MISHNAH: On three occasions the Cohanim lift their hands¹ four times a day, during morning prayers, musaf, afternoon prayers, and at the closing of the doors², a synagogue service close to sundown.: On fast-days³, for the bystanders⁴, and on the Day of Atonement.

footnotes: ¹ To pronounce the priestly blessing in the synagogue. ² Ne`ilah ³ Fast days for rain. ⁴ As explained in Mishnah 2.

HALAKHAH: “On three occasions,” etc. One understands from three things. One understands that the bystanders (pray) [fast]⁵. 10:8–11). Since they have to recite the blessing late in the afternoon, they could not have drunk any alcohol during the day and therefore would not have eaten either., and that they pray⁶ prayer”. In a synagogue setting the priests recite the blessing only during the reader’s recitation of the Amidah. four times, and lifting of the hands is not during nighttime, only during daytime⁷. Could one not lift his hands without praying? We find prayer without lifting of hands; we do not find lifting of hands without prayer⁸. It was stated, these are the words of Rebbi Meïr⁹. ¹⁰ 6, Note 102. Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: In matters of eruvin and public fast-days everybody follows Rebbi Meïr. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name Rebbi Joḥanan: Even about the reading of the Esther scroll everybody follows Rebbi Meïr¹¹ one follows R. Meïr that eruv for courtyards and participation for alleys must be separate acts, Chapter 6, Note 99; in Megillah 2:1, Note 62, he requires that the Esther scroll has to be read from beginning to end; Babli 72a. These rules are popular usage, not rabbinic decrees..

footnotes: ⁵ Here it seems that the corrector’s text [in brackets] is correct. The argument is that the recitation of the priestly blessing is a sacral act and as such forbidden to Cohanim under the influence of alcohol (Lev ⁶ In a technical sense, “to pray” means “to recite the Amidah ⁷ Since there is no priestly blessing during evening prayers (whose status in Mishnaic times was not well defined.) ⁸ Outside the Temple. The priestly blessing during synagogue service is a strictly pharisaic institution; it seems from the Manual of Discipline that at least at Qumran the priests only recited poetic allusions to the biblical priestly blessing. ⁹ Tosephta 3:1. In this text, the opponents of R. Meïr only admit priestly blessing during the two morning services. This is compatible with the scribe’s text in this paragraph. ¹⁰ Babli 26b. Copied in Eruvin ¹¹ In Eruvin

Rebbi Zeira, Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Joshua ben Levi in the name of Bar Pedaya: Why did the verse join the chapter of the *nazir* to the chapter of lifting the hands¹² are *Num*. 6:1–21 and those of the priestly blessing 6:22–27.? To teach you that just as the *nazir* is forbidden wine so lifting the hands is forbidden wine. Then since the *nazir* is forbidden skins and kernels, also lifting the hands has to be forbidden skins and kernels¹³. Rebbi Jonah said, Joshua the son of the Circumciser and Rebbi Zeira disagreed. One infers it from the nazir, the other infers it from Temple service. But we do not know who inferred it from the nazir and who inferred it from Temple service. For him who inferred it from the nazir, since the nazir is forbidden skins and kernels, also lifting the hands has to be forbidden skins and kernels. For him who inferred it from Temple service, since the service is forbidden to bodily defective persons, so lifting the hands has to be forbidden to bodily defective persons¹⁴.

footnotes: ¹² The rules of the nazir ¹³ But there is no prohibition for priests serving in the Temple to eat grapes and non-alcoholic grape products. ¹⁴ Which is shown also to be not applicable to the priestly blessing.

¹⁵, Halakhah 4:8(מ). But was it not stated, if he was known in his town he is permitted¹⁶ 24b.? As the following: The finger of Rebbi Naftali was bent¹⁷ 24b s.v. אם: A Cohen with deformed hands came before Rebbi Naftali.. He came and asked Rebbi Mana, who said to him, since you are known in your town it is permitted. Rav Ḥuna disqualified one with sparse facial hair. But was it not stated, if he was known in his town he is permitted? Rebbi Mana said, it was a holiday¹⁸ he had short legs.; so they should not say, we saw a minor lifting his hands¹⁹. Rebbi Yose said, this²⁰ that a Cohen with stained hands may not lift them for the priestly blessing. implies that one is forbidden to look at the Cohanim at the moment when they are blessing. Rebbi Ḥaggai, when they said, one does not look, was it not because of inattention²¹? By Moses, I shall look and my attention will not be diverted.

footnotes: ¹⁵ The following is copied from Megillah ¹⁶ Babli Megillah ¹⁷ In the quote of this passage by Tosaphot Megillah ¹⁸ In Megillah: ¹⁹ Since as explained later, reciting the priestly blessing is a biblical command, it cannot be performed by an underaged Cohen. ²⁰ The statement on the Mishnah in Megillah ²¹ The person blessed can benefit from the blessing only if his mind is concentrated on the Heavenly blessing.

From where the lifting of hands? So you shall bless the Children of Israel²². 6:22.. So far during the morning prayers²³. At musaf? Aaron lifted his hands for the people²⁴. 9:22, description of the special inauguration service of the Tabernacle.. Is not this verse distorted? Should it not read: he descended from making the purification sacrifice, and the elevation sacrifice, and the well-being sacrifice, and after this, Aaron lifted his hands for the people? But it teaches²⁵ that while descending from the altar he lifted his hands and blessed the people. ²⁶38a.And he blessed them, standing. I could think, not while standing. The verse says²⁷. 21:5., the Eternal, your God, selected them to serve Him and to bless in His Name. It combines blessing with service. Since service is done standing, also blessing is done standing. And so it says²⁸. 30:27., the Levitic Cohanim rose and blessed the people. The verse speaks of the generation of Ezechias, when they toiled in the Torah. But in other generations, when they were serving foreign worship, what does it say? When you spread your hands my eyes shall disregard you²⁹. 1:15.. ²². 6:22.And he blessed them, any blessing. But we did not hear which it was until the verse came and explained it³⁰. 6:24–26.: The Eternal shall bless you and guard you. The Eternal shall enlighten His presence to you and show you favor. The Eternal shall turn His presence to you and give you peace.

footnotes: ²² Num ²³ Since in the Temple the priestly blessing was recited at the time of the morning sacrifice, the inspiration for the morning prayer service. ²⁴ Lev ²⁵ The verse mentioning blessing before descent. ²⁶ Babli Sotah ²⁷ Deut ²⁸ 2Chr ²⁹ Is ²² Num ³⁰ Num

³¹ 4:1, Notes 64–124 (ב). From where Ne`ilah², a synagogue service close to sundown.? Rebbi [Levi]³². said: Even if you prolong your prayers I shall not hear²⁹. 1:15.. From here that everyone who increases his prayers will be answered³³. The argument of Rebbi Levi is inverted. There says Rebbi Abba the son of Rebbi Pappai, Rebbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rebbi Levi: In all excitement there is something superfluous; and the word of the lips is but for deficit³⁴. 14:23.. Hannah, because she prayed too long, reduced the years of Samuel because she said, he shall dwell there forever³⁵. 1:22; not part of Hannah’s prayer but a statement to her husband. but “forever” for a Levite is only 50 years, as it is written: at age fifty he should return from the worshipping hosts³⁶. 8:25.. But in fact it was 52³⁷ Chapter 13 (in the author’s edition pp. 134–135.). Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said two years until she weaned him. And here you say so? One for private, the other for public prayers. Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, Rebbi Simeon bar Ḥalaphta in the name of Rebbi Meïr: when she prayed very long³⁸. 1:12.; it follows that everyone who extends his prayers will be answered³⁹ 32b..

footnotes: ³¹ From here to the end of the Halakhah the text is from Berakhot ² Ne`ilah ³² Corrector’s addition from Berakhot ²⁹ Is ³³ Since Isaiah presents this as a particular curse, it follows that as a rule people will be heard if they increase their prayers. ³⁴ Prov ³⁵ 1Sam ³⁶ Num ³⁷ Not a biblical statement but an inference of Seder Olam ³⁸ 1 Sam ³⁹ Denied in Babli Berakhot

Until when is Ne`ilah? The rabbis of Caesarea say: Rav and Rebbi Joḥanan disagree. Rav said, when the gates of Heaven are locked⁴⁰. Rebbi Joḥanan: when the gates of the Temple are locked. Rebbi Yudan Antordaya said, the Mishnah supports Rebbi Joḥanan: “On three occasions do the Cohanim lift their hands four times in one day, mornings, Musaph, Minḥah, and at the locking of the gates.” May you say that the gates of heaven are locked while it is still daytime⁴¹?

footnotes: ⁴⁰ It is not clear when the Gates of Heaven are locked. Maybe it is at sundown when the sun disappears, but it is more likely sometime after that when on a very clear day one may notice a sudden darkening of the sky in the middle of the gradual dusk. The gates of the Temple were locked for the public at the time of the lighting of the candelabra in the Sanctuary, which must be before sundown. ⁴¹ Since the priestly blessing may be recited only during daytime, the “locking of the gates” mentioned in the Mishnah must have been during daytime and cannot have been in the night.

The maternal uncle of Rebbi Ada had rolled up the kaftan of Rav on the great fast. He said to him: When you see the sun on the top of the date palms, give me my kaftan so that we may pray the Locking of the Gates. The argument of Rav is inverted. There he says “the locking of the Gates of Heaven” and here he says “the locking of the gates of the Temple⁴².” Rebbi Mattanah said: Since Rav needed a lot of time to pray, he reached the Locking of the Gates of Heaven.

footnotes: ⁴² Since the sun is on the top of the date palms quite some time before sunset, Rav cannot possibly pray at the Locking of the Gates of Heaven. Hence, his actions contradict his teachings.

May Neilah free one from evening prayers? Rebbi Abba, Rav Ḥuna in the name of Rav: Neilah frees one from evening prayers⁴³. Rebbi Abba said to Rav Ḥuna: How may he mention havdalah⁴⁴ (“distinction”) was recited, preferably in the evening Amidah. Hence, Rav’s decision seems to be impossible.? Rebbi Jonah said to Rebbi Abba: How may seven free one from eighteen⁴⁵? He said to him, did I not already contradict it? He said to him: Because you contradicted it, should it be abandoned? Rebbi Yose said, what Rebbi Abba asked is truly difficult. What Rebbi Jonah asked is not at all difficult; they made it easy on people because of the fast, that seven should free one from eighteen. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal said to his colleagues: From all of them I understand that Neilah does not free one from evening prayers. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi joshua ben⁴⁶. R. Levi was a popular preacher, neither a legal authority nor a teacher of R. Simon. Levi: Neilah does not free one from evening prayers. Rebbi Yose bar Abun said: Did not Rebbi Ḥiyya state this? “Every day one prays eighteen benedictions, including the end of Sabbath, end of Yom Kippur, and end of public fast days.⁴⁷”

footnotes: ⁴³ According to Rav’s original opinion that one prays at the Locking of the Gates of Heaven, Ne`ilah may be started only when evening prayers may already be said. It does not make sense to recite two different prayers at the same time. ⁴⁴ At the end of Sabbath or holiday work is permitted only if havdalah ⁴⁵ The seven benedictions of the holiday Amidah cannot accommodate the 18 of the weekday prayers. ⁴⁶ Added from the text in Berakhot ⁴⁷ Fast days in a drought.

⁴⁸, the text there is in very bad shape and not directly comparable to the text here. Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: If the Day of Atonement happens to be on the Sabbath, one mentions Sabbath in Neilah* even though there is no *Neilah for Sabbath⁴⁹ 24b in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi.. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: On a Sabbath that falls on Ḥanukkah, one mentions Ḥanukkah for Musaf even though there is no Musaf for Ḥanukkah⁵⁰ 24a.. They added to it: If the New Moon happens to be on a public fast-day, one mentions the New Moon in Neilah* even though there is no *Neilah for the New Moon. When the New Moon falls on a fast-day, how does one mention the New Moon? Rebbi Zeira said, in “thanksgiving”. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal said, in “Temple service”. Rebbi Abuna said, one says it as the fourth benediction⁵¹ 32b and Rosh to *Berakhot* Chap. 5, #10 felt compelled to emend the text. Since three of the four prayers of the New Moon are weekday prayers with an addition added in “Temple service” (the 16th benediction in the Yerushalmi version) as prescribed in *Berakhot* 5:2, the only question can be about *Musaf*. However, we never hear that the particular inserts in the morning prayers of a fast day were recited also for *Musaf*. On the other hand, as Rosh points out, the previous paragraph certainly implies that the עֲנֵנוּ prayer recited on all fast-days except Yom Kippur, not only on those for rain, must be recited also for *Musaf* since the day requires that the text be inserted in all prayers. One may at least understand the position of Rebbi Abba that on a fast day for rain which coincides with a day of the New Moon, one recites the usual *Musaf* with an additional fifth benediction which deals with the fast day, after the fourth for the New Moon. The dissenting opinions of Rebbis Zeira and Abba bar Mamal seem to imply that Musaf on a fast day consisted of the introductory and final benedictions that are common to all prayers and the additional benedictions for the fast day, whereas the section on the New Moon, for which Musaf is recited in the first place, is moved from its regular place to an insert in either the 16th or the 17th (“thanksgiving”) benediction.. Rebbi Abba said, since we find everywhere that one says it as the fourth benediction, here also as the fourth benediction. And so it was acted upon according to Rebbi Abba⁵².

footnotes: ⁴⁸ While this paragraph also is in Berakhot ⁴⁹ Babli Šabbat ⁵⁰ Babli Šabbat ⁵¹ These sentences are difficult to understand and the greatest authorities of the Middle Ages, Rashba on Babli Berakhot ⁵² A reported action on an opinion is the best proof that this is accepted practice.

