Gemara Clarity

Taanis 6a

תענית ו׳ ע״א

Taanit 6a

Learn Taanis 6a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Taanis 6a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The names and timing of the rains יורה and מלקוש, and the dates of the first rainfall.

Overview

The amud opens with the end of a story: רבי יצחק blesses רב נחמן that his children should be like him. The גמרא then returns to rain and explains why the first rain is called יורה and the last rain מלקוש, showing from the פסוקים that both are rains of blessing. Next, ברייתות fix the months of these rains: יורה in מרחשון and מלקוש in ניסן, with three explanations of the name מלקוש in between. רבי מאיר and the חכמים disagree about whether the יורה is in מרחשון or כסלו, and רב חסדא identifies the חכמים as רבי יוסי. A ברייתא lists three sets of dates for the first rainfall, and רבי יוסי's are the latest, ending at ראש חודש כסלו. רב חסדא rules like רבי יוסי, though אמימר reports that his ruling was about when we start asking for rain. The amud ends by asking what the second rainfall is for. רבי זירא answers that it matters for vows, and the משנה he brings continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

יִהְיוּ כְּמוֹתְךָ.

...be like you.

אַף אַתָּה, בַּמָּה אֲבָרֶכְךָ?

So too with you: with what shall I bless you?

אִם בְּתוֹרָה — הֲרֵי תּוֹרָה,

If with Torah, you already have Torah;

אִם בְּעוֹשֶׁר — הֲרֵי עוֹשֶׁר,

if with wealth, you already have wealth;

The steps (30)

  1. ConclusionThe blessing: may your children be like you
  2. StatementFirst meaning of יורה: it instructs people
  3. StatementSecond meaning of יורה: it soaks the earth
  4. StatementThird meaning of יורה: it falls gently
  5. ChallengeMaybe יורה is a destructive rain
  6. Resolutionמלקוש shows that יורה is a blessing
  7. ChallengeMaybe מלקוש is a destructive rain
  8. Resolutionיורה shows that מלקוש is a blessing
  9. QuestionHow do we know יורה itself is a blessing?
  10. ResponseThe פסוק in יואל shows יורה is a blessing
  11. StatementA ברייתא sets the months of the first and last rain
  12. QuestionMaybe the rains come one month earlier?
  13. ResponseThe פסוק says 'in its time'
  14. Statementשמואל explains the name מלקוש
  15. Statementדבי רבי ישמעאל: it fills the grain in its stalks
  16. StatementA ברייתא: it falls on the ears and the stalks
  17. StatementAnother ברייתא with the same months
  18. QuestionMaybe the first rain is in כסלו?
  19. ResponseComparing the first rain to the last rain
  20. Statementרבי מאיר and the חכמים disagree
  21. QuestionWho are these חכמים?
  22. ResponseIt is רבי יוסי: the three views on the first rainfall
  23. Statementרבי יוסי: individuals do not fast before ראש חודש כסלו
  24. Conclusionרב חסדא rules like רבי יוסי
  25. Statementאמימר's version: רב חסדא ruled about asking for rain
  26. QuestionWhose view is רבן שמעון בן גמליאל's rule about seven days of rain?
  27. ResponseIt follows רבי יוסי
  28. Conclusionרב חסדא again rules like רבי יוסי
  29. QuestionWhat is the second rainfall used for?
  30. Responseרבי זירא: The second rainfall matters for vows