Siman - Taanis Daf 5
- The miracle that occurred in the days of Yoel, when yoreh rains fell in Nissan
The next Mishnah states: עד מתי שואלין את הגשמים – Until when do we ask for rain? Rebbe Yehudah says: עד שיעבור הפסח – Until Pesach passes. Rebbe Meir says: עד שיצא ניסן שנאמר "ויורד לכם גשם מורה ומלקוש בראשון" – Until the month of Nissan is over, as it says in the passuk, He made rain descend for you, yoreh and malkosh, in the first month, referring to Nissan. The Gemara questions whether yoreh rain falls in Nissan as it brings a Baraisa that yoreh rain falls in Marcheshvan and malkosh rains come in Nissan. Rebbe Yitzchak answered in the name of Rebbe Yochanan that the passuk is referring to miracle that occurred in the days of the navi Yoel ben Pesuel, when after seven years of famine, Hashem performed a miracle and yoreh rains fell in Nissan to enable the grain that usually takes six months to grow, take only eleven days to grow. The passuk states regarding that generation, "הזורעים בדמעה ברנה יקצרו" – Those who sow with tears will reap in joy. The people had sowed whatever seeds they had even though they had nothing to eat. In the end, they reaped in joy. Rav Chisda said, and others say it was taught in a Baraisa: קנה זרת שיבולת זרתים – The size of the stalk of grain was one hand-span, whereas the ear was the size of two hand-spans. Rashi explains that this was a great miracle since the stalk is usually three or four times the size of the ear.
- The existence of ירושלים של מעלה
Rav Nachman said to Rebbe Yitzchak: What does the following passuk mean? "בקרבך קדוש ולא אבוא בעיר" – In your midst there is holiness, and I, referring to Hashem, will not come into the city. Why should holiness prevent Hashem from coming into the city? Rebbe Yitzchak answered in the name of Rebbe Yochanan: Hakadosh Boruch Hu said: לא אבוא בירושלים של מעלה עד שאבוא לירושלים של מטה – I will not come into the Yerushalayim up above until I first come into the Yerushalayim down below. When the Gemara asks if there is a Yerushalayim shel ma’aleh, it answers that there is, for the passuk states, "ירושלים הבנויה כעיר שחברה לה יחדו" – The Yerushalayim that is built will be like the city which is joined together with it.
- Why Shmuel became old
Rav Nachman also asked Rebbe Yitzchak what the passuk means when it states: "ויהי כאשר זקן שמואל" – And it came to be when Shmuel was old. Did Shmuel ever get old? He was only fifty-two when he passed away. Rebbe Yitzchak answered that Rebbe Yochanan said: זקנה קפצה עליו – Old age came upon him suddenly. Rashi explains that his hair turned white. Rebbe Yochanan explained that when Hakadosh Boruch Hu told Shmuel that He wanted to kill Shaul for not obeying his command, Shmuel responded that Hashem compared Shmuel to Moshe and Aharon. Just as their work of their hands, referring to Yehoshua, did not pass away while they were alive, so too the work of his hands, referring to Shaul, should not pass away in Shmuel’s lifetime. HaKadosh Boruch Hu asked what he should do? Shmuel will not let him kill Shaul early. If he lets Shmuel die at a young age so He can kill Shaul, people will suspect Shmuel did something wrong. He cannot let Shaul live longer for the time has arrived for Dovid to become king, and אין מלכות נוגעת בחברתה אפילו כמלא נימא – One malchus does not encroach upon another even by a hairsbreadth. Hakadosh Boruch Hu decided to let Shmuel age prematurely so he would die before Shaul, and no one would suspect him of wrongdoing.