⁵³, this paragraph is copied from Ta`aniot Halakhah 2:15, Notes 241–245. And what does one read? Rebbi Yose said, one reads “blessings and curses.” Rebbi Mana said to him, since they know it is a fast day they are falling on their bellies, do they not know that it is a fast day? He said to him, to tell you that one reads “blessings and curses.” Rebbi Yudan from Kappadokia said before Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi, one reads about the New Moon. Rebbi Yose met Rebbi Jehudah bar Pappai; he said to him, did you hear this from your father? He said to him, my father said this only about Eintab. Since they know that it is the New Moon, they are reading about the New Moon. At all other places they are reading “blessings and curses.”

footnotes: ⁵³ In addition to the text in Berakhot

Jeremiah the Scribe asked before (Rav) rebbi⁵⁴ is the only one possible. The question could have been asked only in Palestine with its 3½ year cycle, when no more than one Torah scroll was removed from the Ark at any time. In Babylonia, place of Rav Jeremiah, with its tight one-year cycle, all exceptional readings always were done with a second scroll read by the maftir. Jeremiah: What does one read if the day of the New Moon is a Sabbath? He said to him: One reads about the New Moon. Rebbi Ḥelbo said before Rebbi Immi: The Mishnah says so: “One interrupts for everything, for New Moons, for Ḥanukkah, and for Purim.”

footnotes: ⁵⁴ The reading “Rebbi” from Berakhot

Isaac the trader asked Rebbi Isaac: What does one read on a New Moon that falls on Ḥanukkah? He said to him: Three for the New Moon and one for Ḥanukkah. Rebbi Phineas, Rebbi Simon, Rebbi Abba bar Zamina brought it in the name of Rebbi Eudaimon of Haifa: Three read of Ḥanukka and one of the New Moon, to tell you that the fourth one comes only because of the New Moon⁵⁵ 3:6.. Bar Shelemiah the scribe asked Rebbi Mana: Think of it, if the New Moon of Ḥanukkah falls on a Sabbath, do not seven read? How can you say, to tell you that the fourth one comes only because of the New Moon? He said to him: That is a true question of a scribe⁵⁶ sacrifice in the Temple. On the Sabbath, seven read (and the maftir reads one additional portion). Hence, it seems impossible that the fourth person should read about Ḥanukkah..

footnotes: ⁵⁵ Mishna Megillah ⁵⁶ Usually on Ḥanukkah only three people read from the Torah since it is a regular workday. On the day of the New Moon, four persons read since it is a day with a Musaf

⁵⁸ 8:10, Pesiqta rabbati 23; the parallel in Babli Berakhot 27b disagrees fundamentally with the practice explained here. Rebbi commanded (Abba who was) his speaker abdan⁵⁹ are acceptable.: Proclaim before them that he who wants to pray, should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight⁶⁰ 4:1, the time of afternoon prayers is until 5/4 hours before sundown for Rebbi Jehudah and until sundown for the other Sages. As a corollary, the time of evening prayers starts at 5/4 hours before sundown for Rebbi Jehudah and at sundown for the others. Since Rebbi was a student of Rebbi Jehudah, it seems that he followed his teacher and himself was followed by his own student R. Ḥiyya. It is assumed here that we already know the result of the next paragraph, that evening prayer is not obligatory (this is also accepted in the Babli), and that because of this one permits evening prayer before sundown because it is a minor obligation and in Galilee apparently was not recited in the synagogue. [The Babli states that evening prayers should be said in the night, that this is also Rebbi’s position as reported in the Babli, but that in case of error, under very dark clouds, one does not have to repeat the prayer which in Babylonia was recited in the synagogue.]. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba⁶¹ commanded his speaker: Proclaim before them that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥanina said: Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose drew me to an inn and said to me: Here my father prayed Sabbath {Friday night} prayers on Friday. Rebbi Immi said: Rebbi Joḥanan disagrees⁶² that originally there were 5 prayer times every day, 3 times for the Amidah prayer and twice for the recitation of the Shema*. R. Joḥanan is the first Amora who requires that the recitation of the *Shema, whose times are determined differently from those of the Amidah, nevertheless be combined with the Amidah in that the benediction following the recitation be the introduction to the Amidah. Since the time of the evening *Shema* is in the night proper, he has to oppose an early recitation. but he should not have disagreed since one adds from the profane to the holy time; in addition, donkey drivers come from Arab⁶³ to Sepphoris and say, Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa already did consecrate the Sabbath in his town. But so it has been said, that Rebbi Ḥanina said: Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose drew me to an inn and said to me, here my father prayed Saturday night prayers on the Sabbath⁶⁴. But even with that he should not have disagreed, since Rebbi commanded his speaker Abdan: Proclaim before them that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba⁶¹ commanded his speaker: Proclaim before them that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. In the house of Rebbi Yannai they said: If a man went to bed, one does not bother him to get up. Rebbi Zeira said, all the time that I followed this rule, I was afraid in the night. You have only what Rebbi commanded his speaker Abdan: Proclaim before them that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba commanded his speaker: Proclaim before them that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight.

footnotes: ⁵⁸ The text appears in modified form also in Gen. rabba ⁵⁹ It seems that his name was Abba Yudan; therefore both the version here and that in Berakhot ⁶⁰ According to Mishnah Berakhot ⁶¹ This R. Ḥiyya bar Abba is not the student of R. Joḥanan who usually is called by this name but Rebbi’s student R. Ḥiyya (the Elder) bar Abba bar Aḥa Karsala. ⁶² As Levi Ginzberg explains, it seems from Mishnah Berakhot ⁶³ The village of Arrabeh, North of Kafr Kanah in lower Galilee. ⁶⁴ To say weekday prayers on the Sabbath certainly is possible only if the time allotted to the prayer is dissociated from actual time. ⁶¹ This R. Ḥiyya bar Abba is not the student of R. Joḥanan who usually is called by this name but Rebbi’s student R. Ḥiyya (the Elder) bar Abba bar Aḥa Karsala.

Rebbi Jacob bar Abba said: There, they did state, what is the status of evening prayer? Rabban Gamliel said, it is obligatory. Rebbi Joshua said, it is voluntary⁶⁵ in the night is obligatory, and as stated before, evening prayers are still needed for mental health. In addition, following R. Joḥanan’s later combination of shema* and prayer, the recitation of the *shema induces the obligation of the Amidah, which makes the dispute almost moot. Babli Berakhot 27b.. Rebbi Ḥanina said, this difference parallels the other difference: He who holds that evening prayer is obligatory, holds that Neilah* does not free one from evening prayers. He who holds that it is voluntary, holds that *Neilah frees one from evening prayers.

footnotes: ⁶⁵ In a dispute between R. Joshua and Rabban Gamliel, practice should follow R. Joshua. But there is never a doubt that the recitation of Shema`

⁶⁶ 27b, where R. Joshua’s profession is given as a charcoal burner. Since Rabban Gamliel in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple insisted not only on uniformity of practice but also of doctrine (and in this was successful in eliminating Sadduceeism) and R. Joshua was known for his dislike of public quarrels, Rabban Gamliel thought that he was taking little risk in provoking a quarrel. It happened that one student came and asked Rebbi Joshua: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is voluntary. He asked Rabban Gamliel: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is obligatory. He said to him: But Rebbi Joshua told me that it was voluntary. He said to him: Tomorrow, when I enter the assembly hall, stand up and ask me about this practice. The next day, this student stood up and asked Rabban Gamliel: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is obligatory. He said to him: But Rebbi Joshua told me that it was voluntary. Rabban Gamliel said to Rebbi Joshua: Are you the one who says it is voluntary? He answered him: No. He said to him: Stand up on your feet so that they may testify against you. Then Rabban Gamliel was sitting down and lecturing while Rebbi Joshua was standing up until the people started talking and said to Rebbi Ḥuṣpit the interpreter: Send the people home. They said to Rebbi Zenon the ḥazan: Start⁶⁷! He said: Start! All the people stood up and said to him: Certainly, on whom did your evil not pass always⁶⁸. 3:19.? They immediately appointed Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah to the Yeshivah when he was 16 years old; his head became all white. Rebbi Aqiba sat and was sad; he said, not that he is a greater Torah scholar than I am, but he comes from a greater family than I do; hail to the man whose forefathers created merit for him, hail to the man who has a peg to hang on to. What was Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah’s peg? He was the tenth generation after Ezra⁶⁹. How many seats were there? Rebbi Jacob ben Sisi said: Eighty seats were there of accomplished scholars, not to count those standing behind the railing. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said 300 were there, not to count those standing behind the railing. As we have stated there⁷⁰ 1:3.: “On the day Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah was appointed to the Academy.” There we have stated⁷¹ 4:6.: “This inference did Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah present before the Sages at the vineyard of Jabneh.” Was there a vineyard? It means that the scholars sat there in rows like vines in a vineyard. Rabban Gamliel went immediately to pacify each one in his house. He came to Rebbi Joshua and found him occupied with the making of needles. He asked him: This is how you earn your living? He answered him: Until now you did not know? Woe to the generation whose caretaker you are! He said to him: I humble myself before you. They sent a washerman to Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah, but some say that it was Rebbi Aqiba. He told him: The sprinkler, son of a sprinkler, should sprinkle. Should anyone who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to the sprinkler: your water is water from a cave and your ashes are ashes from a fireplace? He said to him: You made your peace with him! I and you shall go in the morning to Rabban Gamliel’s door. Nevertheless they did not remove him from his dignity but made him head of the court.

footnotes: ⁶⁶ The story of this dispute should be compared with the Babli version, Berakhot ⁶⁷ The ḥazan was not only the reader in congregational prayers, but also the general organizer of religious affairs. In outlying communities he was the ritual slaughterer and the conduit through whom questions of religious practice were addressed to the Academies. Here it seems that he had to recite the prayer at the end of a study which it was customary to start with a Bible verse and that the people spontaneously chose one which was a curse on the speaker. ⁶⁸ Nah ⁶⁹ Also he was very rich and could afford the expenses of representing the Jewish population before the Roman government. ⁷⁰ Mishnah Zevaḥim ⁷¹ Mishnah Ketubot

MISHNAH: These are the bystanders. Command the Children of Israel: My sacrifice, My offering as My gift⁷². 28:2.. How could a person’s sacrifice be offered not in his presence⁷³, which was not paid by Cohanim (Šeqalim 1:6). Therefore the officiating Cohanim are not the owners of the sacrifice; a representation of the taxpayers is needed.? But the earlier prophets⁷⁴ instituted 24 watches. For each watch there was a presence⁷⁵ in Jerusalem of priests, and of Levites, and of Israel⁷⁶. At the time of service of each watch, its priests and Levites come to Jerusalem, and Israel belonging to this watch congregate in their towns and read about Creation⁷⁷.

footnotes: ⁷² Num ⁷³ The daily sacrifices commanded in the verse are paid by the yearly sheqel ⁷⁴ David and Samuel. ⁷⁵ A scheduled presence. ⁷⁶ The Land was divided into 24 districts, centered around the cities of priests. ⁷⁷ In contrast to all other times when there is a Torah reading only on Mondays and Thursdays, during the week of service there is a daily reading, also some fasting, and other changes in the regular service as described in the Halakhot.

HALAKHAH: It would only have been necessary: “These are the bystanders; they congregate in their towns and read about Creation⁷⁸.” He comes to start from the beginning of the subject.

footnotes: ⁷⁸ The reason the bystanders are mentioned in the Mishnah is the special fasts which they organize. Since it was stated earlier that the priests on duty in the Temple do not fast on minor fastdays, the mention of Cohanim and Levites in this context seems superfluous. They are only mentioned because without sacrifices to be offered by the non-owning Cohanim there would be no need for bystanders.

⁷⁹ 4:1. Rebbi Jonah said, these daily sacrifices are the offerings of all of Israel⁸⁰ that during the offering of a sacrifice the owner is forbidden work, no man in Israel would be permitted to work both in the morning and in the evening.. Could all of Israel ascend to Jerusalem? Is it not written⁸¹. 16:16., three times a year all your males shall be seen? If all of Israel would sit there and do nothing, is there not written⁸². 11:14. The Babli Berakhot 35b infers from the verse that it is a religious obligation on a Torah scholar to earn a livelihood., you shall harvest your grain? Who would harvest their grain? But the early prophets instituted 24 watches; from each watch there were [Cohanim, Levites, and Israel] present in Jerusalem. It was stated, twenty-four thousand⁸³. 27:1. The verse is read as meaning that every month there were 24’000 representatives of the people at the Temple.. A stand-by group⁸⁴ from Jerusalem, and half a stand-by group from Jericho. Jericho also could have produced a full stand-by group, but to give precedence to Jerusalem it only produced half a stand-by group. The Cohanim for service, the Levites for the podium⁸⁵, and the Israel as proof that they are the agents for all of Israel⁸⁶.

footnotes: ⁷⁹ This text and the following paragraphs are copied from Pesaḥim ⁸⁰ Since it is shown in Pesaḥim ⁸¹ Deut ⁸² Deut ⁸³ 1Chr ⁸⁴ Since the Cohanim were changed every week, the people’s representatives also were changed every week; only one quarter of the 24’000 on stand-by were actually needed for one week. The Babylonian term for עָמוּד is מַעֲמָד (Babli 27a). The actual numbers in Second Temple times were small. ⁸⁵ For the musical accompaniment of the Temple service. ⁸⁶ These are forbidden any work while the Daily Sacrifice is offered but everybody else may work.

⁸⁷ 10 (Note 141). The text there reads “musical instruments”, which is required by the context there and must be understood here also since the choir is subsumed under “Levites”. It was stated: “Rebbi Simeon⁸⁸ said, Cohanim, Levites, Israel, and song invalidate the sacrifice⁸⁹.” Rebbi Abun⁹⁰ in the name of Rebbi Eleazar, the reason of Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar: ⁹¹. 29:28. Since this is not a pentateuchal verse it only can prove what people did or, as explained there in v. 25, what was prophetic instruction.The entire congregation were bowing down, these are Israel, and the song was sung, these are the Levites, and the trumpets were trumpeting, these are the Cohanim, everything up to the end of the elevation offering, all are indispensable for the sacrifice. Rebbi Tanḥuma in the name of Rebbi Eleazar understood it from here⁹²: And I gave the Levites to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the Children of Israel, these are the Levites, to work the service of the Children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, these are the Cohanim, and to atone for the Children of Israel, that is the song⁹³. 8:19., so there shall be no plague when the Children of Israel approach the Sanctuary, these are Israel.

footnotes: ⁸⁷ The first sentence is also in Eruvin ⁸⁸ In the other sources: R. Simeon ben Eleazar. ⁸⁹ A sacrifice requiring a wine offering is invalid if not accompanied by the Levite’s song. ⁹⁰ In the other sources: Abbin. ⁹¹ 2Chr ⁹² Num. 8:19. ⁹³ Num

From where that the song is called atonement? Ḥinena the father of Bar Nata in the name of Rebbi Banaia: and to atone for the Children of Israel, that is the song. From where that the song invalidates? Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Simeon βουλευτής ⁹⁴, in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina, and to atone for the Children of Israel, that is the song.

footnotes: ⁹⁴ “The city councillor”.

Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Moses instituted eight watches, four from Eleazar and four from Ithamar⁹⁵, until David and Samuel the Seer added another eight, four from Eleazar and four from Ithamar. They wanted to add another eight to bring them to 24, and found from Eleazar but did not find from Ithamar. This is what is written⁹⁶. 24:4.: it was found that the descendants of Eleazar were more heads than the descendants of Ithamar, etc. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, the Elder Rebbi Ḥuna from Sepphoris in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: One clan, one clan selected from Eleazar⁹⁷. 24:6. The repetition is not in the MT., other clans were added for him; and selected, selected for Ithamar, what he had, he had. Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Ḥuna: For Ḥezir, seventeen⁹⁸. 24:15. It is claimed that ranks 1–8, 17–24 in the cycle of watches are from Eleazar.. The cycle came back to Eleazar.

footnotes: ⁹⁵ Babli 27a; Tosephta 3:2. ⁹⁶ 1Chr ⁹⁷ 1Chr ⁹⁸ 1Chr

⁹⁹ 5:8, explaining the discrimination against the Bilgah watch. One could not make them 23, as it is written¹⁰⁰. 9:22., these are the institutions of David and Samuel the Seer in their professionalism. It was a great feat of professionalism that no watch was taking and repeating in inheritance fields before the other could take¹⁰¹. 27:21 that real estate dedicated to the Temple by a person whose ancestor received this land in the original distribution under Joshua and which is not redeemed by the next Jubilee becomes property of the Cohanim. This is read to mean that it becomes property of the watch which regularly is on duty on the day of Atonement in the Jubilee year (Lev. 25:9). (Property bought, not inherited, must be redeemed, Lev. 27:23–24.) It now is asserted that no watch repeats serving on the Day of Atonement in a Jubilee year after less than 24 Jubilee periods (or 1200 years.) Since we have no details about the calendar rules of the First Temple period, at the end of which the rules of original distribution became moot, the statement can be neither verified nor falsified.. Rebbi Abbahu said, I computed it that no watch was taking and repeating in inheritance fields before the other could take.

footnotes: ⁹⁹ This text is from Sukkah ¹⁰⁰ 1Chr ¹⁰¹ It is prescribed in Lev

Four watches returned from the Diaspora: Yedaya, Ḥarim, Pashḥur, and Immer¹⁰² 2:36–39, Neh. 7:39–42.. The prophets among them stipulated that even if Yehoyariv would return from the Diaspora that it would not displace the watch taking its place but would be made an appendix to it¹⁰³. The prophets among them took the initiative and made 24 lots which they put in an urn. Yedaya came and took five; with his own this makes six¹⁰⁴. Ḥarim came and took five; with his own this makes six. [Pashḥur came and took five; with his own this makes six. Immer came and took five; with his own this makes six.] The prophets among them stipulated that even if Yehoyariv¹⁰⁵. would return from the Diaspora that it would not displace the watch taking its place but would be made an appendix to it. The heads of the watches took the initiative and made themselves heads of clans. There were watches containing five, six, seven, eight, or nine. For a watch containing five, three were sacrificing during three days and two were sacrificing during four days¹⁰⁶. For a watch containing six, five were sacrificing during five days and one was sacrificing during two days. For a watch containing seven, each single one was sacrificing on its day. For a watch containing eight, six were sacrificing during six days, and two were sacrificing on one day. For a watch containing nine, five were sacrificing during five days and four were sacrificing during two days. There were those who fixed themselves permanently. A watch¹⁰⁷ who served on the Sabbath always served on the Sabbath, after the end of the Sabbath always served after the Sabbath. They were those of them which were sacrificing with every watch¹⁰⁸; and those who drew lots for every week¹⁰⁹.

footnotes: ¹⁰² Ezra ¹⁰³ This sentence should be deleted; its place is at later in the text. ¹⁰⁴ The 24 watches which served in the Second Temple were really subdivisions of the four which returned from Babylonia. ¹⁰⁵ The leading watch in Chr ¹⁰⁶ As explained in Mishnah 2:12, each clan served one day during the week allotted to its watch. That Mishnah seemed to presume that each watch is composed of exactly 7 clans. But numbers from 5 to 9 can be accommodated. ¹⁰⁷ One has to read “clan” instead of “watch”. ¹⁰⁸ This sentence is slightly garbled. It seems to mean: There were those which were serving at different days each time their watch was called to Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁹ There were watches which organized a drawing of lots among their clans. Because of the different meanings of “week” this either means every time their watch was going to officiate, or once in a Sabbatical period.

Rebbi used to ordain double ordinations¹¹⁰ to a rabbinic post which it was the Patriarch’s duty to see to it that it was filled.. If they were worthy of it they were continuing; if not they were disappearing¹¹¹. When he was to die, he commanded his son; he said, do not act thus but ordain all of them together, and ordain Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina¹¹² 7(16)) or Ḥanina bar Ḥama (Babli Ketubot103b). As the name Ḥama shows and the story confirms, he was a Babylonian (Babylonian Aramaic from the Accadic ח֗מי “to protect, guard, trust”.) first. Why did he not ordain him himself? Rebbi Derosa said, because the Sepphoreans complained about him¹¹³. And because of complaints one acts? Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yose said, because he corrected him in public. Rebbi was sitting, stating: Their refugees will remember Me¹¹⁴. 7:9., on the mountains like valley doves, all of them cooing¹¹⁵. 7:16. For “cooing”, Rebbi used rabbinic Hebrew hōmiōt.. He said to him, all of them cooing¹¹⁶.. He asked him, where did you study this text? He said, before the Babylonian Rav Hamnuna. He said to him, if you will descend there, tell him that he should ordain you as Ḥakham. He understood that he¹¹⁷ in Rebbi’s lifetime. never would be ordained in his lifetime. After he died, his son wanted to ordain him, but he did not accept to be ordained unless Rebbi Ephes the Southerner was ordained before him. There was there an old man who said, if Ḥanina precedes me, I have to be the second; if Rebbi Ephes the Southerner precedes me, I have to be the second. Rebbi Ḥanina accepted to be ordained as third¹¹⁸.

footnotes: ¹¹⁰ This ordination was not simply the granting of an ecclesiastical degree but carried with it the appointment as Ḥakham ¹¹¹ If those appointed by Rebbi were found worthy of the posts given to them in the eyes of heaven, they lived a long life; otherwise they would die an early death. ¹¹² One has to read either simply Ḥanina (as in the parallel Eccl. rabba ¹¹³ That he was too strict in his rabbinic rulings, being a recognized scholar but not appointed by the Patriarch. ¹¹⁴ Ez ¹¹⁵ Ez ¹¹⁶ In correct biblical Hebrew (almost MT) hōmōt ¹¹⁷ R. Ḥanina understood that he would not become Ḥakham ¹¹⁸ According to both parallel sources he agreed to be the third in rank in the Academy of Rebbi’s successor.

Rebbi Ḥanina said, I merited to live a long life. Whether because of this matter I do not know, or whether when I was climbing from Tiberias to Sepphoris I made a detour to ask about the well-being of Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalfuta I do not know.

Samuel and those of the family Shilo asked about the Patriarch’s well-being every day; those of the family Shilo entered first and sat down first. They honored Samuel and brought him in first. Rav immigrated from there and Samuel honored him [and brought him in first.] Those of the House of Shilo said, we are the second ones. Samuel accepted to sit as third¹¹⁸.

footnotes: ¹¹⁸ According to both parallel sources he agreed to be the third in rank in the Academy of Rebbi’s successor.

Three scrolls were found in the Temple courtyard¹¹⁹, the Meone scroll, the Zaatute scroll, the hee scroll. In one they found written meôn is the preexisting God*, but in two was written *meônāh is the preexisting God¹²⁰. 33:26.. They confirmed the two and annulled the one. In one they found written *he sent the za**tûtē of the Children of Israel* but in two was written *he sent the na*rē of the Children of Israel¹²¹. 24:5. The LXX translate za**tûtē*(Babli *Megillah* 9a, bottom) as “young men” but *naar (Ex. 33:11) as “boy”.. They confirmed the two and annulled the one. In one they found written nine היא, but in two they found eleven ¹²². The irregular spelling is found in Gen. 14:3,20:5, 38:5; Lev. 11:39,13:10,13:21,16:31,20:17,21:9; Num. 5:13,5:14. היא. They confirmed the two and annulled the one.

footnotes: ¹¹⁹ It is asserted that even before the work of the Masoretes, the received text of the Pentateuch was a scholarly edition. ¹²⁰ Deut ¹²¹ Ex ¹²² This is the accepted mesorah

¹²³. rabba 58(13); M. Sokoloff, The Genizah fragmentss of Genesis rabba (Jerusalem 1982) #110, lines 27–30. Rebbi Levi said, they found a genealogical scroll in Jerusalem and in it was written: Hillel from David, Ben Yaṣaf¹²⁴ the family Yaṣah; in the Genizah: the House Ṣiṣit. from Asaph, Ben Ṣiṣit Hakkeset from Abner, Ben Qubisin¹²⁵. from Ahab, Ben Kalba Savua` from Kaleb¹²⁶, Rebbi Yannai from Eli, Men Yehudah¹²⁷ The family Yehu. from Sepphoris, the Elder Rebbi Ḥiyya from the sons of Shephatya ben Abutal¹²⁸. 3:4., ¹²⁹. rabba. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Ḥalaphta from the sons of Yonadav ben Rekhav, Rebbi Neḥemiah from Nehemiah the governor.

footnotes: ¹²³ A parallel text is in Gen ¹²⁴ In Gen. rabba: ¹²⁵ In the Genizah: Kobyses ¹²⁶ These three families are mentioned as the richest of Jerusalem before the first revolt. ¹²⁷ In Gen. rabba: ¹²⁸ A son of David, 2S ¹²⁹ The last two late Tannaim are not mentioned in Gen

[It was stated:]¹³⁰ 5:5, Babli Berakhot 46b. “The order of lying on couches. If there are two couches, the most important personality [goes and] lies down at the head of the upper one, and the next one next to him¹³¹. If they are three couches the most important personality goes and lies down at the head of the middle one; the second one before him and the third one below him. In this way one continues to organize.” Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said, the Patriarchs are buried in the way of lying on couches¹³².

footnotes: ¹³⁰ Corrector’s addition; essential only in Babylonian style. Tosephta Berakhot ¹³¹ In the dining hall (triclinium) two couches were arranged parallel to one another; three couches were arranged in the form of Π. Each couch had room for three occupants. ¹³² Abraham and Sarah in the middle, flanked on one side by Isaac and Rebekka and on the other by Jacob and Leah.

Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yasa: The world only continues to exist by the sacrifices¹³³. There, we stated¹³⁴ 1:2.: “Simeon the Just was of the remainders of the Great Assembly. He used to say, the world continues to exist by three things, by the Torah, by worship, and by labors of love¹³⁵” All three are in one verse¹³⁶. 51:16.: I shall put My word in your mouth, that is Torah. By the shadow of My hands I shall cover you, these are labors of love; to teach you that he who is occupied with Torah and labors of love merits to dwell in the shadow of the Holy One, praise to Him. That is what is written¹³⁷. 36:8., how precious is Your grace, o God, and humans take shelter in Your wings’ shadow. To plant the Heavens and give foundation to the earth¹³⁶. 51:16., these are the sacrifices, and to say to Zion, you are My people, these are Israel. Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappa said, we went over all of Scripture and only found this one that Israel was called Zion, and to say to Zion, you are My people. There, we stated¹³⁸ 1:18. The following text shows that the verse quoted at the end was not part of the Yerushalmi Mishnah (and is not part of Maimonides’s autograph Mishnah.): “Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, the world is existing on three things, on justice, on truth, and on peace. All three are one: If justice is done, truth is accomplished. If truth is accomplished, peace is established. Rebbi Mana said, and all are in one verse¹³⁹. 8:16., judge truth and law of peace in your gates.

footnotes: ¹³³ In the absence of a Temple, this means that the daily recitation of the rules of daily sacrifices are necessary for the continued existence of the world. In Amoraic times this implied that the institution of the rules for bystanders to be explained in the following Halakhot was still followed, continuing the cycle of priestly watches uninterrupted theoretically from the time of Ezra (or practically from Hasmonean times.) ¹³⁴ Mishnah Avot ¹³⁵ Labors for which no thanks can be given, such as burying the dead or giving charity anonymously. ¹³⁶ Is ¹³⁷ Ps ¹³⁶ Is ¹³⁸ Mishnah Avot ¹³⁹ Zach

MISHNAH: On Sunday one reads, In the Beginning, there shall be a spread. On Monday, there shall be a spread, the waters shall come together. On Tuesday, the waters shall come together, there shall be lights. On Wednesday, there shall be lights, the water shall swarm. On Thursday, the water shall swarm, the earth shall produce. On Friday, the earth shall produce, the heavens and earth and all their hosts were finished¹⁴⁰ states that three people have to be called to read the Torah, each one a minimum of three verses, and if one starts a new paragraph one must read at least two verses from it, and at the end of a paragraph one must read at least three verses. Every day one reads two paragraphs in the story of Creation (*Gen.*1:1–2:3), but paragraph 1 only has five verses and paragraph 2 three. According to the rules, paragraph 1 should not be split. Similarly, on day 2 paragraph 2 has three verses but paragraph 3 has five, which raise the question how to accommodate second and third readers. The other days are no problem since paragraph 4 has six verses, paragraph 5 four, paragraph 6 eight, and paragraph 9 (Gen. 2:1–3) three.. A large paragraph is read by two persons, and a small one by an individual¹⁴⁹ in the morning and for musaf; for afternoon prayers¹⁵⁰ prayer; in contrast to all other Torah readings one reads both after morning and after musaf prayers; Tosephta 3:4. they were assembling and read by heart as one reads the shema*. Friday afternoon they were not assembling¹⁵¹ because of the honor of Sabbath. On any day of *hallel*¹⁶² there is no bystanding for morning prayers¹⁶³, on a *musaf* sacrifice there is no *neilah¹⁶⁴ sacrifices were on festive days and neilah* is characteristic of fastdays.; on an offering of wood¹⁶⁵ there is none for the afternoon prayers, the words of Rebbi Aqiba. Ben Azzai said to him, so was Rebbi Joshua stating: on a *musaf* sacrifice¹⁶⁶. there is none for the afternoon prayers; on an offering of wood no *neilah¹⁶⁷. Rebbi Aqiba changed to state following Ben Azzai’s words.

footnotes: ¹⁴⁰ These are the details of the Torah readings by the bystanders mentioned in Mishnah 2. The problem is that the Mishnah in Megillah ¹⁴⁹ A paragraph of 5 sentences may be split into 2 readings as explained in Halakhah 3. ¹⁵⁰ Since there are bystanders 365 days a year, they also hold their special services on days which require a musaf ¹⁵¹ For extended services. ¹⁶² The first day of Passover, Pentecost, the eight days of Tabernacles and the eight days of Ḥanukkah. ¹⁶³ Since these are festive days and the prayers of the bystanders are penitential prayers. ¹⁶⁴ For the same reason as before; most musaf ¹⁶⁵ Offerings of firewood to the Temple as described in Halakhah 6. ¹⁶⁶ When except for the Day of Atonement there can be no ne`ilah ¹⁶⁷ Since the day is a festive day.

