Taanit 15: Ashes on the Forehead and Grief in the Soul

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The Mishna had stated that they would place ashes on the head of the Nasi and upon the head of the Rosh Beis Din (Head of the Court). Each person would place the ashes on his own head.

TheGemora questions why the Nasi and Rosh Beis Din do not place the ashes on their head by themselves. Rabbi Abba answers that being embarrassed by one’s own hand pales in comparison to being embarrassed by the hands of others and this will help make their prayers more successful.

The Gemora states that they would place the ashes on the place where the tefillin are worn on one’s head.

This opens us to explore the metaphor of ashes with Jastrow's paper on ancient funerary practices down to our work with grief and healing in the writings of Robert Bly (the path through ashes in Iron John) who died last week, and Martin Prechtel a shaman and his "Smell of Rain on Dust.”

Taanit 14: Sounding The Alarm

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The Mishna had stated that they would cry out during the last seven fasts.

The Gemora presents a dispute as to the meaning of “cry out.”

Rav Yehuda maintains that they would cry out by sounding the shofar and it was said in the name of Rav that they would cry out by reciting aneinu.

It is evident from this Gemora that shofaros were used on a fast day.

We re-examine the history of communal alarm sounding using trumpets, and the use of the shofar on Shabbat is some communities.

Taanit 13: Aneinu

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Our daf reveals that fast days that are established – either for an individual or for the community – are days of prayer and introspection.

Extra petitionary blessings are added to the amidah prayer.

Our daf asks whether an individual who accepts a personal fast will add an extra blessing to the amidah, or will simply add a prayer within the “catch-all” blessing of shome’ah tefillah, in which we ask God to accept our prayers.

We review the halachos of Aneinu which allows us to continue our exploration of different views on petitionary prayer both individual and communal and the observance of fast days during times of catastrophe.

Taanit 12: Personal Trials and Fasting

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The Mishna continues to discuss the process of conducting public fasts in the situation when there is a drought. If after the first series of public fasts, it did not begin to rain; Beis Din declares another three public fasts. The fasts begin at sunset and they are forbidden to perform work. They are not allowed to wash and anoint themselves. They are prohibited from wearing leather shoes and engaging in marital relations. The bathhouses would be closed as well. If these fasts passed and it still did not rain, Beis din would declare a series of seven fasts, which would be a total of thirteen decreed fasts.

We explore personal suffering that triggers such fasting including the halachic status of a communal mourning following the loss of Gush Katif.

Taanit 11: Saints or Sinners?

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Our daf Masechet Ta’anit 11 deals with issues of fasting. Should a personal fast be viewed as a positive trait or a negative one?

This question is debated by the amora’im.

Shmuel rules that a person who accepts a fast upon himself is considered to be a sinner – a choteh.

Rabbi Eliezer argues that he is called kadosh –a holy person.

Resh Lakish says that he is considered pious –a chasid.

The commentaries use this argument as a springboard for discussing the appropriate attitude towards self-flagellation.

We explore the history of divine service through self-mortification and fasting, as well as the physiological benefits and cross cultural similarities of afflicting the body.

Taanit 10: The Peril of The Stride

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We each have our own gait: Some of us amble along, saunter and meander, others march or stride, while there are those who seem to be traipsing from one place to another.

Our sages detail conduct that is unbecoming of a Torah scholar and include a directive about how to walk (B. Berachot 43b): A wise person should not walk with broad strides or with an upright posture.

Further in the talmudic passage, our sages explain that a large stride takes away 1/500th of a person's eyesight. Elsewhere, our sages advise all people - not just Torah scholars - to avoid large steps and thus preserve their eyesight .

We explore the relationship between visual acuity and gait, and how it reversed between antiquity and modern science.

Taanit 9: Miriam's Well

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In our daf Rabbi Yosei says "Three good sustainers rose up for the Jewish people during the exodus from Egypt, and they are: Moses, Aaron and Miriam."

"And three good gifts were given from Heaven through their agency, and these are: The well of water, the pillar of cloud, and the manna."

