Taanis 26b

תענית כ״ו ע״ב

Taanit 26b

Learn Taanis 26b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The tragedies and mourning rules of אב, the joy of ט״ו באב, and the rules of נשיאת כפים on fast days, including the ban on a drunk כהן

Overview

The amud finishes the משנה's list of five tragedies of שבעה עשר בתמוז and gives the five tragedies of תשעה באב. It then sets out mourning rules that grow stricter as תשעה באב comes closer: less joy from ראש חודש אב, no haircuts or laundry in its week, and a limited meal on ערב תשעה באב. The מסכת ends on a joyful note with ט״ו באב and יום הכיפורים, when the girls of ירושלים danced in borrowed white clothes and urged the young men to choose a wife for family and fear of Heaven. The גמרא then goes back to an earlier משנה about נשיאת כפים on fast days, מעמדות and יום הכיפורים, and fills in missing words. It brings a three-way מחלוקת between רבי מאיר, רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי about blessing at מנחה and נעילה, based on the worry that a כהן might be drunk. The final ruling follows רבי יוסי, and a late fast-day מנחה is treated like נעילה. Finally, the גמרא learns that a drunk כהן may not bless from the placement of the נזיר section next to ברכת כהנים. It also uses a פסוק to show that the blessing כהן may still eat grape pits.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. StatementThe rest of the five sad events of the seventeenth of Tammuz
2. StatementThe five sad events of the Ninth of Av
3. StatementFrom the start of Av we lessen joy
4. StatementNo haircuts or laundry in the week of the Ninth of Av
5. StatementThe last meal before the Ninth of Av
6. Statementרבי יהודה's view on overturning the bed
7. StatementThe happiest days: ט״ו באב and יום הכיפורים
8. StatementThe borrowed clothes needed immersion
9. StatementThe girls dance and tell the young men what to look for in a wife
10. StatementThe פסוק from שיר השירים: the wedding day and the day of joy
11. ChallengeFast days have no מוסף, so how are there four blessings?
12. ResolutionThe משנה is missing words, and the גמרא fills them in
13. StatementThe משנה follows רבי מאיר, but the חכמים limit the blessing
14. QuestionWho are the Sages who argue with רבי מאיר?
15. ResponseIt is רבי יהודה, as a ברייתא shows three views
16. QuestionWhat is the root of their disagreement?
17. Responseרבי מאיר: no drunkenness today, so bless even at מנחה
18. Responseרבי יהודה: the ban follows the time of day
19. Responseרבי יוסי: מנחה is banned, but נעילה is not
20. StatementThree Amoraim lean toward רבי מאיר
21. StatementWhat each level of ruling means
22. Statementרב נחמן rules like רבי יוסי
23. ConclusionThe final ruling follows רבי יוסי
24. ChallengeWhy do כהנים bless at מנחה of a fast day today?
25. ResolutionLate מנחה is treated like נעילה
26. StatementEveryone agrees a drunk כהן may not bless
27. QuestionWhere is this rule learned from?
28. ResponseLearned from the נזיר section placed next to it
29. ChallengeIf the blessing כהן is like a נזיר, he should also be forbidden grape pits
30. ResolutionA פסוק compares the blessing כהן to the serving כהן, who may eat grape pits