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Daily Daf Dose
MEGILLAS TAANIS
Megillas Taanis is a scroll that was written by Chananya close to end of the second Beis Hamikdosh. It contains in it a compilation of dates that were regarded to be festivals and therefore fasting was prohibited on those days. There is a dispute in the Gemora if those halachos still apply.
There was an incident in Lod and they were compelled to decree a fast during the days of Chanukah. Rabbi Eliezer went and took a bath and Rabbi Yehoshua went to get a haircut, indicating publicly that people shouldn’t fast. They announced that anyone who fasted on that day is required to fast again in order to repent for fasting on Chanukah. The Gemora is attempting to prove from this incident that Megillas Taanis is still in effect since Chanukah is one of the days listed there. Rav Yosef answers that Chanukah is different since the miracle is publicized to all based on the mitzva of lighting the menorah and therefore it would be improper to abolish it.
The Gemora cites another incident. The Greeks had decreed that the Jews could not mention Hashem’s name. After the Greeks were defeated by the Chashmanoim, they established that Hashem’s name should be written on all contracts. The Chachamim heard about this and stopped this because they were concerned that when the borrower will repay the debt, the unnecessary document will be thrown in the garbage. It was the third day of Tishrei when the Chachamim abolished this enactment and they made that day into a festival. The Gemora asks that if Megillas Taanis was not in effect any longer, is it logical to assume that they would add a new festival. The Gemora answers that this incident occurred in the times when the Beis Hamikdosh was still standing and everyone agrees that the Megillas Taanis still applied. The Gemora questions the necessity of making a festival on this day since the third of Tishrei was the day Gedalya was murdered and we learned previously that all the days of calamity became days of joy during the second Beis Hamikdosh. Rav answers that it was necessary to establish the third of Tishrei as a festival in order to prohibit fasting the day before. (This was done in order to prevent people from fasting on the festival itself.) The Gemora asks that it is prohibited to fast on the second of Tishrei anyway since it is the day after Rosh Chodesh. The Gemora answers that Rosh Chodesh being Biblical does not need any strengthening and therefore the day afterwards would not be prohibited if not for the fact that it is the day before the festival of the third. The Gemora cites proof that the Rabbinical festivals require strengthening and not the Biblical ones. The Gemora asks that the second of Tishrei should be forbidden from fasting anyway since it is the day before Gedalya was murdered. The Gemora answers that since the fast of Gedalya was written in the Prophets, it is similar to a Biblical decree that does not need to be strengthened. (18b – 19a)
MORE ON MEGILLAS TAANIS
The Gemora cites an incident that occurred on the twenty-eighth of Adar in the times after the second Beis Hamikdosh was destroyed. The Romans had decreed that the Jews could not study Torah, perform circumcisions or keep Shabbos. Yehudah ben Shamua took advice from a Roman noblewoman and the Jews went out into the streets at night to protest. They cried out that we are brothers (the Jews and the Romans), and we are children from the same father and mother. Why are you (the Romans) issuing such harsh decrees on us. The Romans listened and revoked the decree. This day was pronounced as a festival. The Gemora asks that if Megillas Taanis was not in effect any longer, is it logical to assume that they would add a new festival.
The Gemora concludes that it is a Tannaic dispute if the halachos from the Megillas Taanis still apply. The Gemora rules that Chanukah and Purim do apply but all the other festivals do not. (19a – 19b)
MESSENGERS FOR TISHREI
The Mishna stated that at the beginning of certain months, messengers would be sent out to notify the Jewish communities as to which day was determined to be the first of the month. Messengers were sent in the month of Elul on the account of Rosh Hashanah. They were sent out during Tishrei because of Yom Kippur and Sukkos. The Gemora questions the necessity for sending out messengers in Tishrei since they were already sent out in Elul. The Gemora answers that even though, since the times of Ezra, Elul always had twenty-nine days but the possibility existed, that if necessary, they would have to make Elul thirty days. The messengers were sent out to notify the public if Elul had twenty-nine days like usual or thirty days. (19b)
SECOND ADAR
The Mishna stated that at the beginning of certain months, messengers would be sent out to notify the Jewish communities as to which day was determined to be the first of the month. Messengers were sent out during Kislev because of Chanukah and during Adar because of Purim. The Gemora notes that the Mishna does not mention that they would send messengers in the second Adar (if there was a leap year) on account of Purim. This would be inconsistent with Rebbe who maintains that messengers would be sent in the beginning of the second Adar.
The Gemora initially thinks that their dispute would be based on the argument regarding one who performed the mitzvos during the first Adar which should have been done in the second Adar, if he has fulfilled his obligation or not. If one maintains that he has fulfilled the mitzvos, there is no necessity to send messengers for the second Adar.
The Gemora presents an alternative explanation in the Mishna’s dispute with Rebbe. The Mishna can hold that the first Adar is always thirty days and therefore there is no necessity to send out messengers for the second Adar. Rebbe can hold like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel who maintains that the first Adar could be twenty-nine days or thirty and therefore we would be compelled to send messengers at the beginning of the second Adar.
The Gemora cites other opinions regarding the two months of Adar. One viewpoint is that both months of Adar are always twenty-nine days. There were those that testified in the name of the Prophets, Chagai, Zecharya and Malachi that the two months of Adar can both consist of thirty days, twenty-nine days or one can be thirty and one twenty-nine. It was stated in the name of Rebbe that it should always be assumed that the first Adar will have thirty days and the second Adar will have twenty-nine days until you hear from Eretz Yisroel explicitly that the first Adar only had twenty-nine days. (19b)
Megillas Taanis is a scroll that was written by Chananya close to end of the second Beis Hamikdosh. It contains in it a compilation of dates that were regarded to be festivals and therefore fasting was prohibited on those days. There is a dispute in the Gemora if those halachos still apply.
