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Taanis 12b

תענית י״ב ע״ב

Taanit 12b

Learn Taanis 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Taanis 12b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Rules of private and public fasts: shoes, postponing a fast, dream fasts, and the stages of fasting for rain

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the definition of dozing (נמנום) before a fast. רב rules that someone who accepts a private fast may not wear shoes, in case he accepted a תענית צבור. The fix is to say clearly that it is a תענית יחיד. The גמרא then describes how different אמוראים handled shoes, and explains that in בבל only תשעה באב is a full communal fast. Next, רב teaches that a person may 'borrow' a private fast and repay it later, and there are two versions of שמואל's reaction. A story about a guest who would not eat shows that a תענית חלום cannot be postponed: it must be kept on the day of the dream, even on שבת. A new משנה then lays out the growing stages of public fasts when no rain falls, ending with mourning-like behavior and fasting by the יחידים until ניסן ends. The גמרא explains from a פסוק in יואל why work is forbidden on these fasts and why that ban begins in the morning. It ends with אביי's schedule for the fast day.

Opening lines

נִים וְלָא נִים,

Asleep and not asleep,

תִּיר וְלָא תִּיר.

awake and not awake.

דְּקָרוּ לֵיהּ וְעָנֵי,

That is, when they call him he answers,

וְלָא יָדַע אַהְדּוֹרֵי סְבָרָא,

but he does not know how to give a reasoned reply,

The steps (31)

  1. ResponseWhat counts as dozing
  2. StatementA private fast forbids wearing shoes
  3. QuestionHow can he avoid the problem?
  4. ResponseSay clearly that it is a private fast
  5. ChallengeBut we see scholars wearing shoes on a fast day
  6. RejectionTheir behavior proves nothing
  7. StatementWearing shoes in an unusual way
  8. ConclusionIn בבל, only תשעה באב is a full communal fast
  9. StatementA person may borrow his fast and repay it
  10. Challengeשמואל: a fast is not a vow, so no repayment is needed
  11. StatementSecond version: שמואל says repayment is obvious
  12. StatementA guest refuses a fine meal because he is fasting
  13. ChallengeThe hosts ask: why not borrow the fast?
  14. ResolutionA dream fast cannot be borrowed
  15. StatementA fast destroys a bad dream like fire burns chaff
  16. StatementThe dream fast works on that same day
  17. StatementOne may fast for a dream even on שבת
  18. QuestionHow does he fix fasting on שבת?
  19. ResponseA second fast to make up for the first
  20. StatementThe court adds three stricter fasts
  21. StatementSeven more fasts, with extra strictness
  22. StatementThe community acts like mourners
  23. StatementIndividuals fast until ניסן ends
  24. ChallengeWhy is work forbidden, if work is not a pleasure?
  25. ResolutionA fast day is like a יום טוב, so work is forbidden
  26. ChallengeShould the work ban start from the night before, like an עצרת?
  27. ResolutionA fast is like a gathering of elders, which happens by day
  28. ChallengeMaybe it should start only from noon
  29. ResolutionThe gathering starts in the morning, as רב הונא said
  30. QuestionWhat do they do on the fast day?
  31. Responseאביי's schedule for the fast day