Daf 15

1) On the last fasts, they carry the Aron to the city's street and you place ash on top of it. They placed ash on the Nassi's head and on the head of the Av Beis Din. Everyone else placed ashes on their own heads. Although we regularly say for doing cursed things, we start from the least of them as we see that Hashem cursed the snake, then Chava and then Adom, (and for doing things of greatness, we start from the greatest person, as the Pasuk says that Moshe spoke to Aharon, Elazar and Isamar); on the contrary, this symbolizes their importance that they're so great to be able to Daven for everyone (and be answered).

2) The Nassi and Av Beis Din need someone else to place it upon their head since you can't compare to embarrassing yourself and being embarrassed by others. (So they have others do it since it's more humbling.)

3) [Tosfos says that they put ash from a human bone since it's in remembrance of Akeidas Yitzchok, and he had bones. [See Yavetz who's bewildered how you can allow burning a human bone for this.]]

4) The ash was placed on the area where he places his Tefilin, since the Pasuk says “to the mourners of Tzion; I will give beauty in place of the ash.” (Tefilin is considered 'beauty,' therefore, we see that the place of the ash is the place of the Tefilin.)

5) That, which we go out to the street; R' Chiya b. Abba says: since we called out to Hashem in private and we weren't answered, we'll embarrass ourselves to go out in public. Reish Lakish says: so that our exile should atone for us. The Halachic difference between them; if you can exile yourselves from one Shul to another. (After all, you're exiling yourselves, but you're not embarrassing yourselves in public.)

6) R' Yehoshua b. Levi says: the reason we take the Aron out to the street; since we have a (beautiful) utensil we usually have hidden away, but now it's being embarrassed (by placing it out in the open) because of our sins.

7) The reason we're covered with sackcloth; as to say that we're considered to be like animals.

8) The reason that we put ash on the Aron; since Hashem is with us in our troubles.

9) There is an argument between R' Levi b. Chama and R' Chanina why they put ash on the heads of every individual. One said; it's as if to say that we're considered like ash before You (i.e., Hashem). The other said; in order to remember the ashes of Yitzchok (i.e., the Akeida). The Halachic difference between them is if you can use regular dirt. (We can still symbolize that we're like dirt, but it won't be a remembrance to the Akeida.)

10) There is an argument between R' Levi b. Chama and R' Chanina why we visit the cemetery during the fast. One said; we're considered before You (Hashem) like dead people. The other says in order that the dead should pray for us. The Halachic difference between them is if you can go to a non-Jewish cemetery. [Tosfos says: therefore we're accustomed to go visit a cemetery on Tisha B'av, since Tisha B'av is like a communal fast for the (stoppage) of rain.]

11) The most elder person tells them words meant to conquer their hearts. If there is a scholarly elder, the elder says it. If there isn't one, then a scholar says it. If there isn't one, then a person with an imposing figure says it. [Tosfos explains: a tall person, so that people should accept his words to humble themselves.]

12) The conquering words are: “My brethren, it doesn't say by the people of Ninvei that Hashem saw their sackcloth and fast, rather, it says 'Hashem saw their deeds since they returned from their bad ways.' It also says 'you should tear your heart and not your cloths.'”

13) If you confess your sins, but you hadn't abandon the sins; it's like Toiveling with a Sheretz in your hands, that the Teveila is not valid.

14) Although there may be an elderly scholar in the congregation, we don't allow someone to be the Chazon but a regular Chazon. R' Yehuda explains: the Chazon must have small children and he doesn't have what to feed them. He should have a field to work, and his house is empty from sin, and his beginnings were pleasant, that he didn't have a bad reputation even when he was young, humble, favored by the congregation, have a sweet voice, and is an expert in reading Tanach and learns Medrish, Halacha and Aggados. He should be an expert in all the Brachos.

