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Ta'anis 19

TA'ANIS 17, 18, 19 - Ari Kornfeld has generously sponsored the Dafyomi publications for these Dafim for the benefit of Klal Yisrael

1) [line 4] MAPOLES - the collapse of the city walls and the houses (caused by the wind)

2) [line 7] CHAMESH ME'OS RAGLI - 500 men (who are between the ages of 20 and 60)
3) [line 10] SHIDAFON - black blight; alt., damage to the crops caused by searing, hot east winds

4) [line 10] YERAKON - mildew
5a) [line 11] ARBEH - red locusts, according to Yemenite tradition; more generally, Arbeh denotes the Sudanese or desert locusts that reach the Holy Land in large numbers
b) [line 11] CHASIL - destroying locusts
6) [line 12] MAKAH MEHALECHES - a calamity that goes from place to place
7) [line 19] HA'MITAREFES BA'YAM - that flounders at sea
8) [line 20] L'EZRAH V'LO LI'TZ'AKAH - (a) [to assemble the people] to help but not to pray; (b) each person prays individually, rather than a general prayer assembly in which the congregation cries out

9) [line 21] HA'TIMNI - from Timnas/Timnah, identified with the village Tibnah, located on the road between Beit Shemesh and Yavneh. At the time of Bayis Sheni it was the major city of the district

10) [line 22] AL KOL TZARAH SHE'LO SAVO AL HA'TZIBUR - for every trouble that befalls (lit. that should *not* come upon) the community

11) [line 24] CHONI HA'ME'AGEL - Choni, who made a circle (RASHI Menachos 94b); (Some connect the word "ha'Me'agel" with the phrase "u'Ma'agilin Osan b'Ma'agilah" (Mo'ed Katan 11a) and "Hayah Me'agel b'Ma'agilah" (Makos 7a), claiming that Choni's title describes his occupation, one who levels a roof with a roller. Chazal may have had both explanations in mind when using the title "Me'agel" for this Sage; they associated his name with his occupation because it alluded to the miracle he performed -- see also Background to Ta'anis 21a with regard to Nachum Ish Gamzu.)

12) [line 26] SHE'LO YIMOKU - so that they do not become saturated with rainwater and disintegrate

13) [line 26] AG UGAH - he drew a circle on the ground
14) [line 29] MENATFIN - to drip
15) [line 30] LEIRED B'ZA'AF - to come down forcefully
16) [line 32] IM NIMCHEIS EVEN HA'TO'IN - if the Even ha'To'in has been covered over with water. The Even ha'To'in was a stone located outside of the city of Yerushalayim, on which anybody who found a lost article stood to announce his find. The person who lost the article would come and give Simanim (identifying signs) and claim it. It was so high that it could not be covered with water unless a deluge came to the world (BARTENURA)

17) [line 34] MISCHATEI [LIFNEI HA'MAKOM] - (a) (O.F. forfais - doing wrong) do wrong before the Omnipresent (RASHI); (b) long for (BARTENURA) (c) are pampered (ARUCH) (d) plead (RABEINU GERSHOM)

18) [line 46] D'AKUN - (a) that they started to rise and grow in a stalk after they dried out; (b) that they just started to rise and grow in a stalk before they dried out

19) [line 46] AKANTA MILSA HI - (a) rising, growing in a stalk is significant and they will continue to grow; (b) alt. since they just started to grow and were not fully developed when they dried out they will not continue to grow

20) [last line] NAHARA A'NAHARA - (lit. river to river) if grain may be brought by boat from one city to another

19b---------------------------------------19b

21) [line 1] BETZORSA - drought
22) [line 1] KAFNA - famine
23) [line 6] NEHIRNA - I remember
23) [line 7] HAVU NEFISHEI - there were many
24) [line 7] NEFICHEI CHAFAN - [people who were] bloated from famine
25) [line 7] MID'LEIS ISAR - because of a lack of money (Isar = a small Roman coin that is the equivalent of 1/24 of a Dinar, which is 6-8 Prutos)

26a) [line 9] NEYACHA - gentle [rain]
b) [line 10] RAZYA - forceful [rain]
27) [line 13] SHEFICHUSA - a rapid, heavy downpour
28) [line 14] PEROS HA'PESACH - half of the period before Pesach during which the laws of Pesach are discussed, i.e. fifteen days before Pesach

29) [line 16] IPARCHEYA - province, town-government
30) [line 17] ASKERA - choking; (O.F. bon malant) quinsy, a severe development of heat, pain, redness and swelling in the throat (RASHI Berachos 40a)

31a) [line 18] GOVAI - a very destructive, uncommon species of locust
b) [line 19] CHAGAV - the small white locust, according to Yemenite tradition

32) [line 23] SEFICHIN (Plants that grow by themselves in the Shemitah year)
(a) The Torah requires that farmers desist from working the land every seventh year, as described in Vayikra 25:1-7. The fruits that grow during the seventh (Shevi'is) year are holy to the extent that 1. they must be considered ownerless. Anyone may come into any field and pick the fruit that he intends to eat. 2. The fruits may not be bought and sold in a normal fashion. 3. The Torah also requires that they be eaten in the normal way for each fruit.
(b) The word "Sefichim" means "aftergrowth," i.e. that they grew by themselves and were not planted for harvesting this year. According to the Torah, Sefichim may be eaten. The Rabanan decreed that Sefichin of vegetables and grains not be eaten, since the people might plant their fields and claim that the produce grew by itself.

33) [line 25] TZIMUKIM LA'OLAM - (a) the source for the blessing of the rains is *shriveled*, such that the rains come down with difficulty (RASHI); (b) According to the Girsa *SEKIMIYON* LA'OLAM - the rains have become irregular and arbitrary gifts (Sekimiyon refers to a host's or king's gift or a donation that is indefinite as to its time and amount) (ARUCH)

34) [line 32] KUR/KAV

  • 1 Se'ah = 6 Kav
  • 1 Kur = 30 Se'ah = 180 Kav
35) [line 36] SHE'MEGABEL ES HA'TIT - who is mixing earth or clay with water to form mortar
36) [line 40] VA'ANI ETEN LACH SHTEIM ESREI EINOS MAYIM - that is, through rain
37) [line 43] SHAGER LI - send me

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