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Taanis 23b

תענית כ״ג ע״ב

Taanit 23b

Learn Taanis 23b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Hidden, humble righteous people whose prayers brought rain and miracles: אבא חלקיה, חנן הנחבא, רבי יונה, and רבי יצחק בן אלישיב

Overview

The amud finishes the story of אבא חלקיה, the grandson of חוני המעגל, whom the רבנן asked to pray for rain. He acts in ways that look odd or rude, then quietly prays on the roof with his wife, and the clouds rise first from her corner. When the scholars ask about each strange action, every answer shows honesty, care for others' property, modesty, or good sense. His wife's prayer came first because her צדקה of bread helps the poor right away, or because she prayed for sinners to repent. Next comes חנן הנחבא, who asked ה׳ for rain for the sake of the children and hid himself from honor. רבי זריקא then contrasts the pious men of בבל, who prayed for rain in public, with רבי יונה of ארץ ישראל, who prayed in total secret. Stories follow about his son רבי מני and the wonder-worker רבי יצחק בן אלישיב, whose words changed reality, until he gave that power up. The amud ends as a new story begins: רבי יוסי בר אבין leaves his teacher for רב אשי, and the story continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְלָא אַסְבַּר לְהוּ אַפֵּיהּ.

But he did not show them his face (return their greeting).

בְּפַנְיָא, כִּי הֲוָה מְנַקֵּט צִיבֵי,

Toward evening, as he was gathering firewood,

דְּרָא צִיבֵי וּמָרָא בְּחַד כַּתְפָּא,

he carried the wood and the hoe on one shoulder,

וּגְלִימָא בְּחַד כַּתְפָּא.

and the cloak on the other shoulder.

The steps (27)

  1. Statementאבא חלקיה ignores the greeting and acts strangely on the road
  2. StatementArriving home: the wife, the order of entering, and the bread
  3. StatementPraying for rain on the roof without taking credit
  4. Statementאבא חלקיה says the scholars no longer need him
  5. QuestionThe scholars ask him to explain his puzzling behavior
  6. QuestionWhy he did not return their greeting
  7. QuestionWhy the wood and the cloak were on separate shoulders
  8. QuestionWhy he wore shoes only in the water
  9. QuestionWhy he lifted his clothes among the thorns
  10. QuestionWhy his wife came out dressed up
  11. QuestionWhy his wife walked in first, then him, then the guests
  12. QuestionWhy he did not invite them to eat
  13. QuestionWhy the younger child got more bread
  14. QuestionWhy the clouds came first from his wife's side
  15. ResponseA second reason: she prayed for the hooligans to repent
  16. Statementחנן הנחבא prays for rain for the children's sake
  17. QuestionWhy he was called 'the Hidden One'
  18. Statementרבי זריקא's comparison: the pious men of בבל pray in public
  19. Statementרבי יונה secretly goes out and prays for rain
  20. Statementרבי יונה hides his miracle from his family
  21. Statementרבי מני cries at his father's grave and is protected
  22. Statementרבי מני's rich in-laws become poor
  23. StatementThe poor in-laws pressure him, so they become rich again
  24. Statementרבי יצחק makes רבי מני's wife beautiful
  25. StatementThe wife becomes haughty, so she is made plain again
  26. StatementTwo students ask for a prayer to become wise
  27. Statementרבי יוסי בר אבין leaves his teacher for רב אשי