15) They added the extra six Brachos between Gaol Yisrael and Rofei Cholei. They also extended Gaol Yisrael. They added “the one who answered Avraham at Har Hamoriah etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Gaol Yisrael.” [Tosfos says: they end the Bracha of Avraham with redemption, since he was the first of the redeemed.] Afterwards, you say the first extra Bracha of Zichronos and end “He who answered our father at the Red Sea etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Zocher Hanishkachos.” [Tosfos explains: when they were in Egypt, they gave up from being redeemed, and yet Hashem says “I remember my treaty.”] Afterwards, you say the second extra Bracha of Shofros and end “He who answered Yehoshua in Gilgol etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Shomea Teruos.” [Tosfos explains: he answered Yehoshua in Yericho with Shofros.] Afterwards, you say the third one “He who answered Shmuel in Mitzpah etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Shomea Tzeaka.” Afterwards, you say the fourth one, “He who saved Eliyahu on Mount Karmel etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Shomea Tefila.” (Some say that you say Tefila by Shmuel and Tzeaka by Eliyahu, since they both did Tefila and Tzeaka). The fifth one was “He who answered Yona in the belly of the fish etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Ha'onah Beis Tzara.” The sixth is “He who answered Dovid and his son Shlomo in Yerushalayim etc. Baruch Atah Hashem Merachem Al Ha'aretz.” (This is because we're praying to rain on the land. Alternatively, since they built the Beis Hamikdash, which is the main part of the land.) Sumchus says to change the last one ending to Baruch Atah Hashem Hamashpil Gayim (since he humbles the Jews to do Teshuva through holding back the rain.)

16) R' Yehuda says that you only say Zichronos and Shofros on Rosh Hashana and Yovel and during war (because of Drashos, however, we don't know which Drasha tells us to say it during war), Therefore, he holds that you exchange those Brachos with “and the hunger was in the land” and with “it was the word of Hashem to Yirmiya.”

17) In the Beis Hamikdash, they didn't respond 'Amien' after the Brachos, but said Baruch Sheim etc. However, you may not do so outside the Mikdash.

18) Between each Bracha, the Chazon told the Kohanim to blow Shofar (a Tekiya for the first one, and a Truah for the second one etc.)

19) R' Yehoshua says: during the first three communal fasts, the general Mishmar of that week fasted (some of the day) but didn't finish the whole fast, and the Beis Av of that day didn't fast at all. During the three middle fasts; the general Mishmar fasted the whole day, but the Beis Av of that day fasted (some of the day) but didn't finish the whole fast. During the last seven fasts; they both fasted the full fast. The Chachumim say: during the first three fasts neither fasted at all. During the middle three fasts; the general Mishmar fasted (some of the day) but didn't finish the whole fast, and the Beis Av of that day didn't fast at all. During the last seven fasts; the general Mishmar fasted the whole day, and the Beis Av of that day fasted (some of the day) but didn't finish the whole fast.

20) The Kohanim in the general Mishmar may drink wine at night, but not during the day. (After all, perhaps the service will be too plentiful for the Beis Av, and the rest of the Mishmar would need to help. However, after the day, where you only need to burn the leftover limbs, you can assess from what's there that they won't be needed, so they may drink.) The Beis Av can't drink day or night.

21) From here we say (nowadays) any Kohain who recognizes which Mishmar and Beis Av he belongs to, he's only prohibited to drink wine that day (that's designated for his Beis Av to do the service). [Tosfos explains that you can't drink wine outside your meal. However, you may drink wine within the meal, since it doesn't intoxicate.] If he recognizes which Mishmar, but not which Beis Av he belongs to, he's prohibited to drink wine that week (of the Mishmar). If he doesn't recognizes neither which Mishmar or Beis Av he belongs to, he's prohibited to drink wine the whole year. (After all, he's prohibited to drink wine whenever he's in doubt that it may be the day his Beis Av does the service, since, if the Beis Hamikdash gets rebuild then, he shouldn't be drunk and unable to fulfill his duties.)

22) Rebbi says: every Kohain should be prohibited always to drink since he might be needed when the Mikdash is rebuilt. However, what can I do that the fix to the situation (to allow them to drink) is the ruined situation (that it's taking a long time for the Beis Hamikdash to be rebuilt, so we don't worry that it will be built while he's drunk). Our Kohanim drink wine nowadays as they rely on Rebbi's opinion.

