Taanit 2B

אליה אלהים ויפתח את רחמה״. מפתח של תחיית המתים מנין ⁠— דכתיב: ״וידעתם כי אני ה׳ בפתחי את קברותיכם״.

to her, and He opened her womb” (Genesis 30:22). From where is it derived that the key of the resurrection of the dead is maintained by God Himself? As it is written: “And you should know that I am YHWH when I have opened your graves” (Ezekiel 37:13).

במערבא אמרי: אף מפתח של פרנסה, דכתיב: ״פותח את ידך וגו׳״. ורבי יוחנן, מאי טעמא לא קא חשיב להא? אמר לך: גשמים היינו פרנסה.

In the West, Eretz Yisrael, they say: The key of livelihood is also in God’s hand, as it is written: “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor” (Psalms 145:16). The Talmud asks: And what is the reason that R' Yoḥanan did not consider this key of livelihood in his list? The Talmud answers that R' Yoḥanan could have said to you: Rain is the same as livelihood in this regard, as rain is indispensable to all livelihoods.

רבי אליעזר אומר: מיום טוב הראשון של חג כו׳. איבעיא להו: רבי אליעזר מהיכא גמיר לה? מלולב גמר לה, או מניסוך המים גמר לה.

§ The Mishnah taught that R' Eliezer says: One mentions rain from the first Festival day of the festival of Sukkot etc. A dilemma was raised before the rabbis: From where did R' Eliezer derive this halakha? He must have learned it from one of the two mitzvot of Sukkot that are linked to rain. Did he derive it from the mitzva to wave the lulav, or did he derive it from the obligation of the water libation?

מלולב גמר לה: מה לולב ביום ⁠— אף הזכרה ביום. או דלמא מניסוך המים גמר לה: מה ניסוך המים מאורתא, דאמר מר: ״ומנחתם ונסכיהם״, אפילו בלילה ⁠— אף הזכרה מאורתא.

The Talmud clarifies the significance of this dilemma: Did he derive this halakha from the lulav, in which case one would say: Just as the mitzva to take the lulav applies during the day and not at night, so too, the mention of rain begins during the day of the first Festival day of Sukkot. Or perhaps he derives this halakha from the water libation, in which case one would say: Just as the water libation can be prepared from the first night of Sukkot, as the Master said, with regard to the verse: “And their meal-offerings and their libations” (Numbers 29:18), and certain meal-offerings and libations may be brought even at night, so too, the mention of rain begins from the evening.