Siman 575

The order of fasts that are fasted in Eretz Yisrael for rain is as follows: Behold, the time for requesting rain in Eretz Yisrael is on the third of Marheshvan, as I wrote above in siman 117. And if rain did not fall then—they wait until the seventeenth of the month, because until this time there is no spoilage of the crops yet. And if the seventeenth arrived and rain did not fall—the talmidei chachamim alone begin to fast Monday, Thursday, and Monday. And all students are fit for this, meaning if he knows how to answer a matter of halacha in any place—he is obligated to fast. And if he has not reached this measure—he is not obligated. Nevertheless, if he desired—he may include himself among the talmidei chachamim, and there is no concern of yuhara in this (see Magen Avraham and Taz subsection 1). But ordinary people cannot fast, because they are not worthy to include themselves among the talmidei chachamim. And even though in the Gemara (10b) there is one who permits everyone to fast—we do not rule accordingly. And even though in siman 554 regarding the matter of work on Tisha B'Av, we rule that every person is permitted to make himself a talmid chacham, see there—it is not comparable at all. For regarding work, there are many who do not perform work, and there is also a place where they practiced that everyone does not perform work, as I wrote there. And also, there is not such great importance in this. This is not the case regarding fasts established only for talmidei chachamim alone—there is yuhara in this, and also that he considers himself worthy that his prayer should be accepted. Therefore, one should not do so. (See Magen Avraham subsection 1 who raised a difficulty in this and answered. And according to what I wrote, it works out well with simplicity. Examine it and you will find it easy.)

And these fasts are like the fast of an individual, without ceasing from while it is still day, and without the stringency of a public fast, because the withholding of rains is not yet so great. But if Rosh Chodesh Kislev arrived and rains did not fall—beit din decrees three fasts upon the entire public: Monday, Thursday, and Monday. And all the people enter the synagogues, and pray and cry out and supplicate in the manner they do on all fasts: with the reading of "Vayechal," and with "Anenu" and "Avinu Malkeinu." And they are still not like a public fast to cease from while it is still day, because they do not burden the public so much, and there is still a remedy for the crops if rains fall from here onward.

If these also passed and they were not answered – the beit din decrees upon the community another three fasts: Monday, Thursday, and Monday. On these, they cease eating while it is still day, as on Tisha B'Av. However, an addition like Yom Kippur – certainly is not necessary, for it should not be more stringent than Tisha B'Av. And its twilight is forbidden like Tisha B'Av. And they are forbidden on them from performing melacha during the day but not at night. And even though on Tisha B'Av it depends on the local custom, nevertheless, on these fasts where they must set their hearts to the deeds in their hands – it is necessary that they not perform melacha during the day, for if not so, they will be preoccupied and will not set to their hearts to examine their deeds. And they are forbidden from washing the entire body in hot water; therefore, they lock the bathhouses. But his face, his hands, and his feet in hot water, and his entire body in cold water – is permitted. And it is more lenient in this than Tisha B'Av, because it is difficult for the community to be for three days without this. And they are forbidden from anointing, except to remove filth; for in anointing it is like Tisha B'Av, because they can withstand being without anointing. And they are forbidden on them from marital relations as on Tisha B'Av, and likewise they are forbidden from wearing sandals in the city as on Tisha B'Av. And they pray in the synagogues and supplicate as on other fasts, and they do not add blessings in the prayer except for "Aneinu" alone.

And if these also passed and they were not answered—beit din decrees another seven fasts upon the entire public: Monday and Thursday, and Monday and Thursday, and Monday and Thursday, and Monday. And it is obvious that everything that is forbidden during the three fasts preceding these—is forbidden during these seven. And these seven are more stringent than the previous three in that they sound the shofar during them for the blessings that they add to the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, and they pray in the city square in order to make a cry of distress. And they bring down an elder and a sage to rebuke them when there is an elder and a sage. And if not—they bring down a sage even though he is not an elder. And if not—they bring down a man of stature, whose words are accepted. And he stands and says: "Our brothers! It is not sackcloth and fasting that cause...", as will be explained in siman 579. And also the blessings that they add will be explained there with the help of Heaven.