23) All those in the Mishmar and the Yisraelim who come with them are forbidden to get a haircut and to launder their clothes, but they're permitted on Thursday because of the honor of Shabbos.

24) We learned: a king takes haircuts everyday as the Pasuk says: “a king shall be seen in his beauty.”A Kohain Gadol takes one every Friday (to look nice) for the new Mishmar of that week. A regular Kohain takes one once every thirty days (not to transgress the prohibition of doing Avodah with overgrown hair). As we learn a Gezeira Shava from Nazir, and the unspecified Nazir is for thirty days.

25) Nowadays, a Kohein doesn't need to cut his hair every thirty days even like the Rabanan of Rebbi who forbids drinking wine, since they can just give them haircuts (and they can do the service). However, if he's drunk, he can't be put to sleep for a little bit and then he'll be fit to serve, or to walk a Mil which removes someone from his drunkard state since this is only said when he only drank a Revious. However, if he drank more than a Revious, the walking will make him more in a stupor and sleeping will keep him drunk.

26) R' Ashi wanted to answer the rabbis only decreed forbidding drinking wine, since it will invalidate the service. They didn't decree forbidding growing the hair long since it wouldn't invalidate the service. The Gemara asks: since we have a Hekish between drinking wine and growing hair that we learn that, just like you're punished with death for drinking wine, you're punished with death for growing the hair long; we should use this same Hekish to say, just like drinking wine invalidates the service, so does long hair (invalidates the service).

27) Any day that's written in the Megilas Taanis that you can’t even eulogize on that day; the Tanna Kama held that it's also forbidden the day before, but permitted the day after. However, R' Yossi held that both the day before and after are forbidden. However, if it says that it's only forbidden to fast; the Tanna Kama held that it's permitted the day before and the day after. However, R' Yossi holds that it's forbidden the day before but permitted on the day after. It's only forbidden to fast and eulogize on Shabbos, Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh themselves, but are permitted the day before and the day after since they are from the Torah, and Torah laws don't need extra support. However, Megilas Taanis is rabbinic, and you need to give extra support for rabbinic laws.

28) One of the Yom Tovs of Megilas Taannis is from the eighth day until the end of Pesach. They enacted it because of winning the dispute of scheduling the Yom Tov of Shvuos with the Tzidukim. The reason they needed to extend the Yom Tov throughout Pesach, although you can't fast or eulogize then anyhow; to forbid the day after Pesach according to R' Yossi.

Another Yom Tov is from Rosh Chodesh Nissan until the eighth day, they enacted, because of winning the dispute with the Tzidukim about the Tamid (that an individual can't bring it), not to eulogize on them. Although it's forbidden to eulogize on Rosh Chodesh anyhow, they enacted from Rosh Chodesh to forbid the twenty-ninth of Adar. Although that should anyhow be forbidden since it's the day after the Yom Tov of the twenty-eighth (when the evil decree to forbid them in Torah and Mitzvos got canceled); Abaya answers: we only need it for an expanded month (that it was made into a thirty day month, to forbid the thirtieth day, which would be the day before Rosh Chodesh). R' Ashi answers: even if we refer to a shorter month, we still need it since we only forbid the day afterwards regarding fasting, but you could eulogize. However, now that the twenty-ninth is sandwiched between two Yomim Tovim, they gave it a status as a Yom Tov itself and forbid eulogies.

29) The practical difference that we said that from the eighth (of Nisson) until after Pesach, they enacted not to eulogize because of the establishing the date for the Yom Tov of Sh'vuos, although the eighth was anyhow forbidden since it was part of the Yom Tov of establishing the Halachos of the Tamid, is; if something happens that we would cancel the first Yom Tov, we would only cancel the first seven days, but the eighth day would still be forbidden since it was the first day of the Yom Tov of establishing the day of Shvuos. [Tosfos quotes Rashi: we shouldn't say that the Yom Tov can start from the ninth, and even if there is some enactment to cancel the first seven days (of Nissan) from being a Yom Tov, still, you wouldn't be able to fast on the eighth since it's the day before the ninth. After all, if they would cancel the eighth day from being its Yom Tov, we wouldn't say that it's forbidden to fast because it's the day before the Yom Tov of establishing the day of Shvuos.] The Gemara concludes: once we came on to that last answer, we can answer (why we need two Yom Tovim next to) the twenty-ninth (of Adar, and we don't say it's anyhow forbidden being next to the other) since, if they would cancel the twenty-eighth day Yom Tov, we would still forbid the twenty-ninth for being the day before the Yom Tov of establishing the Halachos of the Tamid.