He elaborates: The well was given to the Jewish people in the merit of Miriam; the pillar of cloud was in the merit of Aaron; and the manna in the merit of Moses. When Miriam died the well disappeared.

We explore the biblical and midrashic character of Miriam and the way she has become a role model for women's spiritual empowerment.

Taanit 8: The God Whisperers

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Our daf returns to the topic of rain. And Rabbi Ami said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If the serpent [naḥash] bites [yishokh] before it is charmed [laḥash], then the charmer has no advantage” (Ecclesiastes 10:11)? If you see a generation for whom the heavens corrode [meshatkhin] like copper [neḥoshet], which prevents them from bringing down dew and rain, this is due to the lack of those who whisper quiet [loḥashei leḥishot] prayers in the generation.

Who are these "whisperers" and how do they differ from those who pray in the regular manner? and why are they successful in tweaking the divine to produce rain?

We explore the issue of petitionary prayer and its efficacy and the struggle between the ease of study and the difficulty of davening..especially for atheists who must say kaddish!

Taanit 7: Fire or Water

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Should we expect that a person who is a Torah scholar should also be a physically attractive person?

Rabbi Oshaya says that we should not. He points out that the Torah is compared to three liquids – water, wine and milk (Isa 55:1) – all of which are stored best in simple, clay vessels.

We explore the notion of Torah containing the seemingly opposite elements of fire and water and contrast it with the other rabbinic claim that for some it is an elixir of life and for others a poison. (sam hachayim vs sam hamaves).

Taanit 6: Yoreh/Malkosh

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One of the promises that we repeat daily in our recitation of the Kriyat Shema is that the reward for appropriate behavior is rain in its proper time – yoreh u’malkosh.

Our Gemara discusses these terms and their meaning. The yoreh, according to the baraita, is the first rain of the year, which occurs in the month of Marcheshvan, and the malkosh is the rain that ends the season in Nissan.

In truth, establishing the time that rain normally falls based on the Jewish calendar is inaccurate, at best, given the fluctuation that exists between these months and the solar-based, Gregorian calendar.

Historically, rain has fallen in Israel as early as October (which sometime coincides with the end of Tishrei) and as late as the end of April (which sometimes falls out in the middle of Iyyar).

We explore the rains of Israel (and also Arizona and Mumbai!)

Taanit 5: Ilan, Ilan

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When Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Yitzchak were leaving each other, Rabbi Nachman asked Rabbi Yitzchak to give him a blessing.

Rabbi Yitzchak responded with a parable. A person was walking in a desert, and he was hungry, tired, and thirsty. He happened upon a tree which had sweet fruits, a pleasing shade and a spring of water flowing beneath it. The man ate from the fruits, drank the water, and sat in its shade. When he was leaving the tree, he pondered as to how he can bless the tree. He could not bless the tree that its fruits should be sweet, its shade should be nice or that it should have a stream of water flowing beneath it since it already possessed all these things.

The blessing he gave was that it should be the will of Hashem that all the shoots planted from this tree should be just like it. Rabbi Yitzchak explained to Rabbi Nachman that he cannot bless him with Torah, riches, or children since he already had all that. Rabbi Yitzchak blessed Rabbi Nachman that all his children should be just like him.

This famous (and by now hackneyed) B'rachah in our days has taken on an ecological twist with the rain forests being denuded so we revisit the issue of blessings and the modern miracle of Israel's desalination plant and how we might rethink our age old prayers and petitions for rain knowing what is happening to our weather and climate change.

Taanit 4: Rabbinic Rage

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Our daf cites Rav Ashi who states that a Torah scholar who is not as hard as iron is not considered to be a true Torah scholar. Ravina says that nevertheless, he should conduct himself calmly as the Torah teaches us to avoid anger.

The Gevuros Ari asks from a Gemora in Pesachim which states regarding one who becomes angry; if he is a Torah scholar, his Torah will depart him and yet our Gemora states that a Torah scholar who is not harsh like iron is not considered a talmid chocham.