And aside from this, they are stringent regarding these latter fasts to lock the shops to increase the distress. And on Monday toward evening, they open slightly those shops that sell food and drink, so that they may find what to purchase for the night meal. And on Thursday, they open these shops all day, for the honor of the Shabbat. And if the shop has two entrances—he locks one and opens one. However, if it has only one entrance—he opens it in its usual manner. And if the shop has a bench in front of the entrance, such that its opening is now not so visible to the public domain—he opens it in its usual manner even on Monday (Rashi 14b), and even with both entrances. But our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote in section 4 that specifically on Thursday is it permitted with a bench, for so wrote the Rambam in the third chapter. And the Tur wrote without specification, see there.

Pregnant and nursing women fast during the middle three. But not during the first three because they are still light, and not during the last seven because it is impossible to impose so many fasts upon them after they have already fasted three fasts (and the difficulty of the Magen Avraham in subsection 5 is answered, see there). And it is forbidden for them to be stringent upon themselves to fast, so that they do not come to a state of danger. However, they should only eat enough for the sustenance of the fetus. And so too, in any place where they decree any fast upon the community—the weak are not included. And certainly pregnant and nursing women, for it is surely no more stringent than the first three during which they do not fast, as I have written. And the Rambam wrote that pregnant and nursing women only fast during the last seven, see there. And this is not according to our version in the Gemara (14a), and the Yerushalmi says that they fast during the first and the middle ones, but not during the last ones, see there. And this is not according to our Shas there.

During the time that the Beit HaMikdash existed, when they would decree these fasts, there were in the Beit HaMikdash the men of the mishmar whose watch was during that week, and the men of the beit av, as the men of that mishmar were divided into family houses, and each beit av serves on its day. And behold, during the first three fasts, even the men of the mishmar do not fast. During the middle three, the men of the mishmar fast part of the day but do not complete it, and the men of the beit av, upon whom the service of the day is incumbent, do not fast at all. During the final seven, the men of the mishmar fast and complete it, and the men of the beit av fast part of the day but do not complete it.

And after they have decreed these thirteen fasts – they do not decree further, even though they were not answered. And these words apply when they fast for rain, because when these have passed – the time for rain has already passed, and there is no benefit in them. But for other calamities – they continue to fast until they are answered from Heaven.

And when they fast for rain, and these thirteen fasts passed and they were not answered—they diminish business dealings, and building for joy, unless his wall is leaning and about to fall. And business dealings as well—it is only forbidden regarding matters of joy. And what is building and business dealings of joy? That of betrothal and marriage; and it was explained above in siman 551 regarding the period before Tisha B'Av, see there. And they diminish betrothal and marriage, meaning: they should not betroth and they should not marry unless he has not yet fulfilled the commandment of procreation. And they diminish the greeting of peace between a man and his fellow. And this means to diminish in whatever way possible, for to abolish it entirely is impossible for the masses of people. However, talmidei chachamim shall not greet at all, and they shall be like those rebuked by the Omnipresent, for they cried out and were not answered. And an am ha'aretz who gave a greeting to a talmid chacham—they respond to him with a faint lip and with gravity. And even though they ceased from fasting—nevertheless, the talmidei chachamim alone fast Monday, Thursday, and Monday until the Nisan of the tekufah has passed, which is thirty days after the tekufah of Nisan. And they are permitted to eat at night, and they are permitted in labor, and they interrupt on Rosh Chodesh and Purim. And when the Nisan of the tekufah has passed, which is when the sun has reached the beginning of the constellation of Taurus—they no longer fast, for rain at this time is nothing but a sign of a curse, when it did not fall at all until this time. (That which he wrote in the Shulchan Aruch section 7: "And they interrupt on Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah...", it is a printing error. For Chanukah has surely already passed.)

And all this order applies when rains did not fall at all. But if they fell during the first rainfall, in the manner of rainfall that saturates the earth, and the plants sprouted, and the rains ceased and they began to wither—behold, they fast and cry out until rains fall, or conversely, until the plants wither, Heaven forbid, and there is no further benefit. And so too, if the time of Pesach arrived or is near to it, which is the time of the blossoming of the trees in Eretz Yisrael, and rains did not fall—behold, they fast and cry out until rains suitable for the trees fall, or conversely, until their time passes and there will be no benefit at all. And so too, if the festival of Sukkot arrived and much rain did not fall, enough to fill from them the pits, ditches, and caves—behold, they fast until rain suitable for the pits falls. And if they have no water to drink—they fast for the rains at any time that they do not have water to drink, and even during the summer months. And if the rains ceased between one rain and another for forty days during the rainy season—behold, this is a plague of drought, and they fast and cry out until rains fall, or conversely, until their time passes.

