Mishnah 1
1)
(a)The order of the fasts that we learned in the previous Perek is confined to the Revi'ah Rishonah. What is the 'Revi'ah Rishonah'?
(b)What does the Mishnah say if plants did not grow the way they have been planted (such as thorns instead of wheat)?
(c)In which other case do all the Chumros of the last of the earlier fasts take effect immediately?
(d)What is the forty days between the first rainfall and the second rainfall a sign of?
1)
(a)The order of the fasts that we learned in the previous Perek is confined to the 'Revi'ah Rishonah' - called 'Yoreh', which comprises the first three rainfalls (as recorded in the previous Perek).
(b)The Mishnah rules that if plants did not grow the way they have been planted (such as thorns instead of wheat) - one blows the Trumpets and performs immediately all the Chumros that we learned earlier in connection with the Revi'ah Rishonah (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(c)All the Chumros of the last of the earlier fasts take effect immediately - where there has been a forty-day break between the first and second Revi'os ...
(d)... as it is a sign of draught (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
Mishnah 2
2)
(a)What does the Tana mean when he now talks about rain that fell for ...
1. ... Plants but not for trees?
2. ... trees but not for pits, trenches and caves?
(b)What does he say with regard to each of these cases?
2)
(a)When the Tana now talks about rain that fell for ...
1. ... plants but not for trees, he means - that that rainfall was a gentle one, for ...
2. ... trees but not for pits, trenches and caves - that although the rainfall was a heavy one, it was not sufficient to fill the pits etc. for drinking (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)With regard to each of these cases, he says - that one blows immediately.
Mishnah 3
3)
(a)What does the Mishnah say about a case where one city has had no rain and the surrounding cities have?
(b)What additional case does the Pasuk in Amos cited by the Tana as a Mashal refer to?
(c)Why, according to the Tana Kama, does the Tana obligate the surrounding cities to fast too?
(d)What does Rebbi Akiva say?
3)
(a)The Mishnah rules that if one city has had no rain and the surrounding cities have - then the city which hasn't fasts and blows the Trumpets immediately (See Tos. Yom-Tov), whereas the surrounding cities fast without blowing the Trumpets.
(b)The Pasuk in Amos cited by the Tana as a Mashal refers to the additional case - where one person's portion of field had rain and another's portion did not.
(c)The reason that, according to the Tana Kama, the Tana obligates the surrounding cities to fast too is - because the residents of the city that has had no rain will purchase much of the food from the city which did, leaving a shortage, so that people in the entire will be hungry.
(d)According to Rebbi Akiva - the surrounding area blow the Trumpets, but do not fast (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
Mishnah 4
4)
(a)Rebbi Akiva and the Chachamim repeat the same Machlokes in two other cases; one of them where one city is stricken with Dever (pestilence). What is the other?
(b)In a town of five hundred male (See Tos. Yom-Tov) inhabitants, how many people must die in how many days to be considered Dever?
(c)What does the Tana about 'less than that' (See Tos. Yom-Tov)?
4)
(a)Rebbi Akiva and the Chachamim repeat the same Machlokes in two other cases; one of them where one city is stricken with Dever (pestilence); the other - where there are struck by an earthquake.
(b)In a town of five hundred inhabitants, to be considered Dever - three people must on three consecutive days (one on each day).
(c)Less than that (See Tos. Yom-Tov), says the Tana, is not considered Dever.
Mishnah 5
5)
(a)The Mishnah discusses various other public plagues that require blowing the Shofar everywhere (See Tos. Yom-Tov). What is the difference between 'Shidafon' and 'Yerakon' assuming the latter pertains to fields?
(b)What else might 'Yerakon'' mean?
(c)The Tana also includes in the list of plagues Arbeh and Chasil. What is 'Chasil'?
(d)Which remaining two plagues does he incorporate in the list?
5)
(a)The Mishnah discusses various other public plagues that require blowing the trumpets everywhere (See Tos. Yom-Tov). 'Shidafon' is - where a strong wind emptied the corn of its kernels, whereas 'Yerakon' (assuming that it pertains to fields - is where the crops turned green.
(b)Alternatively - it pertains to to the human illness called jaundice.
(c)The Tana also includes in the list of plagues Arbeh and Chasil - a specific type of locust).
(d)He also incorporates in the list - a plague of wild beasts and an enemy attack.
Mishnah 6
6)
(a)Some elders were once travelling from Yerushalayim when they saw a small area of smitten produce (Shidafon) that caused the Chachamim to decree a fast. Where were they going?
(b)What measure of Shidafon did they see?
(c)On another occasion they decreed a fast because, according to the Tana Kama, some wolves ate some babies. How many wolves and babies were involved?
(d)What does Rebbi Yossi say?
6)
(a)Some elders were once travelling from Yerushalayim - to Ashkelan, when they saw a small area of smitten produce (Shidafon) that caused the Chachamim to decree a fast ...
(b)... when they saw - a small area of field of Shidafon (enough to produce to bake a loaf that would fir into the opening of an oven (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(c)On another occasion they decreed a fast because, according to the Tana Kama two wolves ate two babies.
(d)According to Rebbi Yossi - they decreed a fast because the wolves were merely sighted.
Mishnah 7
7)
(a)What does the Tana Kama say about a city that is under siege or a river that overflowed its banks?
(b)Which third case does the Tana incorporate in this ruling?
(c)Rebbi Yossi says 'le'Ezrah ve'Lo li'Tze'dakah'. What does he mean by that?
(d)What is the Halachah in these cases?