He answers that if he becomes angry for the honor of Hashem and if it would have been impossible to accomplish this without getting angry; it is not only permitted but warranted. An example for this would be to instill fear into one’s students ensuring that they will not stumble into sin.

We explore the psychology and neurobiology of anger and rage.

Taanit 3: The Four Winds

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The proof text from Zechariah: “For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, says the Lord”

Our Daf clarifies: What is God saying to them? If we say that this is what the Holy One, Blessed be He, is saying to the Jewish people: I have scattered you to the four winds of the world; if so, why did He say, “as the four winds”? He should have said: To the four winds. Rather, this is what God is saying: Just as the world cannot exist without winds, so too, the world cannot exist without the Jewish people. This interpretation of the verse is based on the claim that the winds never cease.

The power of the four winds of the Bible is tremendous, both figuratively and practically. It can churn the great sea, it can uproot and scatter powerful empires (Daniel 7:2, 8:8, 11:4, Zechariah 2:6). The combined power of the four winds of heaven was to be deployed against the nation of Elam, to scatter the people in all directions (Jeremiah 49:36).

We explore the notion of the four winds in antiquity and the curious history of weathervanes.

Taanit 2: The Three Keys

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Most of Masechet Ta’anit deals with the laws and background of fast days – public and private, whether they occur on established dates or are instituted according to need.

With the exception of Yom Kippur, there is no mention of fast days in the Torah, although they are the subject of significant discussion in the books of Nevi’im and Ketuvim. From these writings we can glean much about the significance and purpose of fast days, both public and private, as they were kept in ancient times. Thus, many of the principles found in Masechet Ta’anit are based on oral traditions going back to Mount Sinai as we find them described in the prophetic writings.

Rabbi Yochanan states that there are three keys that Hashem does not delegate to the hands of an agent. They are the key to rain, the key for childbirth and the key for reviving the dead.

We explore the notion of Divine agency and why these three transition rites of passage were singled out.

Rosh Hashanah 35: Hadran Masechtes Rosh Hashanah

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When recited in the synagogue, both Shacharit and Mincha (the morning and afternoon prayer services) include the amidah prayer, first recited by each individual congregant, and then followed by an out-loud repetition by the chazzan.

This tradition has its source in the last Mishnah in Masechet Rosh HaShanah (33b) where the Mishnah teaches that both the individual and the chazzan are obligated to recite the prayer. Rabban Gamliel argues that the community can listen to the recitation of the chazzan, who represents the community (his title, in fact, is shaliach tzibbur – the congregation’s messenger), and fulfill their obligation without reciting it themselves.

We review the qualifications of the Shaliach Tzibur from a halachic standard and also Rebbe Nachman's dazzling metaphor of his role in gathering the ""good points" of each community member and placing on a stave whereby he sings their souls.

Rosh Hashanah 34: Sobbing vs Moaning

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Anyone who has heard the shofar blown in the synagogue on Rosh HaShanah recognizes their unique sound – a single long blast (tekiah), followed by a series of broken notes, and a concluding single blast (tekiah). This cycle is repeated with variations in the broken notes:

• we sound three relatively long notes (that we today call a shevarim, and the Gemara refers to as genuhei ganah – a moaning sound),

• we sound a staccato series of short notes (that we today call a teru’ah, and the Gemara refers to as yelulei yalil – a crying sound)

• we sound a combination of the two – shevarim-teru’ah.

we explore the implications and resonances of moaning vs sobbing in the ritual of shofar blowing form different voices up to the profound statement of blowing in the face of the NAZI machine.

Rosh Hashanah 33: The Music of The Shofar

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Although playing a musical instrument on Shabbat or Yom Tov is ordinarily forbidden by the Sages shema yetaken klei shir - lest someone fix the instrument - nevertheless, blowing a shofar on RoshHaShana is a mitzvah that must be fulfilled.

The Biblical command is to blow three sets of blasts on Rosh Hashanah. A set of blasts means one teruah sound preceded and followed by a tekiah sound.

The Rabbis established that the three sets of tekios be blown in three different ways, alternating the teruah sound in each set.

