Taanis 24a

תענית כ״ד ע״א

Taanit 24a

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Topic

Stories of righteous people with spiritual power, and of fasts for rain answered through humility, good deeds and leadership.

Overview

The amud opens with a short exchange. רבי יוסי בר אבין suggests a detail to רב אשי about שמואל's rule on pulling a fish from the water on שבת, and then reveals that he himself is the author of that detail. He explains that he left his teacher, רבי יוסי דמן יוקרת, because that teacher had no mercy even on his own children. The גמרא then tells how that teacher decreed early death for his son, who made a fig tree give fruit out of season. He did the same to his beautiful daughter, who was causing people to sin. It adds a story about his donkey, which would carry home only its exact rental fee. Next comes אלעזר איש בירתא, who gave his daughter's dowry money to orphans. His granary was then miraculously filled, but he made the wheat הקדש for his own family. The גמרא returns to fasts for rain: רבי יהודה נשיאה and רב נחמן bring rain through a broken heart. אושעיא warns that the leaders are the 'eyes' of the generation, and רבי יוחנן rules that individuals are drawn after a public fast. אילפא and a teacher of young children bring rain through their quiet good deeds. Finally, people ask רבה why his fast fails when רב יהודה's did not, and his answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (38)

1. Statementשמואל's ruling about a fish pulled from the sea on שבת
2. ChallengeAdding the detail 'between its fins'
3. Questionרב אשי asks whose addition that is
4. Response'I am he'
5. QuestionWeren't you a student of רבי יוסי דמן יוקרת?
6. QuestionWhy did you leave him?
7. ResponseA man with no mercy on his own children
8. QuestionWhat happened with his son?
9. ResponseThe son makes the fig tree give fruit
10. StatementThe father arrives and learns what happened
11. ConclusionThe father's harsh response: 'You will be taken before your time'
12. QuestionWhat was the story with his daughter?
13. ResponseA man peeks at the beautiful daughter through a hedge
14. StatementThe man explains why he was looking
15. ConclusionThe father tells his daughter to return to her dust
16. StatementThe donkey that brought home its exact fee
17. StatementThe donkey refuses to carry forgotten sandals
18. StatementThe צדקה collectors hide from אלעזר איש בירתא
19. Statementאלעזר chases the collectors and asks what they are collecting for
20. Statementאלעזר gives away his daughter's dowry money
21. StatementThe wife asks what her husband brought home
22. StatementThe storehouse is miraculously full of wheat
23. Statementאלעזר makes the miracle wheat הקדש for his daughter
24. Statementרבי יהודה נשיאה's broken heart brings rain
25. Questionריש לקיש worries that they did not accept the fast the night before
26. ResponseWe are pulled along after the community
27. Statementאושעיא quotes the פסוק about the 'eyes of the congregation'
28. StatementThe parable of the bride's eyes
29. StatementThe servants mistreat אושעיא and his townspeople defend him
30. Statementאילפא's prayer brings rain at once
31. Questionרבי asks about his good deeds
32. ResponseBringing wine for קידוש and הבדלה to a poor town
33. StatementIn רב's town, a prayer leader brings rain
34. Questionרב asks about his good deeds
35. ResponseThe teacher who teaches poor children free and coaxes them to learn
36. Statementרב נחמן's fast fails until he is humbled
37. Challengeרבה's fast fails and people compare him to רב יהודה
38. Resolutionרבה begins: our generation is greater in Torah learning