30) Rav holds that the Halacha is like R' Yossi, and Shmuel says that the Halacha is like R' Meir. He held that you should always take the most lenient opinion in these Halachas.) Therefore, he originally thought that there is no Tanna who was more lenient than R' Meir, so he Paskined like R' Meir. However, once he heard R' Shimon b. Gamliel's opinion who was more lenient and it's only forbidden on those days, and not on the day before and the day after, he Paskined like him.

31) R' Yochanan Paskins like R' Yossi on those days that you don't fast (that you can't fast the day before either). However, the Halacha is not like him that the day after is forbidden for Yom Tovs that you can't eulogize.

The Gemara asks: R' Yochanan always Paskins like an unnamed Mishna, and we learned in Megila; although we say that they can read the Megila on an earlier time, they're permitted to fast and to eulogize on those days. We can't refer to a person (who lives in a walled-city) that should read on the fifteen, and he went to an unwalled city and read on the fourteenth, since the fourteenth and fifteenth are days of Purim that you can't eulogize. Even those who keep the fourteenth are forbidden to fast and eulogize on the fifteenth, and vice versa. It can't refer to a case where he lives where you keep the fourteenth (but you visited a village) and heard the Megila on the thirteenth since it's a Yom Tov of the day of Niknor. It can't refer to a case where he lives where you keep the fourteenth (but you visited a village) and heard the Megila on the twelfth since it's the Yom Tov of Turinus. So, it must refer to a case where he lives where you keep the fourteenth but he visited a village and heard the Megila on the eleventh, and yet it says that it's permitted to fast and eulogize; (and we don't say that it's forbidden to fast the day before the Yom Tov of Turinus like R' Yossi says, so this unnamed Mishna is not like R' Yossi.)

32) The Gemara answers: we refer to a case where he lives where you keep the fourteenth (but you visited a village) and heard the Megila on the twelfth and nowadays they canceled the Yom Tov of Turinus, because of the murder of the brothers Shmaya and Achiya. Therefore, R' Nachman decreed a fast on the twelfth. Although it should be forbidden anyhow since it's the day before the Yom Tov of Niknor, once we cancel its own Yom Tov, we won't forbid fasting for being the day before Niknor either.

33) [Tosfos says: we fast the day before Purim, although we didn't cancel Purim and Chanuka like we canceled Megilas Taanis in general (after the Churban); they only didn't cancel Chanuka and Purim themselves from being a Yom Tov, but they canceled the prohibition to fast the day before. Alternatively, since they canceled the Yom Tov that was held the day before Purim (when they canceled the Megilas Taanis), we say that they canceled it from being forbidden from being the day before Purim.]

34) You can't decree a set of fasts to start on Thursday since it might affect the market-price of food. Rather, the first three fasts are on a Monday, Thursday and Monday. The second three fasts are on a Thursday, Monday and Thursday. R' Yossi argues and says: just like the first set of fasts can't start on Thursday, so too the middle and last sets of fasts can't start on a Thursday.

35) We don't decree fasts on Rosh Chodesh, but if you already started to fast, and during that series, it comes out Rosh Chodesh, you fast, but you don't finish the day without eating. R' Acha says three fasts are considered starting fasting, and R' Assi says even one fast is a start.

36) However, R' Yehuda quotes Rav: this is R' Meir's opinion who quoted R' Gamliel. However, the Chachumim say to finish the fast. Mar Zutra Darshined in the name R' Huna: the Halacha is that you must finish the fast. [Tosfos explains: we only Paskin to finish fasting by Rosh Chodesh. However, you can't fast at all on Chanuka and Purim since they're days of feasts and drink.]