Ta'anit 28 How to Shorten the Service: Hallel, the New Moon, and the 17th of Tammuz

On certain days, morning and afternoon and evening prayers are recited and the priestly and non-priestly watches are enacted and hallel (a set of prayers of gratitude said only on fast days, Festivals, or days commemorating a miracle) is recited.  This makes for a very long day of prayer.  The rabbis debate about possible changes on those days, including omissions of prayer,  and individual recitations of Torah verses by heart, etc.  

Still today, in my own synagogue there are many views about whether or not any part of the service should be shortened on a given day.  To see that our Sages were also concerned about the length of their services is inspiring!  Though perhaps it should be deflating, as we continue to struggle with the same issues for 2000 years.

As they begin to explain which families had the responsibility of bringing different offerings, the Gemara shares some stories of ingenuity.  In Greece, Jews were first stopped from bringing first fruits to Jerusalem. Generations later, another family was unable to bring wood for the fire of offering.  The rulers of Greece at those times were actively preventing Jews from our worship.   

Regarding the blocking of the first fruits, Jews put dried figs over their fruits and carried large pestles.  "We are using those large mortars to preserve our figs," they said, and they were allowed to pass and thus deliver their fruits.  In the second scenario, people used the wood to build ladders, and told guards that they were going to collect doves from the dovecoats. They dismantled the wood on arrival and left it to fuel the flames for offering.

The Gemara then lists the genealogy of those who contributed to offerings on the twentieth of Av, the twentieth of Elul and the first of Tevet.  

The rabbis argue over whether or not there is a non-priestly watch at all on days when hallel is recited.  Further, they debate whether or not hallel is recited on New Moon holidays.  We learn again that customs are respected almost as much as rabbinical and even Torah law.  

Finally, the Gemara begins a discussion about the five calamitous matters that occurred on the 17th of Tammuz.  The first is when Moses smashes the two tablets after witnessing the Israelites dancing before the golden calf.  The rabbis deduce that this happened on the 17th of Tammuz because Moses ascended the mountain on either the 6th or 7th day, hearing from G-d on the 7th.  He then was there for 40 days and nights - with 16 days remaining in Sivan, we are brought to the 17th of Tammuz.

On the 17th of Tammuz, we are told that the walls of Jerusalem were breached, Apostemos burned a Torah scroll, and Manasseh placed an idol in the Temple.  The rabbis use their strategic logic to explain that all of these matters occurred on the17th of Tammuz.  They are wise to do so; a day of mourning carries much more meaning if we ascribe to it many losses.