Taanit 2 - November 14, 10 Kislev

Study Guide Taanit 2

Today’s daf is sponsored by Diana Bloom in loving memory of her grandmother Ita Rosa Marmurek “Her intelligence, strong character, and independent nature are a constant inspiration to this day”.

Today's daf is also sponsored by Julia and Arielle in honor of Marian Frankston's birthday. “We are so impressed by your commitment to Torah learning, thank you for being an amazing example!" 

On what date do we begin to mention the strength of God who brings the rains "mashiv haruach u’morid hageshem" in our prayers? The Mishna brings two opinions. This is different from the day we ask God to bring the rain. The Gemara asks about the fact that the Mishna begins with the question from when without first talking about the concept of mentioning rains in our prayers. In response, they reply that the Mishna addressed an earlier topic in Masechet Berakhot but then since Berakhot is an entirely different seder of Mishna, they add that in Masechet Rosh Hashanah Tractate they mentioned the subject in the Mishnah "and on the Feast of Judgment on the Water." Why in the Mishnah is it called "the strength of the rains”?" Where do we get that rains are strengths of God? The verses of the rains are connected to verses of the creation of the world where the strength of God is mentioned. There is a hint in the Torah that rains should be mentioned in prayer – derived from the verses in Shema that connected between prayer and the bringing of the rain. Rabbi Yochanan says that there are three keys that God keeps in his hand and are not given to an intermediary - rain, pregnancy/birth and the resurrection of the dead. Some also say livelihood. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua derive their opinions from the lulav – one says we begin the same day as lulav, one says when we finish the mitzva of lulav. Two other opinions derive it from the water libations and derive from the unique wording used in describing the libations on day number 2 and day number six of the holiday that one should begin on the second day or on the sixth day of Sukkot to praise God about bringing rain.