HALAKHAH: ¹⁴¹ 4:2. Rav Ḥuna said, three people reading in the Torah shall not do less than ten verses¹⁴²21b.. Ḥizqiah said, corresponding to the Ten Commandments¹⁴³ 21b, as one of two explanations.. But did we not state, “on Sunday, In the Beginning and there shall be a spread”? And these are only eight! Rebbi Idi said, Cahana and Assi disagreed¹⁴⁴ 22a, disagreement of Rav and Samuel.. One said, he repeats. But the other said, he splits. He who says that he repeats, he repeats two verses. He who says he splits, he splits it was evening, it was morning, as a separate verse¹⁴⁵. But did we not state, “on Monday, there shall be a spread and the waters shall come together”? One said, he repeats. But the other said, he splits. He who says that he repeats, he repeats two verses. He who says he splits, he could not split¹⁴⁶” already is a separate verse.. Rebbi Philippos ben Perita objected before Rebbi Ze`ira, is there not the paragraph about Amalek? He said to him, there is a difference since this is the topic of the day¹⁴⁷.17:8–16. The reading is not connected to the text before or after, it cannot be augmented. Since there are 9 verses and the Mishnaic requirement can be satisfied without problems, there is no need to change anything to satisfy the additional Amoraic rule. Tosaphot Megillah 21b s.v. אין.. Rebbi Eleazar from Merom asked before Rebbi Jonah; was it not stated, the one who reads the conclusion from Prophets should not do less than 21 verses¹⁴⁸ 23a. The question would be that since we require that one reader at least read 4 verses, should there not be at least 22 verses? The question needs no answer since there is no reading from Prophets on weekdays; the number 21 refers to the seven people called to read on a Sabbath; cf. Megillah 4:2 Note 74.?

footnotes: ¹⁴¹ This Halakhah is repeated in Megillah ¹⁴² Each one may not read less than three verses but one has to read at least 4. Babli Megillah ¹⁴³ Babli Megillah ¹⁴⁴ In Babli Megillah ¹⁴⁵ He splits it off from v. 5 and reads it as separate sentence. In contrast to the Babli which prescribes only one sentence to be repeated, the Yerushalmi has the three readers reading a total of 10 verses as required by Rav Ḥuna. ¹⁴⁶ Since “it was evening, it was morning, the third day ¹⁴⁷ The reading for Purim, for which three readers are called on a weekday, is Ex ¹⁴⁸ Babli Megillah

It was stated¹⁵²: The people of the watch¹⁵³ are fasting every day. On Monday they were fasting for travellers at sea; God commanded, there shall be a spread in midst of the water¹⁵⁴. 1:6.. On Tuesday they are fasting for road travellers; God commanded, the waters under the sky shall congregate¹⁵⁵. 1:9.. On Wednesday they are fasting for children that diphteria should not develop in their mouths; God commanded, there shall be lights¹⁵⁶. 1:14.. “Curses” is written¹⁵⁷. On Thursday they are fasting that pregnant women should not miscarry and that the children of nursing women should not die; God commanded, let the waters teem with living creepers¹⁵⁸. 1:20.. They fasted neither on Friday nor on Sunday in order to honor the Sabbath. It was stated: The Great Synhedrion was fasting with them. Can the Synhedrion fast every day? They split themselves into clans. “One does not fast for two reasons simultaneously¹⁵⁹, from the following: we rose and asked of our God for this¹⁶⁰ 8:23, misquoted. The same misquote is in the Munich ms. of the Babli (Diqduqe Soferim Ta`anit p. 38, Note ס). Therefore the misquote is a Midrash, not a scribal error. Editors of the printed Babli corrected the quote..” Rebbi Tanḥuma said, not because of this but because of the following, to ask for mercy from the God of Heaven for this secret¹⁶¹. 2:18.. For if there were two reasons, such as a drought and locusts, one blows the shofar about them. When Rebbi Ḥaggai went for a fast, he said before them: Our brothers, even though in our hearts are many worries, this is for what we came.

footnotes: ¹⁵² Babli 27b. ¹⁵³ Meaning the bystanders who do not work in this week. ¹⁵⁴ Gen ¹⁵⁵ Gen ¹⁵⁶ Gen ¹⁵⁷ Reading מְאֹרוֹת as מְאֵרוֹת. ¹⁵⁸ Gen ¹⁵⁹ Babli 8b. ¹⁶⁰ Ezra ¹⁶¹ Dan

The Mishnah is Rebbi Meïr’s, as Rebbi Meïr said, one prays and reads, one prays and reads. But following the Rabbis, one prays and reads, one prays and leaves¹⁶⁸. The musaf service is the regular one, disregarding the bystanders.. Therefore on it¹⁶⁹ prayer which falls into the week in which the community observes the rules of bystanders, such as New Year’s Day of Nisan (Mishnah 6). is a musaf. Is the Mishnah Rebbi Meïr’s since Rebbi Meïr said, one prays and reads? There are Tannaim who state it inversely. Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yasa following our Mishnah¹⁷⁰. Rebbi Simon said, is the load of firewood such an exertion¹⁷¹? Rebbi Mana said, because of the meal of the New Moon. Rebbi Eleazar said, because of “what is more frequent than something else has precedence over the other.¹⁷²”

footnotes: ¹⁶⁸ On a festive day, the service of the bystanders ends after the Torah reading from Gen ¹⁶⁹ A festive day with musaf ¹⁷⁰ Irrespective of the attribution of names one follows the rule of the Mishnah (since, as noted earlier, the rotation of the obligation of bystanders was continued after the destruction of the Temple.) ¹⁷¹ Since the bystanders did not work the entire day, even in Temple times there was no reason not to follow the rules both of the New Moon and the bystanders. ¹⁷² Since the New Moon happens 12 times a year but Temple service of the clan only about twice a year.

The verse supports Rebbi Joḥanan: It was in the morning of the second New Month¹⁷³. 20:27.. If you would say, there were two months, is it not written: why did Jesse’s son come neither yesterday not today to the meal¹⁷⁴*?* Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, Rebbi Joḥanan commanded those of the Kufra synagogue¹⁷⁵, make sure that you come home when it is still daytime and you should mention its time and its addition¹⁷⁶ 4, Notes 42–43.).

footnotes: ¹⁷³ 1S ¹⁷⁴ Which shows that even in the early monarchy, New Month was celebrated for two days at places (such as Saul’s Gibea) far from the religious center (at Nob). ¹⁷⁵ A synagogue in Tiberias. ¹⁷⁶ If the New Moon was not seen on day 30 of the previous month, in the evening prayers one uses the text for New Moons and mentions that the day is New Moon’s Day, and continues the same for a second day the next evening and the following day. (in a different context Roš Haššanah

MISHNAH: The times of wood offerings¹⁷⁷ of the priests and the people are nine. On the first of Nisan, the family Araḥ¹⁷⁸. 7:10, Ezr. 2:9. from the tribe of Judah. On the twentieth of Tammuz, the family of David from the tribe of Judah. On the fifth of Av, the family of Par`osh¹⁷⁹. 7:8, Ezr. 2:3. from the tribe of Judah. On the seventh, the family of Yonadav ben Rekhav¹⁸⁰. 35:16.. On the tenth, the family of Senaah¹⁸¹. 7:38, *Ezr.*2:35. from the tribe of Benjamin. On the fifteenth the family of Zatuel¹⁸². 7:13, Ezr. 2:8. from the tribe of Judah, and with them priests and Levites and everybody who is unsure of his tribe. The families of the pestle stealers and the fig hackers¹⁸³ on the twentieth. The family of Paḥat Moab¹⁸⁴. 7:11, Ezr. 2:6. from the tribe of Judah on the twentieth of Elul. The family of Adin¹⁸⁵. 7:20, Ezr. 2:15. from the tribe of Judah on the first of Tevet. The family of Parosh came a second time. On the first of Tevet was no bystanding since there was hallel, musaf, and wood offering¹⁸⁶ and the additional festivities of the wood offering..

footnotes: ¹⁷⁷ Even though fire wood for the altar as a necessity of sacrifices could be bought with money from the Temple tax, the families mentioned in the Mishnah had the privilege of offering fire wood to the Temple as explained in Halakhah 6, and their wood had to be used before any bought by tax money could be used. ¹⁷⁸ Neh ¹⁷⁹ Neh ¹⁸⁰ Jer ¹⁸¹ Neh ¹⁸² Neh ¹⁸³ These names are explained in Halakhah 7. ¹⁸⁴ Neh ¹⁸⁵ Neh ¹⁸⁶ Since the New Moon of Tevet always is a day of Ḥanukkah, there can be no morning bystanding because of the Hallel to be recited, and none afterwards because of musaf

HALAKHAH: ¹⁸⁷ 4:1 (Notes 10–18). It also is copied in Megillah 1:1. (Babli 28a). For what reason were the times of wood by the priests and the people to be counted? Only that at the time when Israel returned from the Diaspora and did not find wood in the chamber, those came forward and volunteered wood from their own and donated it to the public. It was used to offer public sacrifices. The prophets among them stipulated that even if the chamber was full of wood [they would bring of their own]¹⁸⁸. If those came and offered and volunteered wood from their own, that the sacrifice should only be brought first from theirs. Rebbi Aḥa said, this is Rebbi Yose’s, since Rebbi Yose said, also he may volunteer as unpaid trustee. Rebbi Yose¹⁸⁹ in the name of Rebbi Ila, it is the opinion of everybody. Where do they disagree? About the body of the offering. But for enablers of the offering everybody agrees that a private offering can be turned into public offering. It was stated, a woman¹⁹⁰ who made a coat for her son has to surrender it to the public. Rebbi Aḥa said, this is Rebbi Yose’s, since Rebbi Yose said, also he may volunteer as unpaid trustee. Rebbi Yasa¹⁹¹ in the name of Rebbi Ila, it is the opinion of everybody. Where do they disagree? About the body of the offering. But for enablers of the offering everybody agrees that a private offering can be turned into public offering. A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Yose: ¹⁹² 3:6.“Those days are observed at the time of sacrifices and not at the time of sacrifices; Rebbi Yose says, they are observed only at the time of sacrifices.” Also from the following: “Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yose¹⁹³ said, we were of the descendants of Senaah ben Benjamin. When the Ninth of Av fell on a Sabbath, we postponed it to the end of the Sabbath and they were fasting but not completing.¹⁹⁴”

footnotes: ¹⁸⁷ This paragraph was copied from here in Šeqalim ¹⁸⁸ Unnecessary corrector’s addition, missing in all parallels. ¹⁸⁹ This is R. Yose the late Amora, in contrast to R. Yose the Tanna quoted in the preceding sentence. ¹⁹⁰ A priestly woman who makes a garment for her son serving in the Temple. All priestly garments for serving in the Temple must be public property. ¹⁹¹ This must be R. Yose (the Amora) as noted in the parallels; R. Yasa was a teacher, not a student of R. Ila. ¹⁹² Tosephta Ta`aniot ¹⁹³ With the parallels and the Babli 12a read : R. Ṣadoq. Since R. Yose denies that these festival days had meaning after the destruction of the Temple, his son cannot report that his family celebrated the holiday on the national day of mourning. ¹⁹⁴ This disproves the second statement reported due to R. Yose, that the festive days were not celebrated after the destruction of the Temple, but supports R. Aḥa’s statement that the Mishnah must follow R. Yose since the offering of firewood must have the status of a sacrifice if it is important enough to push aside the fast of the Ninth of Av.

