Taanis 15b

תענית ט״ו ע״ב

Taanit 15b

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

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Topic

The rest of the משנה on public fasts for rain (the כהנים on duty, מגילת תענית days, scheduling the fasts), and the גמרא on the ark-and-ashes ritual

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a story from the days of רבי חלפתא and רבי חנניא בן תרדיון. The people did not answer אמן after the fast-day ברכות. Instead, the כהנים blew שופר and the leader said 'מי שענה' prayers. The חכמים said this ceremony belonged only at the הר הבית. The משנה then rules on how much the כהנים of the משמר and the בית אב fasted, drank wine, cut their hair and did laundry. It also covers the days next to the holidays in מגילת תענית, which weekday a series of fasts may start on, and fasts that fall on ראש חודש, חנוכה or פורים. The גמרא begins by showing, through רב פפא, that the תיבה-and-ashes ritual is only for the last seven fasts. It explains that the leaders receive ashes first because it is an honor for them. It then asks why someone else puts the ashes on the leaders' heads. רבי אבא דמן קסרי begins his answer, and the answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. StatementA prayer leader finishes the blessing and no one answers amen
2. StatementCalls for shofar blasts between the blessings
3. RejectionThe Sages limit leaving out אמן to the Temple
4. Statementרבי יהושע: how much the priests on duty fasted
5. StatementThe Sages: a more lenient scale for the priests
6. StatementWhen the priestly groups may drink wine
7. StatementNo haircuts or laundry during the week, except Thursday
8. StatementEulogies on the days around a no-eulogy holiday
9. StatementFasting on the days around a no-fasting holiday
10. StatementDo not start a public fast series on Thursday
11. Statementרבי יוסי: no set of fasts starts on Thursday
12. StatementNo public fasts on festive days, but a started series continues
13. Statementרבי מאיר: the series continues, but the fast is not completed
14. QuestionDoes the ark ritual apply even to the first fasts?
15. ChallengeA ברייתא saves the ark ritual for the last seven fasts
16. Resolutionרב פפא: the משנה also meant the last seven
17. ChallengeWhy put ashes on the נשיא first if shame starts with the least?
18. ProofThe sources for the rule: honor starts with the greatest, a curse starts with the least
19. ResolutionGoing first is an honor for the leaders
20. QuestionWhy don't the leaders put ashes on their own heads?
21. ResponseShaming yourself is not the same as being shamed by someone else