All these matters are stated only regarding Eretz Yisrael and its surroundings, where their rainy season is in Marheshvan, and the order we mentioned follows. But places where their rainy season is at other times of the year, such as by us where the rainy season is after Pesach, when their time arrives and rain has not fallen—individuals fast Monday, Thursday, and Monday, and they interrupt on Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, and Purim if the rainy seasons are then, and they wait afterwards about six days. If rain has not fallen—beit din decrees thirteen fasts according to the order we mentioned. However, they do not have the stringency of the fasts of Eretz Yisrael where they cease eating while it is still day. And in Chutz La'aretz it is not so, but rather they eat on them at night, and their law is like other fasts of individuals. For the stringency of a public fast like Tisha B'Av and Yom Kippur applies only in Eretz Yisrael and because of rain, and in those ten fasts which are the middle three and the final seven, and not because of another decree. And in Chutz La'aretz, even because of rain, it does not.

If they were fasting for rain and were answered, how much must fall for them to stop the fast? Once they enter the depth of parched earth a tefach, and in average soil two tefachim, and in worked soil three tefachim. And how much rain must fall for them to recite a blessing over them has been explained above in siman 221. And when rain falls according to this measure, if it fell after midday—they complete that day, and if it fell before midday—they do not complete it, but rather they eat and drink and make it a yom tov. And in the evening they shall gather and say "Hallel HaGadol," which is the twenty-six instances of "for His kindness is everlasting." For one does not say "Hallel HaGadol" except upon a full stomach and a satisfied soul. And that which we say it on Shabbat and yom tov in Pesukei D'Zimra during the prayer—we have no concern with it. And in a place where drunkenness is common, they say "Hallel HaGadol" and afterwards eat and drink (Gemara). And so too if the majority of the community desired to complete the fast—they should say it before eating (Magen Avraham, subsection 11). And there is one who disagrees with this (Eliyah Rabbah).

It appears clear to me that specifically when rains fell in the measure that was explained before midday, they do not complete [the fast], similar to if they fell after midday. For certainly it is so, as if not so, there is no novelty. And so it is explained from the language of the Gemara and the Rambam. And according to this, the language of the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch, section 11, is not understood, as they wrote: "If they began to fall before midday," which implies that only if the rains began to fall before midday, even though the measure was not filled until after midday—they do not complete [the fast]. And it is a wonder: were they not exempt from the fast without the measure? And if so, they were exempt after midday, and why should they not complete it? Furthermore: who compelled them to change from the language of the Shas? Therefore, it appears to me that it is not precise, and in the word "began" is included the beginning and the completion, just as in [the case of] after midday. For certainly it is so, and nevertheless, it requires further study.

One does not say "Hallel HaGadol" except specifically when they were answered on the day of their fast. But if they were not answered until the day after their fast—no, for they were not answered because of the fast, but rather from Heaven they were shown mercy. And likewise, if rains fell for them on the night of their fast, before the dawn broke—one also does not say "Hallel HaGadol," for the primary answering is after the dawn (Taz and Magen Avraham). And we do not know the reason for the matter.

Some say that at the time of reciting "Hallel HaGadol" they should say afterward: "We thank You for every single drop...", as I wrote in siman 221. And afterward, each individual does not need to recite the blessing for rain explained there (Magen Avraham subsection 12). And in the Piskei Tosafot it is found that one should begin before "Hallel HaGadol": "A song of ascents, behold bless... who stand in the house of Hashem in the nights...", because the song for rain is at night. And one says "He causes vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth..." (ibid.). And it appears to me that this is an error, and thus it should be said: because the falling of rain is at night, for this is a sign of blessing as our sages, of blessed memory, expounded in Taanit (23a) on the verse "And I will give your rains in their season" – on Wednesday nights and on Sabbath nights, see there. And so it is brought in the Midrashim that it was so during the time of the building of the Beit HaMikdash. However, in Pesachim (118a) there is a dispute regarding this, see there. And in the Yerushalmi at the end of the third chapter of Taanit it also implies this, see there that one should say "who stand in the house of Hashem." But it appears more likely that it refers to the psalm "Halleluyah, praise O servants of Hashem who stand in the house of Hashem," since it says there: as it is written "He causes vapors to ascend," and this is in this psalm. And also in the Piskei Tosafot it requires saying this verse.