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Taanis 15a

תענית ט״ו ע״א

Taanit 15a

Learn Taanis 15a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The end of פרק מאימתי (different honors and rewards for different people), and the opening of פרק סדר תעניות: the fast-day ceremony, the prayer leader, and the extra fast-day ברכות

Overview

This amud closes the first פרק of מסכת תענית and opens the second. First the גמרא finishes a teaching that kings honor the humble servant by standing and ministers by bowing. רבי זירא pushes back: the wording of the verse shows the ministers do both. רב נחמן בר יצחק adds a matching idea: צדיקים are rewarded with light and ישרים with joy. After the הדרן, a new משנה describes a public fast day. The תיבה is brought to the city square, ashes are placed on it and on everyone's head, and an elder rebukes the people, teaching that real תשובה matters more than sackcloth and fasting. An experienced, poor elder with children leads the prayers and says 24 ברכות, the daily 18 plus six more. רבי יהודה swaps זכרונות and שופרות for passages about famine and drought. Each special ברכה ends with 'He Who answered' a figure from the past, from אברהם through דוד and שלמה. The amud ends as the משנה begins a story, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לִבְזֹה נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי

to the one despised of men, to the one abhorred of nations,

לְעֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים

to a servant of rulers:

מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ״.

Kings shall see and arise.

וְשָׂרִים בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה,

And ministers give honor by bowing,

The steps (15)

  1. StatementKings stand and ministers bow
  2. ChallengeThe verse shows the ministers do both
  3. Statementצדיקים get light, ישרים get joy
  4. ConclusionHadran: closing פרק מאימתי
  5. StatementThe fast-day ceremony: ark and ashes
  6. StatementThe elder speaks words of rebuke
  7. StatementChoosing the right prayer leader
  8. StatementThe twenty-four blessings of the fast day
  9. Statementרבי יהודה replaces זכרונות and שופרות
  10. StatementHow the ברכות end: the first one, about אברהם
  11. StatementThe second ending: our ancestors at the sea
  12. StatementThe third ending: יהושע at גלגל
  13. StatementThe fourth and fifth endings: שמואל and אליהו
  14. StatementThe sixth and seventh endings: יונה, then דוד and שלמה
  15. StatementA story is about to begin