Thus we blow tekiah shevarim-teruah tekiah (TaSHRaT)three times; tekiah shevarim tekiah (TaRaT) three times; tekiah teruah tekiah(TaSHaT) three times.

All together that adds up to thirty different blasts.

We explore the music of the shofar from a number of perspectives, halachic, mystical and cultural.

Rosh Hashanah 32: Mussaf Shira vs Hilulah

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The Amida prayer of musaf on Rosh HaShana is unique in that it had three blessings between the introductory and concluding berakhot. These three blessings - referred to by the Gemara as malkhuyot, zikhronot and shofarot (blessings over God's monarchy, His remembrances and the shofar), make up the longest Amida of the year.

Indeed we recite no fewer that ten verses for each of the three blessings,, and when the Gemara asks what each of these ten verses correspond to, Rabbi Levi answers that, ‘they correspond to the ten expressions of praise (הילולים – i.e. forms of Hallel) as expressed by David in Sefer Tehillim’. What this suggests is that the Malchiyot, Zichronot & Shofarot verses are a subtle form of Hallel which are framed around the themes of God as king, God as rememberer, and the symbolism of the shofar.

However, later on the Gemara notes that the collection of Tehillim known to us as Hallel is not, in fact, recited on Rosh Hashanah.

But why? According to Rabbi Abahu, this is because ‘the ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed is He: “Master of the Universe! Why do the Jews not recite song (שירה - which is understood to refer to Hallel) before You on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?” He replied, “Is it possible that the King is seated on the Throne of Judgement, and the Books of the Living and the Books of the Dead are open before Him, and the Jewish people are going to say songs?”.

What this suggests is that due to the weightiness of the days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it would be improper to recite Hallel on these days.

According to the Yerushalmi, ten zikhronot are suggested by the ten expressions of repentance in the first chapter of Isa (1:16-18), and ten shofarot commemorate the sacrifices brought during musaf of Rosh HaShana in the Temple, each of which was accompanied by the sounding of the shofar.

Rosh Hashanah 31: Yavneh vs Masada

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The Sanhedrin's first stop after leaving Jerusalem was the city of Yavne, which was established as a center of Torah study by Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai and became most famous under the direction of Rabban Gamliel of Yavne.

Throughout its continuing travels, the Sanhedrin was headed by descendants of the family of Hillel. It appears that the Sanhedrin was moved to Usha in the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba Rebellion, where a series of Rabbinic enactments - called takkanot Usha - were established. Under the leadership of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel there was an unsuccessful attempt to return the Sanhedrin to Yavne, but due to the overwhelming devastation in the southern part of the country, they returned to the Galilee, first to Usha and then to Shefaram.

We examine the conflicting rabbinic myth of Yavneh judaism with the modern Israeli myth of Masada.

Rosh Hashanah 30: Levitical Singers

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Our Mishnah relates that on one occasion witnesses did not arrive to testify about the new moon until after the time of Minchah on Rosh Hashanah. As a result, the Leviyim did not recite the correct Shir when the afternoon Korban Tamid was offered. Because of that "Kilkul" the Rabanan instituted that Beis Din may never accept witnesses who come to testify about the new moon after the time of Minchah.

Why does the Mishnah say that the "Kilkul" was that the Leviyim recited the wrong Shir? Since the witnesses did not come until after the afternoon Korban Tamid was offered, there was a much more serious "Kilkul": the Korban Musaf of Rosh Hashanah could not be offered.

The afternoon Korban Tamid must be the last Korban of the day (Pesachim 58b), and since they already brought the Korban Tamid they could not bring the Korban Musaf. Consequently, not only did the late arrival of the witnesses result in the wrong Shir being recited, but it resulted in the inability to offer the entire Musaf offering of Rosh Hashanah. Why does the Mishnah not mention this "Kilkul"?

The RAMBAM (Hilchos Kidush ha'Chodesh 3:5) explains that the "Kilkul" indeed was that they did not offer the Korban Musaf. He makes no mention of the Shir.

We explore the history of Levitical singing and the scholarship regarding origins and the singing Levites in rabbinical literature.