Siman - Taanis Daf 31
- בנות ירושלים יוצאות בכלי לבן שאולין
The Mishnah on Daf 26b stated regarding Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur, שבהן בנות ירושלים יוצאות בכלי לבן שאולין – that they are days when the young maidens of Yerushalayim would go out dressed in white borrowed garments, שלא לבייש את מי שאין לו – so as not to embarrass someone who did not have one. Rashi explains that even the wealthy girls did not wear their own clothes. It was taught in a Baraisa on this Daf, בת מלך שואלת מבת כהן גדול – The king’s daughter would borrow from the Kohen Gadol’s daughter, as Rashi explains because the Kohen Gadol is next in prominence to the king, בת כהן גדול מבת סגן – The Kohen Gadol’s daughter would borrow from the daughter of the deputy Kohen Gadol, ובת סגן מבת משוח מלחמה – and the deputy Kohen Gadol’s daughter would borrow from the daughter of the Kohen anointed for battle, ובת משוח מלחמה מבת כהן הדיוט – and the daughter of the Kohen anointed for battle would borrow from a daughter of an ordinary Kohen. וכל ישראל שואלין זה מזה כדי שלא יתבייש את מי שאין לו – and all the other Jews would borrow from each other in order that a poor girl that did not have nice clothing would not be embarrassed.
- What the young maidens would say to the unmarried men
The Gemara brings a Baraisa that teaches what the young maidens would say to the men who came out to find a wife. It was taught: יפיפיות שבהן מה היו אומרות – What would the beautiful ones say? תנו עיניכם ליופי שאין האשה אלא ליופי – Set your eyes on beauty, for a wife is primarily for beauty. מיוחסות שבהן מה היו אומרות – What did the girls with good yichus say? תנו עיניכם למשפחה לפי שאין האשה אלא לבנים – Set your eyes on family, for a wife is primarily for children. Rashi explains that people are eager to marry their children to sons and daughters from families with good lineage. מכוערות שבהם מה היו אומרות – What did the ugly ones among them say? קחו מקחכם לשום שמים ובלבד שתעטרונו בזהובים – Take your purchase for the sake of Heaven, provided that after marriage you adorn us with gold.
- Hakadosh Boruch Hu will make a circle for the tzadikim in the future
Ulla Biraah said in the name of Rebbe Elazar: עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות מחול לצדיקים – In the future HaKadosh Boruch Hu will make a circle for the tzadikim, והוא יושב ביניהם בגן עדן – and He will sit between them in the middle of a circle, in Gan Eden, וכל אחד ואחד מראה באצבעו – and each one of them will point with his finger toward Hashem, as it is says in the passuk, "ואמר ביום ההוא הנה אלקינו זה קוינו לו ויושיענו זה ה' קוינו לו נגילה ונשמחה בישועתו" – He shall say on that day, “Behold, this is our G-d; we hoped to Him and He saved us; this is Hashem to whom we hoped; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.
