Siman - Taanis Daf 24

• The overly strict nature of Rebbe Yose of Yukras

Rebbe Yose bar Avin told Rav Ashi that the reason he left his Rebbe, Rebbe Yose of Yukras, was because גברא דעל בריה ועל ברתיה לא חס עלי דידי היכי חייס – A man who shows no pity on his son or daughter, how will he take any pity on me? The Gemara relates that Rebbe Yose of Yukras’ workers, who were sitting under a fig tree, told his son one evening that they were hungry, as they had not been brought any food. Since the figs were not in season, the son said: תאנה תאנה הוציאי פירותיך ויאכלו פועלי אבא – Fig tree, fig tree, bring forth your fruit so my father’s workers can eat. The tree produced fruit and the workers ate. When his father came with food, explaining that he had been delayed with a mitzvah, he asked the workers how his son provided them with food, and they related what happened. Rebbe Yose said: בני אתה הטרחת את קונך להוציא תאנה פירותיה שלא בזמנה יאסף שלא בזמנו – My son, you bothered your Creator to make the fig tree produce fruit when it was not its time, let that person be taken from the world when it is not yet his time. When he once met a man who was desirous of his beautiful daughter, he told her, “My daughter, you are causing pain to people; return to your dust and do not let mankind stumble because of you".

• Why rain came for Rav Yehudah and not Rabbah

Rabbah was gozeir a fast because of a drought, and when he davened for rachamim, the rain did not come. People asked him why his tefilos were not effective like Rav Yehuda’s, who would be gozeir a fast and would be answered promptly with rain. Rabbah replied that the fault was not his. He said, “If you think it is because we do not compare in learning, that is not so. In Rav Yehudah’s time they only excelled in Seder Nezikin, whereas we are proficient in all six Sedarim. When Rav Yehudah would learn topics in Uktzin, he would admit that he did not fully understand them, whereas we teach Uktzin in thirteen different mesivtos. Yet, when Rav Yehudah would take off one shoe as a display of suffering, the rains would come, whereas we cry out all day in tefillah, and we get no response. If it is because of me, then anybody who has seen me do wrong, please come forward and tell me. אלא מה יעשו גדולי הדור שאין דורן דומה יפה – Rather, what can the leaders of the generation do when the people of their generation are acting improperly?

• חנינא בני

Beginning on this Daf and continuing on the next one, the Gemara brings a number of stories about Rebbe Chanina ben Dosa. One time he was walking on the road when it started to rain. He said: רבונו של עולם כל העולם כולו בנחת וחנינא בצער – Master of the Universe. The whole world is comfortable, but Chanina is in pain. The rain stopped. When he reached his home, he said: רבונו של עולם כל העולם כולו בצער וחנינא בנחת – The entire world is in pain and Chanina is comfortable. It started to rain again. Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: בכל יום בת קול יוצאת ואומרת – Every day a bas kol goes out and says: כל העולם כולו ניזון בשביל חנינא בני – The entire world is sustained due to Chanina my son, וחנינא בני דיו בקב חרובים מערב שבת לערב שבת – and Chanina, my son, is sustained on one kav of carobs from one erev Shabbos to the next.