There was an incident in Lod and they were compelled to decree a fast during the days of Chanukah. Rabbi Eliezer went and took a bath and Rabbi Yehoshua went to get a haircut, indicating publicly that people shouldn’t fast. They announced that anyone who fasted on that day is required to fast again in order to repent for fasting on Chanukah. The Gemora is attempting to prove from this incident that Megillas Taanis is still in effect since Chanukah is one of the days listed there. Rav Yosef answers that Chanukah is different since the miracle is publicized to all based on the mitzva of lighting the menorah and therefore it would be improper to abolish it.
The Gemora cites another incident. The Greeks had decreed that the Jews could not mention Hashem’s name. After the Greeks were defeated by the Chashmanoim, they established that Hashem’s name should be written on all contracts. The Chachamim heard about this and stopped this because they were concerned that when the borrower will repay the debt, the unnecessary document will be thrown in the garbage. It was the third day of Tishrei when the Chachamim abolished this enactment and they made that day into a festival. The Gemora asks that if Megillas Taanis was not in effect any longer, is it logical to assume that they would add a new festival. The Gemora answers that this incident occurred in the times when the Beis Hamikdosh was still standing and everyone agrees that the Megillas Taanis still applied. The Gemora questions the necessity of making a festival on this day since the third of Tishrei was the day Gedalya was murdered and we learned previously that all the days of calamity became days of joy during the second Beis Hamikdosh. Rav answers that it was necessary to establish the third of Tishrei as a festival in order to prohibit fasting the day before. (This was done in order to prevent people from fasting on the festival itself.) The Gemora asks that it is prohibited to fast on the second of Tishrei anyway since it is the day after Rosh Chodesh. The Gemora answers that Rosh Chodesh being Biblical does not need any strengthening and therefore the day afterwards would not be prohibited if not for the fact that it is the day before the festival of the third. The Gemora cites proof that the Rabbinical festivals require strengthening and not the Biblical ones. The Gemora asks that the second of Tishrei should be forbidden from fasting anyway since it is the day before Gedalya was murdered. The Gemora answers that since the fast of Gedalya was written in the Prophets, it is similar to a Biblical decree that does not need to be strengthened. (18b – 19a)
MORE ON MEGILLAS TAANIS
The Gemora cites an incident that occurred on the twenty-eighth of Adar in the times after the second Beis Hamikdosh was destroyed. The Romans had decreed that the Jews could not study Torah, perform circumcisions or keep Shabbos. Yehudah ben Shamua took advice from a Roman noblewoman and the Jews went out into the streets at night to protest. They cried out that we are brothers (the Jews and the Romans), and we are children from the same father and mother. Why are you (the Romans) issuing such harsh decrees on us. The Romans listened and revoked the decree. This day was pronounced as a festival. The Gemora asks that if Megillas Taanis was not in effect any longer, is it logical to assume that they would add a new festival.
The Gemora concludes that it is a Tannaic dispute if the halachos from the Megillas Taanis still apply. The Gemora rules that Chanukah and Purim do apply but all the other festivals do not. (19a – 19b)
MESSENGERS FOR TISHREI
The Mishna stated that at the beginning of certain months, messengers would be sent out to notify the Jewish communities as to which day was determined to be the first of the month. Messengers were sent in the month of Elul on the account of Rosh Hashanah. They were sent out during Tishrei because of Yom Kippur and Sukkos. The Gemora questions the necessity for sending out messengers in Tishrei since they were already sent out in Elul. The Gemora answers that even though, since the times of Ezra, Elul always had twenty-nine days but the possibility existed, that if necessary, they would have to make Elul thirty days. The messengers were sent out to notify the public if Elul had twenty-nine days like usual or thirty days. (19b)
SECOND ADAR
The Mishna stated that at the beginning of certain months, messengers would be sent out to notify the Jewish communities as to which day was determined to be the first of the month. Messengers were sent out during Kislev because of Chanukah and during Adar because of Purim. The Gemora notes that the Mishna does not mention that they would send messengers in the second Adar (if there was a leap year) on account of Purim. This would be inconsistent with Rebbe who maintains that messengers would be sent in the beginning of the second Adar.
The Gemora initially thinks that their dispute would be based on the argument regarding one who performed the mitzvos during the first Adar which should have been done in the second Adar, if he has fulfilled his obligation or not. If one maintains that he has fulfilled the mitzvos, there is no necessity to send messengers for the second Adar.
The Gemora presents an alternative explanation in the Mishna’s dispute with Rebbe. The Mishna can hold that the first Adar is always thirty days and therefore there is no necessity to send out messengers for the second Adar. Rebbe can hold like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel who maintains that the first Adar could be twenty-nine days or thirty and therefore we would be compelled to send messengers at the beginning of the second Adar.
The Gemora cites other opinions regarding the two months of Adar. One viewpoint is that both months of Adar are always twenty-nine days. There were those that testified in the name of the Prophets, Chagai, Zecharya and Malachi that the two months of Adar can both consist of thirty days, twenty-nine days or one can be thirty and one twenty-nine. It was stated in the name of Rebbe that it should always be assumed that the first Adar will have thirty days and the second Adar will have twenty-nine days until you hear from Eretz Yisroel explicitly that the first Adar only had twenty-nine days. (19b)
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