Study Taanit folio 14B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
גזר תלת עשרה תעניות ולא איעני. סבר למיגזר טפי. אמר ליה רבי אמי: הרי אמרו אין מטריחין את הצבור יותר מדאי.
R' Yehuda Nesia decreed 13 fasts, but he was not answered. He considered decreeing more fasts until they would be answered. R' Ami said to him that they said: One does not trouble the community excessively, and therefore you should not impose more than 13 fasts.
אמר רבי אבא בריה דרבי חייא בר אבא: רבי אמי דעבד — לגרמיה הוא דעבד. אלא הכי אמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן: לא שנו אלא לגשמים, אבל לשאר מיני פורענויות — מתענין והולכין עד שיענו מן השמים. תניא נמי הכי: כשאמרו שלש וכשאמרו שבע — לא אמרו אלא לגשמים, אבל לשאר מיני פורענויות — מתענין והולכין עד שיענו.
R' Abba, son of R' Ḥiyya bar Abba, said: When R' Ami acted and issued this ruling, he did so on his own authority, as it went against the majority opinion. Rather, R' Ḥiyya bar Abba said that R' Yoḥanan said as follows: They taught only that the community observes a maximum of 13 fasts when they are praying for rain. However, with regard to other types of calamities, they continue to fast until they are answered from Heaven. The Talmud comments: This halakha is also taught in a baraita: When the rabbis said 3 and when they said 7, they spoke only concerning fasts for rain. However, with regard to other types of calamities, they continue to fast until they are answered.
לימא תיהוי תיובתיה דרבי אמי! אמר לך רבי אמי: תנאי היא, דתניא: אין גוזרין יותר משלש עשרה תעניות על הצבור, לפי שאין מטריחין את הצבור יותר מדאי, דברי רבי. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: לא מן השם הוא זה, אלא מפני שיצא זמנה של רביעה.
The Talmud suggests: Let us say that this baraita is a conclusive refutation of the opinion of R' Ami. The Talmud answers: R' Ami could have said to you that this is a dispute between tanna’im, as it is taught in a baraita: One does not decree more than 13 fasts on the community, as one does not trouble the community excessively. This is the statement of R' Yehuda HaNasi. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: This halakha is not for that reason. Rather, it is due to the fact that after 13 fasts the time of the rainfall has already passed, and there is no reason to fast for rain after the winter has ended.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.