Siman - Taanis Daf 27
- How the twenty-four mishmaros were established
The Gemara discusses the background for the twenty-four mishmaros. Rav Chama bar Guria said in the name of Rav: משה תיקן להם לישראל שמונה משמרות – Moshe instituted for Yisrael eight mishmaros: four from the family of Elazar and four from the family of Itamar. בא שמואל והעמידן על שש עשרה – Shmuel came and established a total of sixteen. בא דוד והעמידן על עשרים וארבע – Dovid came and established a total of twenty-four. The Gemara brings a Baraisa with a different background for the mishmaros. Moshe instituted sixteen mishmaros, eight from the family of Elazar and eight from the family of Itamar. When the descendants of Elazar became more numerous than the descendants of Itamar, they divided the mishmaros again and established twenty-four; sixteen for Elazar and eight for Itamar. When the Gemara suggests that the Baraisa is a תיובתא to Rav Chama bar Guria, it answers that he could say that it is a machlokes Tannaim as to how many mishmaros Moshe initially established.
- Why the maamodos read from Maaseh Bereishis
The Mishnah had stated that the Yisraelim that were part of the mishmar that were not located in Yerushalayim, would gather in their towns and read from מעשה בראשית. The Gemara asks what the connection is between the מעמדות and מעשה בראשית. Rebbe Yaakov bar Acha said in the name of Rav Assi: אלמלא מעמדות לא נתקיימו שמים וארץ – If not for the maamados, referring to the korbanos that the maamodos represent, heaven and earth would not continue to exist, for when Avraham asked Hashem, "במה אדע כי אירשנה" – How will I know that I am to inherit Eretz Yisroel, he was really asking, how will the Jewish people be saved from destruction if they sin, and not meet the same fate of the Dor Hamabul and Dor Haflagah? Hashem answered him, "קחה לי עגלה משלשת ועז משלשת" – bring Me three calves and three goats, indicating that the korbanos will save them. Avraham then asked, that this answer only applies when there is a Beis Hamikdash, but what will be when the Beis Hamikdash is not around? Hashem answered, כבר תקנתי להם סדר קרבנות – I have already prepared for them the parsha of korbanos. Whenever they read from them before Me, מעלה אני עליהם כאילו הקריבום לפני – I will consider it as if they brought the korbanos before Me, ואני מוחל להם על כל עונותיהם – and I will forgive them for all their sins. We see from here that the existence of heaven and earth are connected to our bringing korbanos.
- Why the maamados do not fast on Sundays
The Gemara asks why the maamados did not fast on Sunday. Rebbe Yochanan said: מפני הנוצרים – because of the Nazareans. Rashi says, that since they make Sunday a holiday, they would be insulted if the Jews fasted then. Rebbe Shmuel bar Nachmani said: מפני שהוא שלישי ליצירה – Because Sunday is the third day from Man’s creation, and on the third day a person is weakest, as learned from bris milah and the people of Shechem. Reish Lakish said that the נשמה יתירה that is placed in a person erev Shabbos, is taken away from him motzai Shabbos, as the passuk states: "שבת וינפש" – He rested and was refreshed, which can be darshened to mean, כיון ששבת וי אבדה נפש – Once one has rested, meaning after a full Shabbos and it has now gone, woe to the additional soul which is gone! Rashi explains that the word וינפש can be a contraction of וי and נפש. Therefore, as a result of the נשמה יתירה leaving him, a person is weaker on Sundays.