What are “the families of the pestle stealers and the fig hackers”? ¹⁹⁵ But when Jeroboam ben Nabat installed border guards on the roads which did not permit Israel to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, everybody who was qualified and sin-fearing in that generation brought his first fruits, put them in a basket, covered them with dried figs and took the pestle. He takes the basket on his shoulder and the pestle in his hand. When he reaches that guard-post they were asking him, where are you going? He answered him, I am only going to make these few dried figs into a single fig cake with this pestle in my hand. After he had passed this guard, he adorned them and brought them to Jerusalem. ¹⁹⁶ Why does one say, the family of Salmai¹⁹⁷. The reference probably is to “the family of Salma from Bethlehem and Netofa” (1Chr. 2:54), Calebites. This makes sense for the Babylonian texts which date the story to the Second Commonwealth, but not for the Yerushalmi version. the puller-down? But anybody who was volunteering logs and firewood for the altar brought wood and makes them into a kind of steps, assembles them into a kind of ladder, and puts them on his shoulder. When he reaches that guard he asks him, where are you going? He answers him, I am only going to bring two pigeon chicks from this dovecote over there using the ladder on my shoulder. After he had passed this guard, he disassembled {his package} and brought it to Jerusalem. Since they put themselves in danger for the meritorious deed that merited a good reputation in the world, and about them he says¹⁹⁸. 10:7., the remembrance of the just is a blessing.

footnotes: ¹⁹⁵ In the Babli 28a, the story is told of the Roman government “acting in the manner of Jeroboam”. In the Tosephta 3:7 it is “Greek government acting in the manner of Jeroboam.” In both Babylonian sources the occurrences are dated to the Second commonwealth, which is a more reasonable scenario. ¹⁹⁶ Babli 28a, Tosephta 3:8, as before. ¹⁹⁷ In both Babylonian texts, Salmay from Netofa ¹⁹⁸ Prov

MISHNAH: Five things happened to our forefathers on the Seventeenth of Tammuz and five on the Ninth of Av¹⁹⁹. On the Seventeenth of Tammuz were the tablets broken, the daily sacrifice ceased²⁰⁰, the city was breached²⁰¹, Apostomos²⁰² burned the Torah, and put up an idol in the Temple. On the Ninth of Av was decided that our forefathers would not enter the Land²⁰³. 14:23., the Temple was destroyed the first and second times, Betar was taken, and the city ploughed over²⁰⁴.

footnotes: ¹⁹⁹ Or at least these two days commemorate these events even if the dates may not be correct, as explained in the Halakhah. ²⁰⁰ During a siege of Jerusalem. ²⁰¹ Jerusalem surrendered to Nebukadnezar, and its walls were breached by Titus. ²⁰² This personality cannot be identified since he cannot be dated. ²⁰³ After the return of the scouts, Num ²⁰⁴ By Hadrian, imitating the mythical foundation of Rome in the founding of pagan Aelia Capitolina. Described in a coin of Hadrian minted 130 C.E.

HALAKHAH: It is written²⁰⁵. 24:16.: The glory of the Eternal dwelt on Mount Sinai; the cloud covered it for six days; He called to Moses on the Seventh Day. Moses ascended²⁰⁶. 24:13.. The Seventh after the Ten Commandments, the start of the Forty. Moses said to them, I shall be occupied on the Mountain for 40 days²⁰⁷. When the fortieth day came and he did not come, immediately the people saw that Moses tarried in descending from the Mountain²⁰⁸. 32:1.. When noontime came and he did not come, immediately the people congregated on Aaron and said to him, rise and make us gods which shall go before us, etc. The Eternal said to Moses, descend, for your people corrupted²⁰⁹. 32:7., etc. And Joshua heard the sound of the people in its dealings; he said to Moses, there is sound of war in the camp²¹⁰. 32:17.. Moses said, a man who in the future will rule over 600’000 does not know to distinguish between sound and sound? He said, there is no sound of shouts of strength nor sound of sounds of weakness, a sound of shouts I am hearing²¹¹. 32:18.. Rebbi Yasa said, a sound of acclaim of foreign worship I am hearing. Rebbi Yudan in the name of Rebbi Yasa: There is no generation in which there is not an ounce²¹². of the sin of the Calf²¹³ 102a.. It was when he approached the camp that he saw the Calf and fifes²¹⁴. 32:19.. Rebbi Ḥilkiah in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: From here²¹⁵ that a person should not argue from guesses. Moses made an argument de minore ad majus. Since for the pesaḥ sacrifice, which is an isolated obligation, it is said no uncircumcised may eat from it²¹⁶. 12:48. Babli Šabbat 87a., the Torah in which all commandments are contained not so much more? Moses got angry and he threw the tablets from his hand and broke them below the Mountain²¹⁴. 32:19.. Rebbi Ismael stated, the Holy One, praise to Him, told him to break them, [as it is said,] I shall write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets luckily you broke²¹⁷. 10:2, taking אשר not as relative pronoun but as derived from the root אשר “riches, happiness”.. He said to him, you did well that you broke. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: The tablets were six hand-breadths long and three wide. Moses held two hand-breadth, the Holy One, praise to Him two hand-breadth, and two hand-breadths of space were between them. When Israel sinned in that way, the Holy One wanted to seize them from Moses’s hand, but Moses’s hand had the better of it and seized them from Him. That is what the verse praises him at the end and says, and all the strong hand²¹⁸. 34:12., ²¹⁹ peace shall be on the hand which had the better on mine. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Abbai: the tablets wanted to fly off but Moses held them, [as is written,] I grabbed the two tablets²²⁰. 9:17.. It was stated in the name of Rebbi Nehemiah, the writing itself flew off²²¹ 87b, last line.. Rebbi Ezra in the name of Rebbi Jehudah ben Rebbi Simon: The tablets were a load of forty seah but the writing was carrying them. When the writing flew off they were too heavy for Moses’s hands, they fell, and broke²²¹ 87b, last line..

footnotes: ²⁰⁵ Ex ²⁰⁶ Ex ²⁰⁷ This is the argument which shows that the tablets were broken on the 17th of Tammus (Babli 28b). In rabbinic tradition, Pentecost (Siwan 6) is the anniversary of the epiphany of Mount Sinai. If one assumes that at the Exodus this month had 30 days and counts 40 days from the following day one has 13 days in Siwan and 17 in Tammuz for a sum of 40. Therefore the date of 17 Tammuz presupposes not only the rabbinic date for the giving of the Ten Commandments but also that Moses did not eat during the six days of waiting for permission to ascend the Mountain.The remainder of the paragraph consists of sermon concepts; presupposing like many sermons that the persons acting in biblical history had foreknowledge of what was going to happen, such as Moses knowing that he would spend 40 days on the Mountain. Similarly, the crass anthropomorphism of the sermon about the tablets would be inadmissible in a discussion with possible consequences for rules of behavior. ²⁰⁸ Ex ²⁰⁹ Ex ²¹⁰ Ex ²¹¹ Ex ²¹² Latin uncia ²¹³ Any trouble for the Jewish people contains some punishment for the sin of the Golden Calf. Babli Sanhedrin ²¹⁴ Ex ²¹⁵ Even though Moses correctly analyzed the sound, he did not act until he had visual confirmation that his analysis was correct. ²¹⁶ Ex ²¹⁴ Ex ²¹⁷ Deut ²¹⁸ Deut ²¹⁹ Here starts an Ashkenazic text edited by J. Sussman (A), differing from the Leiden ms. mostly in the names of the tradents. The readings of the Leiden ms. are more reliable; they are confirmed by excerpts from this Chapter published by L. Ginzberg. ²²⁰ Deut ²²¹ Babli Pesaḥim ²²¹ Babli Pesaḥim

“The daily sacrifice ceased.” ²²² 4:1 (Notes 22–28, ב). Babli Roš Haššanah 18b. Rebbi Simon said in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: In the time of the hellenistic government²²³ 64b) telescopes this story and the next into one and dates it at the civil war of the two Hasmonean brothers Hyrkanos and Aristobulos. they²²⁴ lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two lambs to pull up. Once they lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two kid goats²²⁵ to pull up. At that moment the Holy One, praise to Him, enlightened their eyes and they found two lambs in the hall of lambs²²⁶. 28:3) requires that the perpetual sacrifice be “a yearling sheep without blemish” the sheep were usually held in a separate “hall of lambs” and were inspected three times before being used as sacrifice.. About that time did Rebbi Yehudah bar Abba testify that the perpetual morning sacrifice was brought at four hours. Rebbi Levi said: Also in the days of the present evil government²²⁷ they lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two kid goats²²⁸ one has to read “lambs”. to pull up. Once they lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two swine to pull up²²⁹ 64b), there was only one swine and not only the wall but the entire Land of Israel trembled. (The civil war was at the time when Pompey conquered the East for Rome but the story here clearly speaks of the war of Titus. However, it seems that the Babli tradition in this case is more correct.). They did not manage to get to half the height of the wall when the swine (damaged) [clawed]²³⁰ the wall and jumped 40 parasangs from the Land of Israel. At that time the sins caused that the perpetual sacrifice was stopped and the Temple destroyed.

footnotes: ²²² This paragraph is copied from Berakhot ²²³ The Babli (Menaḥot ²²⁴ The officials of the Temple lowered the boxes from the wall of besieged Jerusalem; in each box was payment for the lamb to be placed in it for the daily sacrifice. ²²⁵ Which cannot be used for the perpetual sacrifice. ²²⁶ Since the verse (Num ²²⁷ In both Talmudim, the “evil government” or simply “government” is the Roman government. ²²⁸ This obviously is a copyist’s error (Note 225); with the text of Berakhot ²²⁹ In the Babli (Menaḥot ²³⁰ The change by the corrector follows the text ב. However, there one reads “the swine clawed the wall and the wall trembled”, which is well described by the term used by the Leiden scribe.

²³¹ Rebbi Simeon ben Yohai stated: So was my teacher Aqiba explaining. So says the Eternal of Hosts, the fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will be for the House of Israel enjoyment and joy²³². 8:19.. The fast of the fourth is the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the day when the tablets were broken, the daily sacrifice ceased, the city was breached, Apostomos burned the Torah, and put an idol in the Temple. The fast of the fifth is the Ninth of Av, when the Temple was destroyed the first and the second times. The fast of the seventh is the third of Tishre, when Gedalya ben Aḥiqam was murdered²³³. 41:2–3.. The fast of the tenth is the Tenth of Tevet, the day when the King of Babylonia closed in on Jerusalem²³⁴. 24:2..

footnotes: ²³¹ This paragraph is repeated again in this Halakhah. Since the later text shows that the text here is incomplete, its correct place is there. ²³² Sach ²³³ Jer ²³⁴ Ez

“And the city was breached.” It is written, on the Ninth of the month the city was breached²³⁵. 39:2. The date is confirmed 2K. 25:3., and you are saying so? Rebbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said, here is an erroneous computation²³⁶. That is what is written, it was in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, was the Eternal’s word to me, saying: Son of man, since Tyre said about Jerusalem hurrah²³⁷. 26:1–2. The verse makes it clear that the joy was about the destruction of Jerusalem, for which the prophecy gives a date post quem.. What “hurrah”? If you are saying on the first of Av, it still was not burned. If you are saying on the first of Ellul, cannot in one day and night the messenger leave Jerusalem and arrive at Tyre? But here is an erroneous computation²³⁸. Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish. Rebbi Joḥanan said, {a parable} of a king who was sitting and computing computations. They came and told him, your son was kidnapped; his computations became erroneous. He said, let this be the beginning of computations²³⁹. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, {a parable} of a king who was sitting and computing computations. They came and told him, your son was kidnapped and incapacitated; his computations became erroneous. He said, let this be the beginning of computations. Rebbi Mana asked, one understands this that they were erroneous for the past; maybe for the future²⁴⁰? Whether one follows him who said on the ninth of the month, or the one who said on the seventeenth, [in what do they differ?]²⁴¹ there are twenty-one days from the day the city was breached to the day the Temple was destroyed. Rebbi Abuna said, an indication²⁴², I am seeing an almond stick²⁴³. 1:11.. Since this almond tree from sprouting its flower to finishing its fruit needs twenty-one days, so from the day the city was breached to the day the Temple was destroyed twenty-one days. He who says on the Ninth of the month, the Temple was destroyed on the first of Av²⁴⁴. is consistent with that of Jer. and 2K.; there is no error in the computations.. He who says on the Seventeenth, the Temple was destroyed on the Ninth of Av.

footnotes: ²³⁵ Jer ²³⁶ The Babli 28b disagrees and states that the city surrendered on Tammuz 9 to the Babylonians and was breached Tammuz 17 by the Romans. ²³⁷ Ez ²³⁸ But Ezechiel implicitly states that Jerusalem was destroyed on Av 1. ²³⁹ What actually was Av 9 is now called Av 1. ²⁴⁰ Maybe the participants in the destruction, Jeremiah and the author of Kings, erred in the date. But Ezechiel sitting safely in Babylonia and being divinely instructed cannot be assumed to err in his date. ²⁴¹ Corrector’s addition from a source similar to A. There it is clear that one has to read: In what do they differ? Are there not (according to everybody) twenty-one days from the day the city was breached to the day the Temple was destroyed? ²⁴² Greek σημεῑον. ²⁴³ Jer ²⁴⁴ The dating in Ez

Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated: So was my teacher Aqiba explaining. So says the Eternal of Hosts, the fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will be for the House of Israel enjoyment and joy²³². 8:19.. The fast of the fourth is the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the day when the tablets were broken, the daily sacrifice ceased, the city was breached, Apostomos burned the Torah, and put an idol in the Temple. The fast of the fifth is the Ninth of Av, when the Temple was destroyed the first and the second times. The fast of the seventh is the third of Tishre, when Gedalya ben Aḥiqam was murdered²³³. 41:2–3.. The fast of the tenth is the Tenth of Tevet, the day when the King of Babylonia closed in on Jerusalem²³⁴. 24:2.. That is what is written²⁴⁵. 24:2., the Eternal’s word came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying: Son of man, write down the name of this day. On this very day the king of Babylonia closed in on Jerusalem. But I am saying that the fast of the tenth is the Fifth of Tevet, the day when the news came to the diaspora. That is what is written²⁴⁶. 33:21., it was in the eleventh year of our exile, in the fifth, on the fifth of the month, the fugitive came to me from Jerusalem, saying, the city was breached. Only that in Judea one fasts on the act, and in the exile on the news. Rebbi Aqiba explains the first last and the last first; but I am explaining the first first and the last last²⁴⁷.; and I hold my words more intelligible than Rebbi Aqiba’s words.

footnotes: ²³² Sach ²³³ Jer ²³⁴ Ez ²⁴⁵ Ez ²⁴⁶ Ez ²⁴⁷ I am following the order of verses in Ez

“Apostomos²⁰² burned the Torah.” Where did he burn it? Rebbi Aḥa said, at the ford of Lydda. But the rabbis are saying, at the ford of Tarlosa²⁴⁸. “And put up an idol in the Temple.” There are Tannaim who state, “was put up.” He who says, “was put up,” Manasse’s idol. He who said, “put up”, Apostomos’s idol²⁴⁹ which identifies Apostomos with the Emperor Caligula.. Why was it not fixed as a fast day²⁵⁰? Ḥinnena the father of Bar Yanta in the name of Rebbi Banaia: Because most of the community did not accept it as obligation²⁵¹. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, all that happened on this was repeated, all that happened on that was not repeated²⁵². Rebbi Levi said, it is written, which a person shall do and live by them²⁵³. 18:5. The verse shows that danger to life or limb supersedes religious obligations., and the light in a person’s eyes only returns after 40 days²⁵⁴.

footnotes: ²⁰² This personality cannot be identified since he cannot be dated. ²⁴⁸ Place not identified. In A one reads “exercise field” instead of “ford”. ²⁴⁹ A here has an insert from Seder Olam ²⁵⁰ The question here is why the Seventeenth of Tammuz is not a full 24 hr. fast day like the Ninth of Av. The question in A, why was the day when the scouts were sent not made a fast day (since they caused the people to stay in the wilderness for 40 years and fixed the day for the double destruction of the Temple) is incompatible with the statement of R. Joshua ben Levi and has to be classified as gloss. ²⁵¹ And a rabbinic institution which is not accepted by a majority of the people is invalid. ²⁵² The happenings on Tammuz 17 do not have the severity of those on Av 9. ²⁵³ Lev ²⁵⁴ Therefore full 24 hr. fast-days must be spaced at least 40 days apart. This forbids making Tammuz 17 a full fast-day.

