Taanit 25 - December 7, 3 Tevet

Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa was so poor that his wife would pretend that they had food. A story is brought to highlight this. One day she pushes Rabbi Chanina to pray to end their poverty but when their prayers are answered, they realize there is a price to pay and they request from God to take it back. A few stories tell of other miracles that Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa was known for, some of them involving neighbors of his. Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat was also very poor and has nothing to eat after bloodletting so he ate a clove of garlic. He gets weak and falls asleep and some strange things happen while he is asleep and when he wakes, the rabbis ask him to explain what transpired in his sleep. He recounts a conversation he had with God in his dream. A number of other stories are told of times of drought and different ways that the rabbis were eventually able to get the rain to come. Why are righteous people compares to a cedar and to a date (in Psalms 92:13). Why was Rabbi Akiva’s prayer for rain accepted when Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkanus’ prayers were not? How much rainfall is enough to cancel the fast? If it rains by what time of day do they cancel the fast for that day? There are three different opinions – sunrise, midday or nine hours into the day. Shmuel HaKatan thought that if it rains just before the fast starts or at the end of the day, that is a bad sign – that either God doesn’t want to hear our prayers or God wants to torment us. But if the rains comes as the chazzan says “bring down the rain,” that is a good sign. When the rains came during a fast in Lod, they broke their fast and then said Hallel. Why did they not recite Hallel before eating?