7)
(a)The Tana Kama rules that if a city is under siege or a river that overflowed its banks - 'Masri'in Afilu be'Shabbos (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)The third case the Tana incorporates in this ruling is - that of a ship that is floundering at sea.
(c)Rebbi Yossi says 'le'Ezrah ve'Lo li'Tze'akah' - meaning that they are only permitted to cry out to call for people to come and help, but not to Hash-m (See Tos. Yom-Tov & Tiferes Yisrael).
(d)The Halachah in these cases is - that one does not blow the trumpets (they actually blew the Shofar as well) on Shabbos, unless it is to gather the people to help, but that one does cry out to Hash-m and beseech Him to help.
8)
(a)Shimon ha'Timni includes Dever in the above list. What 'ha'Timni' mean?
(b)What does the Mishnah comment on that?
8)
(a)Shimon ha'Timni (from Timnas) includes Dever in the above list ...
(b)... on which the Mishnah comments - that the Chachamim disagree with him (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
Mishnah 8
9)
(a)What is the only communal Tzarah over which one does not cry out and blow the trumpets (Tiferes Yisrael)?
(b)What did Choni ha'Me'agel once instruct the people to do when he prayed for rain but none came?
(c)Why did he do that?
(d)What did he do next?
(e)Then he began his Tefilah with the words "Ribono shel Olam, Banecha Samu Peneihem alai ... '. What did he swear he would (or would not) do?
9)
(a)The only communal Tzarah over which one does not cry ot and blow the trumpets (Tiferes Yisrael) is - too much rain.
(b)When Choni ha'Me'agel once prayed for rain but none came, he instructed the people to bring their (earthenware) Pesach ovens into the house ...
(c)... to prevent them from melting in the heavy rain that he knew was about to come.
(d)Next he drew a circle and stood inside it.
(e)He then began his Tefilah with the words "Ribono shel Olam, Banecha Samu Peneihem alai ... ' - and swore by Hash-m's Holy Name that he would not leave the circle until He took pity on His children.
10)
(a)How did he respond when ...
1. ... it began to drizzle?
2. ... the rain came down in full force?
(b)What happened next?
(c)What did the people do?
(d)What did they then ask Choni ha'Me'agel to do?
10)
(a)When ...
1. ... it began to drizzle - he commented that this was not what he asked for, but rather for rain that fill the pits, the trenches and the caves.
2. ... the rain came down in full force - he said that that was also not what he asked for; what he wanted was rain of goodwill, blessing and given in a generous spirit.
(b)At that stage - the rain began to fall regularly ...
(c)... until the people began to ascend from the city to the Har ha'Bayis, and ...
(d)They then asked Choni - to pray for the rain to stop just as he had prayed for it to come.
11)
(a)What did Choni ha'Me'agel mean when he instructed the people to go and see whether the 'Even ha'To'en was 'blotted out'?
(b)What was the 'Even ha'To'im'?
(c)Why did he tell them to do that?
(d)What was the significance of that?
11)
(a)When Choni ha'Me'agel instructed the people to go and see whether the 'Even ha'To'en was 'blotted out', hd meant - that they should see whether the rain had risen above it.
(b)The 'Even ha'To'im' was - a large stone on which people would stand (on Yom-Tov) and announce articles that they had found.
(c)He told them to do that - because he knew that, due the height of the stone, it would never happen.
(d)He did that in keeping with the earlier statement - that one never calls for the rain to cease falling (Se also Tos. Yom-Tov).
12)
(a)What message did Shimon ben Shetach send Shimon ben Choni ha'Me'agel? What would he have done if he had been anybody else other than Choni?
(b)Why ought he to have done that?
(c)Why could he then not do that to Choni?
(d)Which Pasuk in Mishlei did he quote to describe Choni's relationship with Hash-m?
12)
(a)Shimon ben Shetach sent Choni ha'Me'agel a message that had he had been anybody else other than Choni - he would have put him in Cherem ...
(b)... due to Kavod ha'Rav (i.e. Hash-m).
(c)He could not do that to Choni however - because he was able to behave like a little child before Hash-m, who would fulfill his every wish ...
(d)... and to describe Choni's relationship with Hash-m, he quoted the Pasuk in Mishlei - "Yismach Avicha ve'Imecha, ve'Sageil Yoladtecha!"
Mishnah 9
13)
(a)What distinction does the Tana Kama draw between where rain falls on one of the fasts before Hanetz ha'Chamah and after it?
(b)What does Rebbi Eliezer say?
(c)Like whom is the Halachah?
13)
(a)The Tana Kama rules that if rain falls on one of the fasts before Hanetz ha'Chamah - they do not complete the fast (See Tos. Yom-Tov); after Hanetz ha'Chamah - they do.
(b)According to Rebbi Eliezer - the distinction is between before midday and after midday (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(c)The Halachah is - like Rebbi Eliezer.
14)
(a)What did Rebbi Tarfon once announce when they decreed a fast in Lod, and rain fell before midday?
(b)After following his instruction, what did the people do in the afternoon?
(c)Why did Rebbi Tarfon not instruct them to say Hallel ha'Gadol before going to eat?
14)
(a)When they once decreed a fast in Lod, and rain fell before midday, Rebbi Tarfon announced - that they should eat and drink and make a Yom-Tov.
(b)After following his instruction, the people assembled in the afternoon - to say Hallel ha'Gadol (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(c)Rebbi Tarfon did not instruct them to recite Hallel ha'Gadol before going to eat - because one only recites Hallel ha'Gadol on a full stomach and when one feels satiated.