²⁵⁵. That is what is written²⁵⁶. 10:11., it was in the second year in the second month on the twentieth of the month, etc. And it is written²⁵⁷. 10:33., they travelled from the Eternal’s mountain a distance of three days. Rebbi Zacharia, the son-in-law of Rebbi Levi: {a parable} like children who are freed from school (books)²⁵⁸, p. 184.) and leave to run²⁵⁹. On that very day they desired a desire²⁶⁰. 11:20. No new date is indicated; an unqualified added month is 30 days.; up to a month, until it will come out of your noses. And the seven days of Miriam; Miriam was secluded outside the camp²⁶¹. 12:15.. And the 40 days of the scouts, they returned from scouting the Land at the end of 40 days. They walked and came to Moses and Aaron²⁶². 13:25. etc. They came and found them occupied with the rules for ḥallah²⁶³. 15:18). and orlah²⁶⁴. 19:23).. They said to them, you are not going to enter the Land and you are studying the rules for ḥallah and orlah? Immediately, the entire congregation raised their voices; the people cried in that night²⁶⁵. 14:1.. He said to them, you cried before Me a pointless crying. By My life, in the future you shall cry a substantial crying. Crying she will cry in the night²⁶⁶. 1:2, referring to the Ninth of Av. The computation goes as follows. Starting from the 20 of the second month one counts this day for travel, 7 days for Miryam’s seclusion, 30 days for the quail, and 40 days for the scouts, for a total of 97 days after the first of the 2 month. The year is supposed to start with a full 30 day first month. Therefore the 2 and 4th months have 29 days, the 3rd month 30 days, for a total of 88 days. The count ends on the 9th of the 5th month, Q. E. D. Differently in the Babli 29a.. Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated: It is written267. 11:10. This is the second unnecessary crying mentioned in the verse., Moses heard the people crying for its families, etc. About the six incest prohibitions which Moses forbade them²⁶⁸ 75a..

footnotes: ²⁵⁵ Here the heading is missing: “On the Ninth of Av was decided that our forefathers would not enter the Land.” The date of the return of the scouts is not directly spelled out in Num ²⁵⁶ Num ²⁵⁷ Num ²⁵⁸ The text in is from A (and also in a clearly wrong text in a Genizah excerpt, Yerushalmi Fragments ²⁵⁹ The letters [בכ] added by the corrector indicate a text like A: “leave to villages.” The word is missing in the Genizah excerpt. These changes misunderstand the text. R. Zacharia notes that they did not travel for three days, but the distance of three days, implying that the actual travel time was one day. ²⁶⁰ Num ²⁶¹ Num ²⁶² Num ²⁶³ The heave to be taken from bread dough “when you come into the Land” (Num ²⁶⁴ The fruits to be stripped from a tree during its first three years “when you come to the Land” (Lev ²⁶⁵ Num ²⁶⁶ Thr ²⁶⁸ They cried about the paternal and maternal half-sisters, the maternal and paternal aunts, the sister-in-law, and the menstruating woman, which are permitted to Gentiles but forbidden to Israelites. Babli Yoma

He said to them²⁶⁹ 35a., even so, what did you see? They told him, it is a Land devouring its inhabitants²⁷⁰. 13:32.; in any town we entered there people had died. The Holy One, praise to Him, said to them: Because of the benefit which I gave you, you are saying it is a Land devouring its inhabitants? In any town which they entered, a head of the town died. While they were occupied with him, they passed through the town and left before anybody noticed them. Not only this, but you said, we were in our eyes like locusts, and so we were in their eyes²⁷¹. 13:33.. You knew what I made you in their eyes. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, they said things against Heaven: for he is stronger than Him²⁷². 13:31.; even He can do nothing against them. Rebbi Levi in the name of Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: with a big uproar²⁷³. 11:16., by the noise of the big (word) [uproar]²⁷⁴. 13:31. The public blasphemy started the fire. which you pronounced, He started a fire which broke its branches.

footnotes: ²⁶⁹ Moses to the scouts. One explains why the sin of the scouts, which kept the people 38 years in the desert, is the equivalent of the destruction of the Temple and merits inclusion in the fast of the Ninth of Av. Babli Sotah ²⁷⁰ Num ²⁷¹ Num ²⁷² Num ²⁷³ Jer ²⁷⁴ The text of the scribe (in parentheses) is preferable to that of the [corrector] since it refers to the blasphemous character of the statement in Num

It was stated²⁷⁵ 11b.: Rebbi Yose says, the day of the destruction of the Temple was after the end of the Sabbath, at the end of a Sabbatical year²⁷⁶, during the watch of Yehoyariv, on the Ninth of Av. And so it happened the second time. Both times the Levites were standing on the platform and singing, He turned on them their wrongs, in their malice he eradicates them, eradicates them the Eternal, our God²⁷⁷. 94:23.. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish asked before Rebbi Joḥanan; may one sing without libations²⁷⁸? He said to him, let us hear from what was stated: “both times the Levites were standing on the platform and singing, He turned on them their wrongs, etc.” Rebbi Abbahu said, Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish disagreed. Rebbi Joḥanan said, one may sing without libations. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, one may not sing without libations. Rebbi Joḥanan objected to Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: Was it not stated, “both times the Levites were standing on the platform and singing, He turned on them their wrongs”? Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said to him, what do you conclude from this? He said to him, since if there were libations it would have been time for the song. Rebbi Joḥanan said, the daily song. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, yesterday’s song²⁷⁹. 94 or that the destruction was on a Sunday, since the song is the one for Wednesday. He holds that if there are no sacrifices, one performs the services which are possible under the circumstances. R. Simeon ben Laqish holds that no service can be performed if not all rules can be observed; for him the song here was not a service but a dirge..

footnotes: ²⁷⁵ Babli 29a, Arakhin ²⁷⁶ 69 C.E. ²⁷⁷ Ps ²⁷⁸ If there are sacrifices, the Levites have to sing the daily song at the time the libations accompanying the daily sacrifice are poured. Since daily (and all other animal) sacrifices stopped on Tammuz 17, the question is whether the Levites may sing at all. ²⁷⁹ In this version, R. Joḥanan disputes either whether the song was Ps

Rebbi Levi said, Yehoyariv, a person. Meron, a town. Mesarbei. He delivered His House to the enemies²⁸⁰. Rebbi Berekhia said, [Yehoyariv], Yah quarrelled with His children since they rebelled and rejected Him. Yeda`ya Amoq Sipporim²⁸¹. Yah knew the deep counsel in their hearts and exiled them to Sepphoris²⁸³ 3(38); cf. also Babli Gittin 57a–58a, Sanhedrin 93b..

footnotes: ²⁸⁰ It seems that the clans of Yehoyariv serving on that day were Meron and Mesarbei. ²⁸¹ Also name of a watch and two of its clans. ²⁸³ A parallel text is Thr. rabba

“Bettar was taken.” ²⁸³ 3(38); cf. also Babli Gittin 57a–58a, Sanhedrin 93b. Rebbi used to preach 24 facts about the Eternal swallowed and showed no mercy²⁸⁴. 2:2., but Rebbi Joḥanan 60. So Rebbi Joḥanan more than Rebbi? Only since Rebbi was closer to the destruction of the Temple, there were there old men remembering, and those would cry and continuously silence him. It was stated: Rebbi Jehudah ben Rebbi Illai said, Baruch my teacher used to preach, the voice is Jacob’s voice but the hands are Esau’s hands²⁸⁵. 27:22.. Jacob’s voice cries about what Esau’s hands did at Bettar.

footnotes: ²⁸³ A parallel text is Thr. rabba ²⁸⁴ Thr ²⁸⁵ Gen

Rebbi Simeon ben Yohai stated: Aqiba my teacher used to preach, there appeared a star out of Jacob²⁸⁶. 24:17. there appeared Koziba out of Jacob. When Rebbi Aqiba saw Bar Koziba he said, this is King Messias. Rebbi Joḥanan ben Torta said to him, Aqiba! Grass will grow from your jaws and still David’s son (still has to) [will not have]²⁸⁷ come. Rebbi Joḥanan said, the voice of Emperor Hadrian killing eighty thousand myriads at Bettar²⁸⁸ 2(36) the number is 90’000’000. Thr. rabba shows that the statement here is copied in the wrong place; it belongs to the previous paragraph, explaining the sound of Esau.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, eighty [thousand] couples of horn-blowers²⁸⁹ were encircling Bettar, each of which was commanding several army units. There was Ben Koziba who had 200’000 with him missing a finger. The Sages sent, how long will you turn Israel into defective persons? He told them, how would it be possible to test them? They said to him, anyone who riding on his horse cannot uproot a cedar of Lebanon should not be enrolled in your army²⁹⁰. He had 200’000 of either kind. When he went into battle he said, Master of the World: Do not support and do not hinder, did not you, God, neglect us, and do not go out with our armies²⁹¹. 60:12.. Three and a half years did Hadrian encircle Bettar. Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin was sitting in sackcloth and ashes, praying every day and saying, Master of the World, do not sit in judgment today, do not sit in judgment today. Hadrian wanted to go away. A Samaritan said to him, do not go away, for I am seeing what to do that the city will submit to you. He went to the city gate, entered, and found Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin standing in prayer. He showed himself as if he would whisper into his ear. The people of the city saw him and brought him to Ben Koziba. They said to him, we saw this old man turning to your uncle. He asked him, what did you say to him and what did he say to you? He answered, if I shall tell you, the king will kill me; but if I do not tell you, you will kill me. It is better that the king should kill me but not you. He told him, he said to me, I will make the town submit to the king. He came to Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin. He asked him, what did this Samaritan say to you. He answered, nothing. What did you say to him? He answered, nothing. He kicked him and killed him. Immediately there came an unembodied voice and said, woe, criminal shepherds, who abandon the flock, a sword on his arm and on his right eye. His arm shall dry up and his right eye darken²⁹². 11:17.. You killed Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin, the arm of Israel, and their right eye. Therefore this man’s arm shall dry up and his right eye darken. Immediately Bettar was taken and Ben Koziba killed. They came carrying his head to Hadrain. He asked them, who killed him? A Samaritan said to him, I killed him. He said to him, show me his body. He showed him his body; he found a poisonous snake wrapped around him. He said, if God had not killed him, who could kill him? He recited over him, if not that their Rock had sold them, and the Eternal handed them over²⁹³. 32:30.. They killed them continuously until the horse was immersed in blood up to his nose. The blood was moving rocks of 40 seah loads, until the blood colored the sea for four mil. If you would say that it was close to the sea, in fact it is 40 mil distant from the sea. They said, 300 children’s brains were found on one stone, and they found three boxes of tefillin capsules of nine seah each, but some say nine of three each. It was stated, Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, 500 schools were in Bettar, the smallest one for not less than 500 children. They were saying, if the haters come against us we shall go out against them with these stylos and blind them. When the sins caused, they were binding each single one into his book and burning him; and of them only I remained. He recited referring to himself, my eye hurts my soul more than all daughters of my city²⁹⁴. 3:51.. The evil Hadrian had a large vineyard, eighteen mil by eighteen mil, as from Tiberias to Sepphoris. He fenced it in with the slain of Bettar standing up with outstretched arms, and did not decide that they should be buried, until another king arose²⁹⁵ who decided that they should be buried.

footnotes: ²⁸⁶ Num ²⁸⁷ The corrector’s [text] is from the Midrash. The scribe’s text asserts that the Messiah always will be coming. ²⁸⁸ In Cant. rabba ²⁸⁹ Roman army commanders. ²⁹⁰ Greek στρατιά. ²⁹¹ Ps ²⁹² Zach ²⁹³ Deut ²⁹⁴ Thr ²⁹⁵ An expression used for a new dynasty, in this case Septimius Severus.

