Gemara Clarity

Taanis 22a

תענית כ״ב ע״א

Taanit 22a

Learn Taanis 22a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Taanis 22a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Hidden righteous people (אבא אומנא, the jailer, the jesters) and the laws of sounding the alarm for blight, locusts, wild beasts and armies

Overview

This amud finishes the story of the רבנן who took אבא אומנא's rugs. He judged them favorably and gave the rugs to צדקה. רבא is then comforted that his merit protects his whole city. Next comes the story of רבי ברוקא and אליהו in the market, where אליהו points to people who earn עולם הבא in surprising ways: a disguised jailer, and two jesters who cheer up the sad and make peace. The גמרא then returns to the משנה's list of disasters for which the alarm is sounded everywhere, with רבי עקיבא's view that even a small sign is enough. A ברייתא explains when a dangerous beast counts as משולחת, and the גמרא settles three difficulties in it and asks why one case needed to be said at all. Finally, the גמרא starts on 'the sword': even a peaceful army passing through calls for an alarm. The proof from פרעה נכה and יאשיהו continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לְצַפְרָא, כַּרְכִינְהוּ וְשַׁקְלִינְהוּ

In the morning, they rolled them up and took them

וְקָמוּ וּנְפַקוּ לְהוּ לְשׁוּקָא

and they got up and went out to the market

וְאַשְׁכְּחִינְהוּ.

and he found them.

אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: לְשַׁיְּימֵיהּ מָר הֵיכִי שָׁווּ.

They said to him: Let the master appraise how much they are worth.

The steps (31)

  1. StatementThe רבנן take the rugs and ask אבא אומנא to appraise them
  2. QuestionThe רבנן ask what he suspected
  3. Responseאבא אומנא judged them favorably
  4. Conclusionאבא אומנא refuses to take the rugs back
  5. Statementרבא is comforted about אביי's greater honor
  6. Questionרבי ברוקא asks אליהו who in the market has a share in עולם הבא
  7. Responseאליהו says no
  8. StatementA surprising man is pointed out as worthy
  9. Questionרבי ברוקא chases the man and asks about his work
  10. ResponseThe man explains he is a jailer who protects modesty
  11. QuestionWhy no ציצית and why black shoes?
  12. ResponseHe hides his Jewishness to warn the רבנן about decrees
  13. QuestionWhy did you send me away yesterday?
  14. ResponseA decree had just been issued, so he rushed to warn the רבנן
  15. StatementTwo brothers arrive, and אליהו says they too merit עולם הבא
  16. Questionרבי ברוקא asks the brothers about their work
  17. ResponseThe brothers cheer up sad people and make peace
  18. StatementBack to the משנה: calamities for which they sound the alarm everywhere
  19. Statementרבי עקיבא: even a tiny amount is enough
  20. StatementA dangerous beast only calls for an alarm when it is an outbreak
  21. StatementMore signs of an abnormal beast: chasing, killing without eating, taking a baby
  22. ChallengeThe ברייתא seems to contradict itself about a beast in the city at night
  23. ResolutionThe signs work together: only city plus daytime counts as an outbreak
  24. ChallengeA beast that just stands there: two clashing inferences
  25. ResolutionIt depends on whether a marsh is nearby
  26. ChallengeWhy require killing if chasing is already enough?
  27. Resolutionרב פפא: the killing case is in a marsh
  28. ChallengeBack to the ברייתא: a baby taken from a roof, isn't that obvious?
  29. Resolutionרב פפא: the roof of a hunters' hut
  30. StatementEven a peaceful army is a reason to sound the alarm
  31. ProofProof from פרעה נכה and King יאשיהו