Taanit 9B

אקריוה בחלמיה: ״ואכחד את שלשת הרעים״. למחר, כי הוו מיפטרי מיניה, אמר להו: ליזלו רבנן בשלמא.

A verse was read to Rav Pappa in a dream: “And I cut off the 3 shepherds in one month” (Zechariah 11:8). The next day, when they took their leave from him, Rav Pappa said to them: May the Rabbis go in peace, a hint that this would be their final parting. Rav Pappa thought that the 3 rabbis would die as punishment for their behavior and he would never see them again.

רב שימי בר אשי הוה שכיח קמיה דרב פפא, הוה מקשי ליה טובא. יומא חד חזייה דנפל על אפיה, שמעיה דאמר: רחמנא ליצלן מכיסופא דשימי. קביל עליה שתיקותא, ותו לא אקשי ליה.

The Talmud relates a similar incident: Rav Shimi bar Ashi was often found before Rav Pappa and would raise many objections against the opinions of Rav Pappa. One day Rav Shimi bar Ashi saw Rav Pappa fall on his face after prayer. He heard him say: May God save me from the embarrassment of Shimi, and as a result Rav Shimi bar Ashi resolved to be silent and not to raise any further objections against Rav Pappa, as he saw how greatly they pained his teacher.

ואף ריש לקיש סבר מטר בשביל יחיד, דאמר ריש לקיש: מנין למטר בשביל יחיד, דכתיב: ״שאלו מה׳ מטר בעת מלקוש ה׳ עשה חזיזים ומטר גשם יתן להם לאיש עשב בשדה״.

§ The Talmud returns to the issue of rain. And Reish Lakish also maintains that rain can fall for the sake of an individual, as Reish Lakish said: From where is it derived that rain falls even for the sake of an individual? As it is written: “Ask of YHWH rain at the time of the last rain; even of YHWH who makes thunderclouds, and He will give them showers of rain; for a man grass in the field” (Zechariah 10:1).

יכול לכל ⁠— תלמוד לומר ״לאיש״. ותניא: אי לאיש, יכול לכל שדותיו ⁠— תלמוד לומר: ״שדה״. אי שדה, יכול לכל השדה ⁠— תלמוד לומר: ״עשב״.

One might have thought that rain falls for the sake of all the Jewish people. The verse therefore states: “For a man,” i.e., for the needs of an individual And it was further taught in a baraita: If rain falls “for a man,” one might have thought that the rain is for all his fields. Therefore the verse states: “Field,” which indicates that at times it rains on only one field. If it rains on one field, one might have thought that the rain is for the entire field. This is why the verse states: “Grass”; rain can fall for the sake of even a single plant in the field.