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Text Excerpt
בצורתא. מדינתא אמדינתא — כפנא. ואמר רבי חנינא: סאה בסלע ושכיחא — בצורתא. ארבעה ולא שכיחא — כפנא.
this is considered a drought. If produce must be brought from one province to another province, this is considered a famine. And R' Ḥanina said: If a se’a of grain is sold for a sela, but it is available, this is considered a drought. Although prices have risen, there is still grain for those who can afford it. However, if 4 se’a of grain is sold for a sela, and it is not available, this is considered a famine.
אמר רבי יוחנן: לא שנו אלא בזמן שהמעות בזול ופירות ביוקר, אבל מעות ביוקר ופירות בזול — מתריעין עליה מיד. דאמר רבי יוחנן: נהירנא כד הוו קיימי ארבעה סאין בסלע, והוו נפישי נפיחי כפן בטבריא מדלית איסר.
R' Yoḥanan said: They taught this only with regard to a time when money is cheap and everyone has it, and produce is expensive. However, when money is expensive, i.e., unavailable, and produce is cheap, they cry out about it immediately, as this is considered a famine. As R' Yoḥanan said: I remember when 4 se’a of produce were sold for one sela, and yet there were many swollen by famine in Tiberias, as they did not have even one issar with which to purchase food.
ירדו לצמחין אבל לא לאילן. בשלמא לצמחים ולא לאילן — משכחת לה דאתא ניחא, ולא אתיא רזיא. לאילן ולא לצמחין — דאתיא רזיא, ולא אתיא ניחא.
§ The Mishnah taught: If sufficient rain fell for the vegetation but not enough fell for the trees; if it was enough for the trees but not for the vegetation; or if sufficient rain fell for both this and that, i.e., vegetation and trees, but not enough to fill the cisterns, ditches, and caves with water to last the summer, they cry out about it immediately. The Talmud comments: Granted, with regard to rain that fell in sufficient quantities for the vegetation but not for the trees, this case can be found, e.g., if gentle rain fell but heavy rain did not fall, this is insufficient for the trees. Furthermore, it is possible for enough rain to fall for the trees but it is not effective for the vegetation, if heavy rain fell but gentle rain did not fall.