²⁹⁶. Rav Ḥuna said, when the slain of Bettar were permitted to be buried, “the good and the benefactor” was fixed. “The good” that they did not decompose, “the benefactor” that they were permitted for burial²⁹⁷ 1:8 (Note 278), 7:1 (Notes 35,36), Babli 48b.. It was stated, Rebbi Yose said, 52 years Bettar existed after the destruction of the Temple. And why was it destroyed? For they lit lights after the destruction of the Temple. Why did they light lights? Because the council members²⁹⁸ of Jerusalem were dominating the center of the city. When they were seeing a person moving to Jerusalem they said to him, since we heard about you that you are aspiring to be made judge²⁹⁹ or councillor; he would say to them, that is not my intention³⁰⁰. Because we heard about you that you intend to sell your property³⁰¹; he would say to them, that is not my intention. His colleague would say to him, what are you arguing with this one, write and I shall sign³⁰². He would write and his colleague would sign. They would send the sale document³⁰³ to his house companion and told him, if X comes to enter his property, do not let him, because it is sold to us. When he heard this from them he said, if only this man’s leg had been broken before he came to Jerusalem. That is what is written³⁰⁴. 3:18., they caught our steps, not to walk in our streets. They caught our steps, destroy the way to that House, our end is near, the end of this House is near, our days are fulfilled, the days of this House are fulfilled. They also did not come out well, he who enjoys disaster will not be acquitted³⁰⁵. 17:5..

footnotes: ²⁹⁶ This paragraph has no parallel in Thr. rabba ²⁹⁷ The fourth benediction of Grace. Babli 31a; Berakhot ²⁹⁸ Greek βουλευτής. ²⁹⁹ Greek ʼάρχων, - οντος. ³⁰⁰ To become elected and to pay bribes for the purpose. ³⁰¹ Greek ου ʼσία. ³⁰² Since a sale document is valid if it is testified to by two witnesses; it needs no signature of any of the parties to the sale. ³⁰³ A Semitic form of Greek ʼωνή. ³⁰⁴ Thr ³⁰⁵ Prov

³⁰⁶, but the corrector’s insert is copied from Yalqut Haazinu (§946), to which tradition also belongs the text of A (which ends here). In the traditional text of Thr. rabba it is very clear that the story belongs to the legend of Bar Kochba since there the crown is to be offered to Simon (bar Koziba).[Two brothers were in Kefar Ḥariba; the Romans went out against them and they would kill them. They said, the medicine for this is for us to bring a crown to their heads. They said, let us try a last time. When they went out, an old man met them and said, your Maker may support you. They said, may He neither help nor [support] obstruct³⁰⁷, did not you, God, neglect us²⁹¹. 60:12..]

footnotes: ³⁰⁶ This again is found in Thr. rabba ³⁰⁷ The word added is from A; it might be Arabic סבפ “to put a step on an entrance”,as sign of an obstacle, or בספ “affairs go badly”. ²⁹¹ Ps

³⁰⁸ 3(38). There grew two cedars on the Mount of Olives. Under one of them there were four shops selling in purity³⁰⁹; from the other they were bringing 40 seah of pigeon chicks every single month and from there were providing all of Israel with nests³¹⁰44a.. Mount Simon³¹¹ was producing 200 barrels of fig pieces every Friday. Why was it destroyed? Some say, because of whoring; but some say it was because they were playing ball³¹². 10’000 towns were on King’s Mountain³¹³; Rebbi Eleazar ben Ḥarsom owned 1’000 of them, and correspondingly 1’000 ships on the Sea. And all of them were destroyed³¹⁴ 35b.. Of three villages was the qtmos³¹⁵ brought to Jerusalem in carts, Kabul, Shiḥin, and Magdala of the dyers³¹⁶ All three were destroyed. Kabul because of quarrel, Sḥihin because of sorcery, and Magdala of the dyers because of whoring. Three villages of which each one was populated by twice the number of those leaving Egypt³¹⁷, the evil village, the cress village, and the boys’ village. Why was it called evil village? Because they did not receive travellers. Why was it called cress village? Because they were growing children like cress. Why was it called boys’ village? Because all their women gave birth to boys. If one of them never left from there she would not give birth to a girl. Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80 pairs of priestly brothers married 80 pairs of priestly sisters at Gufna³¹⁸ in one night, not counting brothers but not sisters, sisters but not brothers, not counting Levites, not counting Israel. Rebbi Joḥanan said, in Magdala of the dyers there were 80 establishments of fustian. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, 80 stores selling in purity were in Kefar Imra. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, 80 metal shidda³¹⁹ 18:3); according to Maimonides a box containing at least 40 seah, about half a cubic meter. R. Yannai denies knowledge of the exact dimensions required. were in Shiḥin. Rebbi Yannai said, in our time was no shidda. Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Ḥuna: Immer was the smallest of the watches, and it was producing 85’000 young priests.

footnotes: ³⁰⁸ From here to the last paragraph of the Halakhah most of the text is found in Thr. rabba ³⁰⁹ They only sold food of guaranteed purity for pilgrims to the Temple (and Pharisees eating all food in purity). ³¹⁰ A “nest” is a couple of birds required for purification by many people whose impurity was caused by their own body. Cf. Babli Berakhot ³¹¹ Unidentified. ³¹² Possibly the sin was not the ball playing but the accessory wagering. ³¹³ The hill region N of Jerusalem and W of Antipatris. ³¹⁴ Babli Yoma ³¹⁵ A word for which no reasonable source or meaning is found in the literature. ³¹⁶ All places in Galilee. ³¹⁷ 1’200’000. ³¹⁸ N of Jerusalem. ³¹⁹ A person or things transported by שִׁידָּה תֵיבָה ומִגְדָּל made of wood do not become impure if transported through impure territory (Mishnah Kelim

³²⁰; cf. Babli Gittin 57b, Sanhedrin 94b. Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80’000 young priests were slaughtered for the blood of Zachariah³²¹. 24:20–22. In dying he invoked God’s vengeance.. Rebbi Yudan asked Rebbi Aḥa, where did they kill Zachariah? In the women’s courtyard or in Israel’s courtyard³²²? He said to him, neither in Israel’s courtyard nor in the women’s courtyard but in the priests’ courtyard. They treated his blood neither as ram’s blood nor as gazelle’s blood³²³. There is written, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust³²⁴. 17:13.. But here³²⁵. 24:7., for its blood was in its midst, on a bare rock he put it. Why all this? To arise rage, to avenge vengeance, I put its blood on a bare rock, without being covered³²⁶. 24:8. In the verse: “impossible to cover.”. Seven sins did Israel commit on that day. They killed a priest, prophet, and judge, spilled innocent blood, defiled the Temple courtyard, and it was a Sabbath and Day of Atonement. When Nebuzaraddan³²⁷ came here and saw the blood bubbling, he asked them, what is the matter with this? They told him, it is the blood of bulls, sheep, and rams, which we were sacrificing on the altar. Immediately he brought bulls, rams, and sheep and slaughtered them on it, but the blood still was bubbling. Since they did not confess, he hung them on gallows. They said, since the Holy One, praise to Him, wants to ask for his blood from us, they told him, it is the blood of a priest, prophet, and judge who was prophesying for us [all that you are doing to us.] We conspired against him and killed him. Immediately he brought 80’000 young priests and slaughtered them on it, but the blood was still bubbling. At this moment he got angry with him³²⁸, and said to him, do you want to destroy your entire people because of you? Immediately the Holy One, praise to Him, was filled with mercy and said, if this one who is flesh and blood, and cruel, is filled with mercy for My children, I, where it is written about Me³²⁹. 4:31., for a compassionate power is the Eternal, your God, He will not destroy you nor forget the covenant of your forefathers, not so much more? Immediately he indicated to the blood and it was absorbed on its place.

footnotes: ³²⁰ A slightly shortened version of Thr. rabba ³²¹ 2Chr ³²² Herod’s Temple had an outer courtyard accessible to women, a middle one accessible to Israel males, and an inner one reserved uniquely for the sacrificial service by Cohanim. ³²³ Ram’s blood has to be poured on the base of the altar; deer’s blood has to be covered as indicated in the verse. ³²⁴ Lev ³²⁵ Ez ³²⁶ Ez ³²⁷ Sent to burn down Jerusalem after its surrender and the exile of its inhabitants. ³²⁸ Zachariah. ³²⁹ Deut

³³⁰. Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80’000 young priests fled into the hollows³³¹ of the Temple, and all of them were burned. Of all of them only Joshua ben Yehoṣadaq the High Priest was left, as it is said, is he not a wooden poker saved from fire³³². 3:2.?

footnotes: ³³⁰ This paragraph is not in Thr. rabba ³³¹ The word usually is used for a hollow into which a portable stove is brought for cooking. ³³² Zach

³³³ 3(38), Yalqut Prophets 421; cf. Tanhuma Yitro 5. Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80’000 young priests (broke through) [fled to] Nebuchadnezzar’s armies and went to the Ismaelites. They said to them, give us to drink for we are thirsty. They brought before them salted fish and inflated waterskins. They said to them, eat and then you can drink. When one of them opened the waterskin and put it into his mouth, the wind came out and suffocated him. That is what is written³³⁴. 21:13–15., load in Arabia, a large load on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia they will stay, those that should have been in the forest of Lebanon, in Arabia they will stay. But the ways of Dedanians³³⁵, that is the way the Dedanians act. When Ismael was thirsty, did they not bring water towards the thirsty? God opened her eyes and she saw a water cistern³³⁶. 21:19.. Not voluntarily they came to you, for they fled from swords. From the unfettered sword, because they did not want to keep their Sabbaticals, as you are saying, and the seventh unfetter and abandon³³⁷. 23:11.. And because of**cocked bows, because they did not want to keep their Sabbaths, as you are saying, in these days I saw in Jehudah people pressing wine-presses on the Sabbath³³⁸. 13:15.. And because of the difficulty of war, they did not want to engage in the Torah’s war, [as you are saying], therefore it was said in the book of the wars of the Eternal³³⁹. 21:14..

footnotes: ³³³ Similarly Thr. rabba ³³⁴ Is ³³⁵ A grandson of Abraham by Qetura. ³³⁶ Gen ³³⁷ Ex ³³⁸ Neh ³³⁹ Num

³⁴⁰ 3(38), Megillah 1:1 (מ). Rebbi Joḥanan said, from Gibbethon³⁴¹. to Antipatris there were 60’000 villages. The smallest among them was Bet Shemesh, about which is written³⁴². 6:19., He smote of the men of Bet Shemesh, for they looked at the Ark of the Eterna, etc. These were in one direction. If you execute this with reeds it will not carry it. Rebbi Ḥanina said, the Land of Israel folded its fist.

footnotes: ³⁴⁰ Thr. rabba ³⁴¹ The full biblical name is spelled out in Thr. rabba ³⁴² 1S

³⁴³34. Rebbi Ze`ira said, come and see how insolent is the Land of Israel, that it yields fruit³⁴⁴. 29:22) sulfur and salt, burns all over its land, describing the land after the destruction of the Temple, how can it have regained agricultural productivity?. Why does it yield fruit? Two Amoraim. One said, because one fertilizes it. The other one said, because one turns its earth over. It happened that a person was sowing in the valley of Arbel when he dug down with his hand and brought up burning dust which burned the seeds.

footnotes: ³⁴³ This paragraph in Thr. rabba, Petiḥta ³⁴⁴ Since it is written (Deut

³⁴⁵ Chap. 27 (in the author’s edition p. 234), Babli Šabbat 145b. It was stated: Rebbi Yose says, for 52 years no bird was flying in the Land of Israel. What is the reason? From the bird of the sky to the domesticated animal, they moved, they went away³⁴⁶. 9:9.. Rebbi Ḥanina said, 40 years before Israel was exiled to Babylonia they planted date palms in Babylonia, so they should be ardent after sweets since this accustoms the tongue to Torah³⁴⁷ 87b/88a.. Rebbi Ḥanina the son of Rebbi Abbahu said, 700 kinds of pure fish and 800 kinds of pure locusts and innumerable birds all were exiled with Israel to Babylonia; and when they returned, all of them returned, except the fish called turbot. How did fish migrate? Rebbi Ḥuna (bar Joseph) in the name of rav joseph³⁴⁸ said, they went into exile through the abyss end returned through the abyss.

footnotes: ³⁴⁵ From here on there exists another Genizah fragment edited by Ginzberg (G). Cf. also Seder Olam ³⁴⁶ Jer ³⁴⁷ Babli Pesaḥim ³⁴⁸ Since no R. Huna bar Joseph is otherwise known, prefer the reading of g.

³⁴⁰ 3(38), Megillah 1:1 (מ). Rebbi Joḥanan said, hail to him who sees the downfall of Palmyra, for it was partner in the destruction of the first Temple and the destruction of the second Temple. In the first destruction it put up 80’000³⁴⁹ different numbers are given by different Amoraim of later generations. archers and in the second destruction 8’000 archers.

footnotes: ³⁴⁰ Thr. rabba ³⁴⁹ In G: 80. In Thr. rabba

“And the city was ploughed over.” Rufus³⁵⁰, may his bones be ground, ploughed over the Temple²⁰⁴.

footnotes: ³⁵⁰ Tineius Rufus, prefect of Judea at the start of Bar Kokhba’s uprising. This sentence is missing in G (and in the Midrashim.) Babli 29a. ²⁰⁴ By Hadrian, imitating the mythical foundation of Rome in the founding of pagan Aelia Capitolina. Described in a coin of Hadrian minted 130 C.E.

MISHNAH: From the start of Av one restricts happy occasions. The week in which the Ninth of Av falls one is forbidden to barber and to launder, but on Thursday one is permitted for the honor of the Sabbath. In the day before the Ninth of Av a person may not eat two dishes, he may not eat meat nor drink wine³⁷⁸. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, he shall alterate. Rebbi Jehudah obligates him to turn up his couch³⁷⁸ but the Sages did not agree with him.

footnotes: ³⁷⁸ He has to behave as if a close relative had died. R. Jehudah requires this in all respects, the anonymous majority only in matters of the meal preceding the fast. ³⁷⁸ He has to behave as if a close relative had died. R. Jehudah requires this in all respects, the anonymous majority only in matters of the meal preceding the fast.

