Study Taanit folio 23B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ולא אסבר להו אפיה. בפניא, כי הוה מנקט ציבי, דרא ציבי ומרא בחד כתפא, וגלימא בחד כתפא. כולה אורחא לא סיים מסאני, כי מטי למיא סיים מסאניה. כי מטא להיזמי והיגי דלינהו למניה. כי מטא למתא, נפקה דביתהו לאפיה כי מיקשטא. כי מטא לביתיה, עלת דביתהו ברישא, והדר עייל איהו, והדר עיילי רבנן. יתיב וכריך ריפתא ולא אמר להו לרבנן תו כרוכו. פלג ריפתא לינוקי, לקשישא — חדא, ולזוטרא — תרי.
but he did not return their greetings. Toward evening, as he was gathering firewood, he placed the wood and hoe on one shoulder and his cloak on the other shoulder. Along the entire way he did not wear his shoes, but when he reached water he put on his shoes. When he reached an area filled with shrubs and thorns he lifted up his clothes. When he reached the city, his wife came out to greet him, adorned with finery. When he reached his house, his wife entered first, he entered afterward, and afterward the two rabbis entered. He sat and ate bread, but he did not say to the rabbis: Come and eat, as was customary and polite. He divided bread to his children; to the elder child he gave one piece and to the younger one he gave two.
אמר לה לדביתהו: ידענא דרבנן משום מיטרא קא אתו, ניסק לאיגרא וניבעי רחמי, אפשר דמרצי הקדוש ברוך הוא וייתי מיטרא ולא נחזיק טיבותא לנפשין. סקו לאיגרא, קם איהו בחדא זויתא, ואיהי בחדא זויתא, קדום סלוק ענני מהך זויתא דדביתהו. כי נחית אמר להו: אמאי אתו רבנן? אמרו ליה: שדרו לן רבנן לגבי דמר למיבעי רחמי אמיטרא. אמר להו: ברוך המקום שלא הצריך אתכם לאבא חלקיה.
Abba Ḥilkiyya said to his wife: I know that these rabbis have come due to the rain. Let us go up to the roof and pray for mercy. Perhaps God will be appeased, and it will rain, and we will not receive credit ourselves for the rainfall. They went up to the roof. He stood in one corner and she stood in the other corner. Clouds began to form on that side where his wife stood. When he descended, he said to the rabbis: Why have the rabbis come? They said to him: The other rabbis have sent us to the Master, so that you should pray for mercy for rain. He said to them: Blessed is God, Who did not require you to petition Abba Ḥilkiyya, as the sky has filled with clouds and rain is certainly on its way.