Study Taanit folio 4B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
רבי יהושע היא, דאמר משעת הנחתו?! אמר רבא: אפילו תימא רבי אליעזר — שאלה לחוד, והזכרה לחוד.
that our Mishnah is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehoshua, who said that one mentions rain from the time of putting the lulav down, from the 8th Day of Assembly, and it is not in accordance with the opinion of R' Eliezer. Rava said: Even if you say that the ruling of the Mishnah is in accordance with the opinion of R' Eliezer, one can explain this by distinguishing between the terms: Requesting is a distinct notion and mentioning is another distinct notion, even according to the opinion of R' Eliezer.
רבי יהודה אומר: העובר לפני התיבה כו׳.
§ The Mishnah stated that R' Yehuda says: With regard to the one who passes before the ark as prayer leader on the concluding Festival day of Sukkot, the 8th Day of Assembly, the prayer leader of the additional prayer mentions rain, while the leader of the morning prayer does not. The reverse is the case at the conclusion of the period of mentioning rain, as the leader of the morning prayer mentions rain, while the one who leads the additional prayer does not.
ורמינהו: עד מתי שואלין את הגשמים, רבי יהודה אומר: עד שיעבור הפסח, רבי מאיר אומר: עד שיעבור ניסן.
And the Talmud raises a contradiction from a baraita (5a): Until when does one request rain? R' Yehuda says: Until Passover has passed. R' Meir says: Until the month of Nisan has passed. According to the baraita, R' Yehuda holds that one prays for rain until the end of Passover, whereas the Mishnah states that R' Yehuda’s opinion is that one prays for rain only until the beginning of the Festival.
אמר רב חסדא, לא קשיא: כאן לשאול, כאן להזכיר. מישאל — שאיל ואזיל, להזכיר — ביום טוב הראשון פסיק.
Rav Ḥisda said: This is not difficult. The baraita here is referring to the request for rain, which continues until the end of Passover, whereas the Mishnah there rules that one is to mention rain only until the first Festival day. In other words, R' Yehuda holds that one continues requesting rain until the end of Passover, but with regard to the mention of rain, already on the 1st day of the Festival one ceases to do so.