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, that is a building of enjoyment. But if his wall was inclined, he tears it down and rebuilds it. Samuel said, the wall where he sleeps³⁵¹. ³⁵² 5:2 (Notes 65–70), Ketubot 1:1 (Notes 34–42). Rebbi Abba bar Cohen said before Rebbi Yose: Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Jacob bar Idi: A man may not preliminarily marry on a Friday. That means, to make an engagement feast³⁵³. This implies that the preliminary marriage itself is permitted. Samuel says, even on the Ninth of Av a preliminary marriage is permitted, lest another forestall him. The argument of Samuel seems inverted. There³⁵⁴. 68:7, 62:10. This means that marriages are pre-ordained in Heaven. (Lev. rabba 29(5), Babli Mo`ed qaṭan 18b.), he says, God puts singles in a house; To rise on scales; they all are of vapor! And here, he says so³⁵⁵ 2a, Sanhedrin 22a.? That means, that he should not forestall him in prayer. Even so, it would not be permanent.

footnotes: ³⁵¹ Chapter 1, Notes 247–248. ³⁵² The following is in Yom Tov ³⁵³ Since this would impinge on the Sabbath meal. It is in order to make the preliminary marriage on Friday and arrange the festive meal as Sabbath meal. ³⁵⁴ Ps ³⁵⁵ If marriages are pre-ordained, why should anybody be afraid that another man could snatch the bride preselected for him? Another man might by his prayer cause the Heavenly decree to be changed, but this would lead to the early death of one of the partners of the marriage. Babli Soṭa

Rebbi Jonah said, what you are saying refers to washing to wear; but washing to mend? So we are saying, this washerman is forbidden to work in his trade³⁵⁶? Our Mishnah disagrees with Rebbi Jonah, “the week in which the Ninth of Av falls one is forbidden to barber and to launder, but on Thursday³⁵⁷ one is permitted for the honor of the Sabbath.” Rebbi Jonah in the name of Rav Hamnuna, it was repeated regarding (addition) [barbering.]³⁵⁸` §414. The corrector’s text means that barbering does not follow the rules of washing and is strictly forbidden before and during the fast. The scribe’s text seems to mean that there is no extension of the fast (following R. Simeon ben Laqish and R. Isaac ben Eleazar); immediately after the end of the fast all activities are permitted. Rebbi Abba bar Cohen said before Rebbi Yose: Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Abbahu. If the Ninth of Av falls on a Sabbath, both weeks are permitted³⁵⁹. What is afterwards? Rebbi Joḥanan said, afterwards is forbidden; Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, afterwards is permitted³⁶⁰. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba preached it to the Sepphoreans but they did not accept it. Rebbi Immi said to Rebbi [Yasa]³⁶¹. Does not the nephew of the Great Rebbi Ḥiyya³⁶² disagree with him? He answered, they disagree explicitly: Rebbi Joḥanan said, afterwards is forbidden; Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, afterwards is permitted. How does Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish explain it³⁶³? He explains it if the Ninth of Av falls on a Sabbath, and one cannot infer anything. Rebbi Isaac ben Eleazar announced at the end of the Ninth of Av, the barbers shall open³⁶⁴, any who has to eulogize may eulogize³⁶⁵ 559:10) this may be indicated here since the Ashkenazic (originally, South-Italian) order of prayers is based on the Yerushalmi.. It is written³⁶⁶. 2:13, I shall eliminate all her enjoyment, her holiday, her month, her Sabbath, and all her feast. The Southerners have the custom of ḥer holiday³⁶⁷, the Sepphoreans have the custom of her month³⁶⁸, the Tiberians have the custom of her week³⁶⁹. The Rabbis of Tiberias changed to follow the Rabbis of Sepphoris.

footnotes: ³⁵⁶ Since the Mishnah only forbids people to wash their garments but not washermen to exercise their trade, there must be washing activities which are permitted. The Babli 29b decides otherwise. ³⁵⁷ If the Ninth of Av falls during the week, the following Sabbath already is after the fast and it is permitted to wash during the week in order to wear after the fast. ³⁵⁸ The reading of the scribe is confirmed by G; the corrector’s change is indicated in Or zarua ³⁵⁹ If the Ninth of Av falls on a Sabbath there is no week in which the Ninth of Av falls. ³⁶⁰ A disagreement of Babylonian authorities in Babli 29b. ³⁶¹ A necessary correction of the text of G: “R. Ammi asked R. Ammi”. ³⁶² Rav. ³⁶³ The Mishnah which forbids the entire week if the fast was Sunday or Tuesday. ³⁶⁴ Their shops. ³⁶⁵ All commentators read יספר “barber” for יספר “eulogize” but this seems to be impossible in light of the evidence of G. While the rule not to eulogize on the Ninth of Av appears in the sources as Medieval Ashkenazic (Šulḥan Arukh Oraḥ Ḥayyim ³⁶⁶ Hos ³⁶⁷ They start the mourning rites already on the New Moon of Av. ³⁶⁸ They follow them the entire month and do not stop after the fast. ³⁶⁹ The rule presented in the Mishnah.

³⁷⁰1:6 (מ). Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya, it should have been logical that one should fast on the Tenth, since on it our God’s Temple was burned. Why on the Ninth? Because the calamity started on it³⁷¹. 25:8.. So it was stated, on the Seventh they entered, on the Eighth they were misbehaving in it, on the Ninth they started the fire, and on the Tenth it was burned³⁷². Rebbi Joshua ben Levi fasted Ninth and Tenth. Rebbi Abun fasted Ninth and Tenth. Rebbi Levi fasted on the Ninth and the night of the Tenth. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi wanted to uproot the Ninth of Av but they did not let him³⁷³ 5b.. Rebbi Eleazar said to him, I was with you but it was not said so, but Rebbi wanted to uproot the Ninth of Av which fell on a Sabbath but they did not let him. He said, because it was pushed aside, let it be pushed aside. They said to him, let it be pushed to the next day. In a similar case, that which we stated there³⁷⁴ 6:6.: “Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa said, for both of them it says, God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply³⁷⁵. 1:28., etc.” Rebbi Eleazar in the Name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Practice follows Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said to him, I was with you and it was only said, if she asks to be married the law is on her side³⁷⁶. In her application to the court she must state that her request is in order to be able to marry another man (who implicitly is supposed to be more fertile than the first.) In the Babli Yebamot 65b she is required to state explicitly that she wants to marry another man in order to have children who will be able to care for her in her old age.. He said about them, two are better than one³⁷⁷. 4:9..

footnotes: ³⁷⁰ This paragraph also appears in Megillah ³⁷¹ 2K ³⁷² Babli 29a, Tosephta 3:10. ³⁷³ Babli Megillah ³⁷⁴ Mishnah Yebamot ³⁷⁵ Gen ³⁷⁶ If a woman is married childless for ten years she may ask the court to force her husband to give her a divorce with full payment of her ketubah ³⁷⁷ Eccl

What means “he shall alterate”? He shall change. If he is used to eat a pound³⁷⁹ of meat he shall eat half; if he is used to drink a sextarius³⁸⁰ (.53 l) but in the Galilean Targumim the equivalent of a hin, 12 log (6.5 l). Babli 30a. of wine he shall drink half. Rebbi Joḥanan said, but only for the main meal of the Ninth of Av. Rav³⁸¹ Hoshaia said, and only in the afternoon. Rebbi Yose says, both statements are for leniency. If he ate the main meal of the Ninth of Av before noon, even if he brings on his table like Salomon’s meal it is permitted. If he ate his meal³⁸² in the afternoon, even if he brings on his table like Salomon’s meal in his time³⁸³. 5:2–3. it is permitted. It was stated: If the Ninth of Av fell on a Friday or the day before the Ninth of Av on a Sabbath, even if he brings on his table like Salomon’s meal in his time it is permitted³⁸⁴. Rav after he had eaten his fill was coloring his piece of bread with ashes and said, this is the main meal of the Ninth of Av, to keep what is said³⁸⁵. 3:16. Mentioned in Thr. rabba ad loc., He filled me with asperity, made me imbue poison.

footnotes: ³⁷⁹ A Roman pound of 12 unciae, 345g. ³⁸⁰ Possibly Greek ξέστης; in both Talmudim the equivalent of a log ³⁸¹ In G: Rebbi. In the Babli, Rav Jehudah. ³⁸² Intending to eat another later in the afternoon. ³⁸³ 1K ³⁸⁴ Babli 29b. ³⁸⁵ Thr

Rebbi Jehudah says it correctly; what is the Rabbis’ reason? They made him like one whose deceased is lying before him³⁸⁶; he neither overturns his couch nor sleeps on an overturned couch.

footnotes: ³⁸⁶ As long as a person is occupied with arranging a burial, the formal rules of mourning do not apply to him. Since the mourner is not supposed to leave his house but the person who fasts on a public fast day is supposed to leave his house, no public fast can imitate the rules of formal mourning.

MISHNAH: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, Israel had no holidays like the Fifteenth of Av and the Day of Atonement, when the people of Jerusalem went out in borrowed white garments, not to embarrass those who had none. All garments need immersion³⁸⁷. The daughters of Jerusalem went out and played flutes³⁸⁸ in the vineyards. What were they saying? Young man, lift your eyes and see what you are choosing for yourself. Do not fix your eye on beauty, fix your eyes on the extraction³⁸⁹. And so it says³⁹⁰. 3:11. In the allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs, any “Solomon” refers to the King of Peace., Daughters of Zion go out and see king Solomon³⁹¹, etc. The day of His enjoyment³⁹¹ is the giving of the Torah; and the day of His heart’s joy³⁹¹ is the building of His Temple which may be built soon in our days.

footnotes: ³⁸⁷ So that all were pure. In this version, also the men who were looking for a bride had to appear in a plane white kaftan. ³⁸⁸ Usually one translates “dance” but it is impossible to dance in a tightly planted vineyard. On the other hand one may not play musical instruments on the Day of Atonement. Therefore it seems that the correct wording is in Maimonides’s autograph Mishnah: חונות “stay”. ³⁸⁹ The text in the Babli and the independent Mishnah mss. is much longer, confirmed by Maimonides’s autograph. ³⁹⁰ Cant ³⁹¹ Babli 30b. ³⁹¹ Babli 30b. ³⁹¹ Babli 30b.

HALAKHAH: ³⁹¹ One understands the Day of Atonement which is atonement for all of Israel. ³⁹² 121a. Why on the Fifteenth of Av? Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yasa: For this is the good time to cut wood, because any wood cut on this day does not develop worms; as we have stated there, “any wood containing a worm is disqualified from the altar.³⁹³ 2:5. In the Babli the reason is given that this is the last day on which wood for the altar may be cut before the rainy season.” Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi in the name of Rav, because on it Hoshea ben Ela abolished the guards which Jeroboam ben Nabath posted on the roads³⁹⁴. Cahana asked [Rav]. He did all this good deed and it is written about him³⁹⁵. 17:3., against him came Salmanessar the king of Assyria? He answered him, because he removed the collar from his neck and hung it on the community’s neck. He did not say, all the people should go on pilgrimage, but, any one who wants to go may go. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac, but some say in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: On it the tribes were permitted to intermarry. As it is written³⁹⁶. 36:7., family heritage should not be transferred from tribe to tribe; but the Children of Israel shall stick everyone to the family heritage of his forefathers, etc. And it is written³⁹⁷. 36:8., any daughter inheriting family heritage in the tribes of the Children of Israel, etc. How is it possible for a daughter to inherit from two tribes? Explain it if her father was from one tribe and her mother from another tribe³⁹⁸. 36 to apply only to the daughters of Salpaad and their contemporaries.. But the Rabbis say, on it the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to intermarry, as it is written³⁹⁹. 21:18., cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin. They read a verse and included him; they read a verse and excluded him. They read a verse and included him⁴⁰⁰. 48:5., Ephraim and Manasse shall be to me like Reuben and Simeon. They read a verse and excluded him, a people and community of peoples shall be from you and kings will come from your loins⁴⁰¹. 35:11. In the explanations, the terms “included” and “excluded” have to be switched. The text follows the usual pattern, that if possibilities A and B are raised, B is explained before A. Since the number 12 of tribe cannot be changed, either Joseph is counted as one tribe and Benjamin is included (35:11), or Ephraim and Manasse are counted as full tribes, there seems to be no place for Benjamin. This logic is not followed by the Babli., and Benjamin was not yet born. ⁴⁰² (33). Rebbi Abun said, digging stopped on it, as Rebbi Levi said, on every eve of the Ninth of Av, Moses had a declaration published in all the encampment and said, go out for digging, go out for digging. They went out, dug graves for themselves, and slept. In the morning they were getting up and found themselves missing 15’000 and detail⁴⁰³. In the last year they did that, got up, and found themselves whole. They said, maybe we erred in the computation. The same on the Tenth, the Eleventh, the Twelfth, the Thirteenth, and the Fifteenth. Since the moon was full they said, it seems that The Holy One, praise to Him, vacated this hard judgment against us. They got up and made a holiday.

footnotes: ³⁹¹ Babli 30b. ³⁹² Babli 30b,31a; Bava batra ³⁹³ Mishnah Middot ³⁹⁴ To prohibit pilgrimages to Jerusalem. ³⁹⁵ 2K ³⁹⁶ Num ³⁹⁷ Num ³⁹⁸ According to the Babli, a later generation read Num ³⁹⁹ Jud ⁴⁰⁰ Gen ⁴⁰¹ Gen ⁴⁰² Thr. rabba, Introduction ⁴⁰³ If always the same number died on the Ninth of Av and nobody during the year, the number would be 600’000:38 = 15’789.47.

“All garments need immersion. The daughters of Jerusalem went out and played flutes in the vineyards.” Rebbi Yannai ben Rebbi Ismael said, even if put in a box⁴⁰⁴ even if it was obvious that they were pure and there was no intention to use them.. Put in a box and you are saying so? Because you are doing that, he will lend them.

footnotes: ⁴⁰⁴ He required that all plain white garments had to be immersed in a miqweh

“What were they saying? Young man, lift your eyes and see what you are choosing for yourself. Do not fix your eye on beauty, fix you eyes on the extraction, etc.” If she was the king’s daughter she was borrowing from the High Priest’s daughter; the High Priest’s daughter was borrowing from the king’s daughter⁴⁰⁵. The ugly ones did say, “do not fix your eye on beauty⁴⁰⁶,” and the beautiful ones did say, “fix you eyes on the extraction.” “And so it says³⁹⁰. 3:11. In the allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs, any “Solomon” refers to the King of Peace., Daughters of Zion go out and see king Solomon³⁹¹, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his marriage and the day of his heart’s joy. The day of His enjoyment is the giving of the Torah; and the day of His heart’s joy is the building of His Temple which may be built soon in our days.”

footnotes: ⁴⁰⁵ Babli 31a. ⁴⁰⁶ The corrector’s spelling follows the (Babylonian) consensus, the spelling in both Yerushalmi texts is the etymologically correct one. ³⁹⁰ Cant ³⁹¹ Babli 30b.