Daf Yomi - Taanis 17 - Highlights

RABBI YEHUDA

The Mishna had stated that there were six additional brochos recited on the public fast day. The six additional brochos are: Zichronos and Shofaros, "To Hashem, in my distress I called Him and he answered me," "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains…," "From the depths, I have called you, Hashem," "A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints." Rabbi Yehuda says that he did not have to say Zichronos and Shofaros, but instead he said, "If there be a famine in the land, if there will be a plague…," and "The word of the Hashem that came to Yeremiya concerning the droughts."

The Gemora explains that Rabbi Yehuda maintains that the brochos of Zichronos and Shofaros are only recited on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur during a Yovel year and during war time. (16b – 17a)

KOHANIM NOWADAYS

The Mishna had stated that members of the mishmar are permitted to drink wine at night but not during the day because they might be called upon to help perform the service and a kohen who drinks wine is prohibited from serving in the Beis Hamikdosh. Members of the beis av are not allowed to drink wine during the day and even at night.

The Gemora cites a braisa which explains the reason for these halachos. Members of the mishmar are prohibited from drinking wine during the day because there might be an extraordinary number of korbanos on that day and the members of the mishmar might be called upon to assist the members of the beis av perform the service. Members of the beis av are not allowed to drink wine during the day and even at night since they are constantly occupied in performing the service in the Beis Hamikdosh.

It emerges that we can derive from here that even the chance that a kohen might serve in the Beis Hamikdosh prohibits him from drinking wine. Therefore, a kohen nowadays when there is no Beis Hamikdosh, who happens to know which mishmar and beis av his family is from, will be prohibited from drinking wine on the day of his beis av’s turn. This is because we anticipate the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdosh at any moment and he will be needed to perform the service. If he knows which mishmar he is from but does not recognize the specific beis av, he would be prohibited from drinking wine the entire week of his mishmar’s turn. If he doesn’t know the mishmar or the beis av that he belongs to, he would be prohibited from drinking wine the entire year. Rebbe disagrees and states that if this is a legitimate concern, every kohen should be forbidden from drinking wine even if he can identify his mishmar and beis av because we are uncertain that the order of the mishmaros will not change. However, Rebbe concludes that since there have been so many years since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh and it hasn’t been rebuilt.

Abaye comments that the kohanim nowadays rely on the viewpoint of Rebbe thereby permitting them to drink wine. (17a)

HAIRCUTS

 The Mishna had stated that the members of the mishmar and members of the ma'amad are prohibited from cutting their hair and from laundering clothes, however on Thursday; they are permitted to cut their hair and perform laundering in honor of Shabbos.

Rabbah bar bar Chanah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that we did not want them entering their week of service disheveled.

The Gemora cites a braisa that a king is obligated to take a haircut every day. The Gemora brings a Scriptural verse proving that a king is supposed to be seen in all his beauty. The braisa continues that the kohen gadol should take a haircut every Friday. Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchak explains the reason for this. The new mishmar arrives on Shabbos and it is only fitting that the kohen gadol appear well groomed when he is first seen. The braisa concludes that an ordinary kohen is required to take a haircut every thirty days. This is derived from the laws of a nazir who must let his hair grow for a minimum of thirty days.

The Gemora questions why this halacha does not apply nowadays. The Gemora answers that since the prohibition of a kohen growing his hair long and the prohibition of performing the service in the Beis Hamikdosh after drinking wine are juxtaposed in a verse in Yechezkel, we learn one from the other. Just as the prohibition of drinking wine only applies when serving in the Beis Hamikdosh, so too the prohibition against growing his hair long applies only when the Beis Hamikdosh is in existence.

The Gemora persists with its question by stating that the Chachamim prohibited a kohen from drinking wine even nowadays because of the anticipation of the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdosh. The same reasoning should apply to growing his hair. The Gemora answers that even if the Beis Hamikdosh is rebuilt, a kohen can quickly cut his hair and enter the Beis Hamikdosh.

The Gemora asks that there is a quick remedy for a kohen that drank wine as well. He can sleep a little and then enter the Beis Hamikdosh to perform the service. The Gemora cites Rami bar Abba who states that sleeping a little or walking at least a mil will dissipate the effect of the wine.

The Gemora answers that Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha regarding one who drank more than a revi’is of wine; sleeping and traveling will intensify the effect of the wine and therefore they were compelled to prohibit the drinking of wine nowadays.

Rav Ashi offers a different answer to the original question. There is a basic distinction between the prohibition of a kohen growing his hair long and the prohibition of performing the service in the Beis Hamikdosh after drinking wine. A kohen who performs the service after drinking wine will disqualify the service and that is why the Chachamim prohibited him from drinking wine nowadays. However, a kohen who perform the service with long hair does not invalidate the service and therefore the Chachamim did not feel that it was necessary to establish the laws of cutting hair nowadays.

The Gemora asks on Rav Ashi from a braisa which states that a kohen who performs the service in the Beis Hamikdosh with long hair is liable to death by the hands of Heaven. This is derived from a Scriptural verse that compares the prohibition of drinking wine to the laws of growing his hair. The Gemora assumes based on this comparison that it should follow that just as performing the service after drinking wine disqualifies the service, so too performing the service with long hair should invalidate the service. The Gemora answers that the comparison is limited to the death penalty and not for invalidating the service. (17a – 17b)