{"id":10502,"date":"2007-02-01T22:17:01","date_gmt":"2007-02-01T22:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_taanit2531\/"},"modified":"2015-10-25T07:27:38","modified_gmt":"2015-10-25T12:27:38","slug":"masechet_taanit2531","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_taanit2531\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Ta’anit 25a-31b"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coming Week’s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n

This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n

This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by\u00a0Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris,\u00a0The Lewy Family Foundation, and\u00a0Marilyn and Edward Kaplan<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

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Ta’anit 25a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Gemara<\/a> relates two stories about Rabbi Eliezer<\/a> and unsuccessful attempts to pray for rain. In the first, even after establishing thirteen fast days, still no rain fell. When the last fast was over and the people began to leave the synagogue, Rabbi Eliezer called out to them, “Have you prepared graves for yourselves?” – a statement that so shocked the people that they began to cry. Only then did the rain begin.<\/p>\n

In the second story, Rabbi Eliezer led the congregation in the lengthy amidah<\/a><\/em> prayer for fast days, but his prayers were not answered. At that point, his student, Rabbi Akiva<\/a>, prayed for rain, and rain began to fall. When the rabbis present began to discuss why the student, Rabbi Akiva, was successful, while Rabbi Eliezer was not, a heavenly voice called out that it was not an issue of greatness; rather, Rabbi Akiva was more relaxed and forgiving, while Rabbi Eliezer was more exact and demanding. God responded to each of them according to his personality.<\/p>\n

This can be understood based on the Gemara in Rosh\u00a0H<\/a><\/em>ashanah<\/u><\/i><\/span>\u00a0(17a<\/a>), which teaches that a person who is relaxed and forgiving is more easily forgiven by God, who responds to every person according to his own behavior and personality – midah ke-neged midah<\/em> (measure for measure). The Talmud Yerushalmi<\/a><\/em> tells the story differently. According to the Yerushalmi<\/em>, when Rabbi Akiva was asked to explain his success, he offered a parable of a king who had two daughters – one who was unpleasant and inappropriate, the other who was agreeable and pleasing. It is the unpleasant daughter to whom the king responds more quickly, since he prefers to interact with her as little as possible. The agreeable daughter, however, is required to put in greater effort to receive what she wants, since he enjoys and looks forward to their interactions.<\/p>\n

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Ta’anit 26a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We have learned that the kohanim<\/a><\/em> and levi’im<\/a><\/em> were divided into 24 mishmarot<\/em> – groups that served in the bet ha-Mikdash<\/a><\/em> two weeks out of every year. The first Mishnah<\/a> in the fourth perek<\/em>\u00a0of Masechet<\/a> Ta’anit<\/a><\/em> introduces us to the concept of ma’amadot<\/em> – 24 groups of Israelites (i.e. Jews who are neither kohanim<\/em> or levi’im<\/em>) who were assigned to spend two weeks out of the year involved in prayer and study in community synagogues. It should be noted that, according to the Rambam<\/a>, while all kohanim<\/em> were obligated to serve in the bet ha-Mikdash<\/em> as members of their mishmar<\/em>, the ma’amadot<\/em> were not for all community members, but only for the uniquely pious individuals who volunteered for this responsibility.<\/p>\n

The Mishnah explains that the source for creating ma’amadot<\/em> stems from the passage in Bamidbar<\/a> (28:2<\/a>) in which the Jewish people are commanded to bring a daily sacrifice – the korban<\/a> tamid<\/em>. The Mishnah argues that when any sacrifice is brought to the Temple, its owner stands at its side. Who stands by the side of communal sacrifices? The early prophets established the system of ma’amadot<\/em> to serve that purpose.<\/p>\n

The point is raised that the Mishnah takes for granted that every sacrifice needs its owner to accompany it. Although this is clearly true for korbanot<\/em> that require semikhah<\/a><\/em> (laying hand on the sacrificial animal), why is this essential for other sacrifices? The Iyun Ya’akov<\/a><\/em> suggests that this idea is connected with the position of many commentaries, who explain the purpose of animal sacrifice as an attempt to engage the individual who brings the korban<\/em> in some level of soul-searching. The process that the animal goes through in preparation for sacrifice – slaughter, having its skin removed, being disemboweled, etc. – should inspire the person to think “really, I deserve to have these actions done to me; it is God’s mercy that allows them to be carried out on this animal in my stead.” If this is true, we can easily understand why it is important to have the person bringing the korban<\/em> present when it is being sacrificed.<\/p>\n

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Ta’anit 27a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the week, the individuals whose turn it was to represent the Jewish people in ma’amadot<\/em> (see yesterday’s daf<\/em><\/a>, or page) would involve themselves in fasts and prayer:<\/p>\n