002 - הִלְכוֹת תַּעְנִיּוֹת פֵּרֶק ב

Laws of Fasts, Chapter 2

1. These are the troubles for which the community fasts and sounds the alarm: when enemies of Israel oppress Israel, and for the sword, and for plague, and for wild beasts, and for locusts, and for the chasil, and for blight, and for mildew, and for collapse, and for illnesses, and for lack of food, and for lack of rain.

2. Any city that is experiencing any of these troubles—its people fast and sound the alarm until the trouble passes. All the surrounding areas fast but do not sound the alarm; rather, they pray for mercy on their behalf. In all places, one does not cry out or sound the alarm on Shabbos, as we have said—except for lack of food, for which one cries out even on Shabbos; but one does not sound the alarm with trumpets for it on Shabbos.

3. What is the trouble of enemies of Israel oppressing Israel? If non-Jews come to wage war against Israel, or to impose a tax on them, or to take land from them, or to decree religious persecution upon them—even regarding a minor mitzvah—they fast and sound the alarm until they are shown mercy. All the cities around them fast, but do not sound the alarm, unless they have already sounded the alarm to gather people to help them.

4. What is the trouble of the sword? Even a sword of peace, such as when non-Jews wage war with each other and pass through a place where Jews live, even though there is no war between them and the Jews—this is considered a trouble, and they fast and sound the alarm for it, as it is said: "And a sword shall not pass through your land" (Vayikra 26:6), which implies that even the sight of war is a trouble.

5. What is considered plague? A city with five hundred able-bodied men, and three people die from it over three consecutive days—if they died all in one day, or over four days, this is not considered plague. If there are a thousand, and six die over three consecutive days—this is considered plague; if they died all in one day, or over four days, this is not considered plague. And so on, according to this calculation. Women, children, and elderly who are not engaged in work are not included in the count of the city's population for this matter.

6. If there is plague in Eretz Yisroel, the other exiles of Israel fast for them. If there is plague in a province, and caravans travel back and forth from it to another province—both provinces fast, even if they are far from each other.

7. One does not fast for wild beasts unless they are acting abnormally. How so? If it is seen in the city during the day, this is considered abnormal. If it is seen in the field during the day—if it sees two people and does not flee from them, this is considered abnormal. If the field is near a swamp, and it sees two people and chases after them, this is considered abnormal; if it does not chase after them, it is not considered abnormal. If it is in the swamp—even if it chases after them—it is not considered abnormal, unless it attacks both and eats one of them. But if it eats both in the swamp, it is not considered abnormal, because that is its place; and it attacked out of hunger, not because it is acting abnormally.

8. Houses built in deserts and desolate lands—since these are places of wild beasts, if a beast climbs onto the roof and takes a baby from its cradle, this is considered abnormal; but if it does not reach this extent, it is not considered abnormal, for these people have endangered themselves by coming to the place of the wild beasts.

9. Other types of crawling creatures of the earth and birds that attack and cause damage—such as snakes and scorpions, and certainly hornets and mosquitoes and the like—one does not fast or sound the alarm for them; but one does cry out, without sounding the alarm.

10. For locusts and chasil: even if only a single wing is seen anywhere in Eretz Yisroel, they fast and sound the alarm for them; and for the govai, for any amount. But for the grasshopper, one does not fast or sound the alarm; rather, one only cries out.

11. For blight and mildew: as soon as it begins in the grain—even if it has only begun in a small area the size of an oven's mouth—they decree a fast and sound the alarm for it.

How to Respond to Calamities

12. How does one respond to a collapse? If there is a frequent collapse of sturdy walls in a city, and these walls are not located by the riverbank, this is considered a calamity, and the people fast and sound the alarm over it. Similarly, for earthquakes and winds that cause buildings to collapse and kill people, they fast and sound the alarm over them.

13. How does one respond to illnesses? If a single illness spreads among many people in a city, such as diphtheria or croup or similar diseases, and people are dying from that illness, this is a communal calamity, and a fast is decreed and the alarm is sounded. Similarly, if there is a moist rash, it is like an eruptive boil, and if it spreads among most of the community, they fast and sound the alarm over it; but for a dry rash, they only cry out over it.

14. How does one respond to a shortage of provisions? If merchandise that most of the city's inhabitants rely on for their livelihood becomes cheapened, such as linen goods in Bavel or wine and oil in Eretz Yisroel, and business activity decreases to the point that a merchant must sell something worth ten for six and only then finds a buyer, this is a communal calamity, and the alarm is sounded over it; and they cry out over it even on Shabbos.

15. How does one respond to rain? If there is an excess of rain to the point that it becomes a hardship for them, these people pray about it, for there is no greater calamity than this, as houses collapse and their homes become their graves. But in Eretz Yisroel, they do not pray about an excess of rain, because it is a land of mountains and their houses are built of stone; most rain is beneficial for them, and they do not fast to remove a benefit.

16. If grain has sprouted and then the rain stops, and the plants begin to dry up, they fast and cry out until rain falls or until the plants dry up completely. Similarly, if the time of Pesach or close to it arrives in Eretz Yisroel, which is the season when the trees blossom there, and no rain has fallen, they fast and cry out until rain falls that is suitable for the trees, or until their season passes.

17. Similarly, if the time of Sukkos arrives and there has not been enough rain to fill the cisterns, ditches, and caves, they fast until rain falls that is suitable for the cisterns. And if they do not have water to drink, they fast for rain whenever they lack drinking water, even during the summer months.

18. If there is a break of forty days between one rainfall and the next during the rainy season, this is considered a drought, and they fast and cry out until rain falls or until the season passes.