Why? Because of the modesty that he encourages while he works, his payment system that allows people to pay only what they can without shame, and his generosity to Talmud scholars, who should be spending their money on food to heal more quickly.  Abaye sends spying Sages who confirm that Abba does in fact treat them with great hospitality.  They leave, taking with them Abba's rugs.  When Abba sees them in the shuk, he tells them that he assumed they had been selling the rugs as ransom for someone kidnapped.  And he refused to take the rugs back, as he had already designated them as charity.

Rava is jealous still of Abaye.  He is reminded that his entire town was protected each year only due to Rava's sincere prayer.  Nothing to be ashamed of.

Another story of greatness: Rabbi Beroka Choza'a had frequent visions of Elijah, who shared valuable information regarding people deserving to go directly to the World-to-Come (without even visiting Gehenna to atone for their sins). One of these was a man wearing the black (instead of white) shoe straps that would designate him a Gentile.  Beroka ran to the man Elijah specified and asked him what he did for a living.  The man told him - go away now, we'll speak tomorrow.  The next day, their conversation revealed that this man was a prison guard who slept between the men and the women.  He protected a betrothed woman from begin raped -- he poured the dregs of his wine on the bottom of her skirt, saying she was menstruating.  This man work black straps on his shoes because he was often with Gentiles and he was able to hear about dangerous plans.  At that point, like the day before when he was in a rush, he would run to tell the Sages of those plans so that they would pray for help.

Elijah pointed out two brothers who would also be going straight to the World-to-Come.  They were jesters.  They explained that they cheered the depressed and they helped people to end their quarrels.  This is said to be a profession that yields profits both in this world and in the World-to-Come.

The Gemara returns to the question of when we are to fast.  A blight and an outbreak - how are these defined?  A blight involves specific measurements, although no one is quite sure about the size of "the mouth of an oven".  An outbreak, however, seems to involve a number of general principals.  It must be something unusual; out of the ordinary.  It must be unnatural in some way.  Finally, it must pose a danger to the people.  The main example used is that of a wolf who attacks - to be called an outbreak, the attack must follow those guidelines (in the daytime, for example).

The Gemara discusses when we sound the alarm because of the sword.  It tells the story of King Josiah, who mistake a sword of peace for a sword of war.  In my mind, we are talking about the same sword in the same context - the only difference between war and peace is whether or not the sword is pointed at you!

In a particularly gruesome episode, the rabbis speak about the ritual purity of the excreted flesh and bones of children whose entire bodies are eaten by wolves.  I take from this that people were frightened of wolf attacks, and that wolves attacking children was not unheard of. 

Although the rabbis allowed sounding the alarm on Shabbat under certain circumstances, Rabbi Yosei tells us that we are not allowed to take on individual fasts.  He is concerned that we will become so weak that we are unable to work, causing others to say that we have brought the original calamity upon ourselves. 

There is a disagreement as to whether or not we are to cry out because of pestilence at all.

The daf ends with reasons that we should not pray for something good.  The rabbis are quick to clarify - we should not end our prayers for rain by beginning prayers for the rain to stop!  Further, at times Babylonia requires prayers for the rain to stop - that is certainly permitted.  It makes sense that we have to be careful about praying for G-d's goodness to end.  

Years ago I remember speaking with a rabbi about why I am quick to turn to G-d when things are going well; it is so easy to say "thank you". My complaint was that it was so difficult for me to turn to G-d when things were awful.  This was not a question to be answered, of course, but a conversation.  Since that time I have changed my practice considerably.  Now, it is quite natural for me to pray when I am feeling awful.  And I still express gratitude when I notice my blessings.  But none of those prayers are ever requests.  I simply cannot believe in a G-d that hears my individual suffering or joy.  What I pray for is closeness with G-d; to remember that experience of peace.  My reward, if I pray, is feeling that closeness.  It is there always - I just have to look for it.  That is what prayer is, for me: looking for closeness with G-d.