In this daf, we are privileged to enter the holy and wondrous world of the great Tanna, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, and his righteous wife. We learn of their extreme poverty, where they had to put vinegar in the Shabbos lamps and pretend to bake bread just to avoid embarrassment from their neighbors. Through these stories, we see how the Aibershter constantly performed open miracles for them, changing the very nature of creation to protect their dignity and sustain them in their holy avodah.
We also learn of the deep emunah and yiras Shamayim of Rabbi Chanina, who refused to benefit from anything that was not rightfully his, even caring for lost chickens until they multiplied into a herd of goats. The Gemara then transitions to the moving story of Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, another holy Sage who suffered from crushing poverty, showing us the sweet and intimate dialogue between a tzaddik and the Holy One, Blessed be He, regarding the struggles of this world and the reward waiting in the next.
מִשּׁוּם כִּיסּוּפָא.
She did this because of embarrassment, to make it appear that she was baking.
הֲוָה לַהּ הָךְ שִׁיבָבְתָא בִּישְׁתָּא, אֲמַרָה: מִכְּדֵי יָדַעְנָא דְּלֵית לְהוּ וְלָא מִידֵּי, מַאי כּוּלֵּי הַאי?
She had a certain evil neighbor who said to herself: Now, I know that they do not have anything at all. What, then, is all this smoke?
אֲזַלָא וּטְרַפָא אַבָּבָא, אִיכַּסְפָא וַעֲיַילָא לְאִינְדְּרוֹנָא,
She went and knocked on the door to find out what was in the oven. Rabbi Chanina's wife was embarrassed and entered the inner room.
אִיתְעֲבִיד לַהּ נִסָּא דְּחָזְיָא לְתַנּוּרָא מְלֵא לַחְמָא וְאַגָּנָא מְלֵא לֵישָׁא,
A miracle was performed for her, as the neighbor saw the oven filled with bread and the kneading basin filled with dough.
אֲמַרָה לַהּ: פְּלָנִיתָא, פְּלָנִיתָא! אַיְיתַי מָסָא, דְּקָא חֲרִיךְ לַחְמִיךְ.
The neighbor said to her, calling her by name: So-and-so, so-and-so! Bring a shovel, as your bread is burning.
אֲמַרָה לָהּ: אַף אֲנָא לְהָכִי עֲיַילִי.
Rabbi Chanina's wife said to her: I too went inside for that very purpose.
תָּנָא: אַף הִיא לְהָבִיא מַרְדֶּה נִכְנְסָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּלוּמֶּדֶת בְּנִסִּים.
A Sage taught in a Braisa: She too had entered to bring a shovel, because she was accustomed to miracles and anticipated that one would occur.
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ דְּבֵיתְהוּ: עַד אֵימַת נֵיזִיל וְנִצְטַעַר כּוּלֵּי הַאי?
His wife said to him, to Rabbi Chanina: Until when will we go on and suffer this much poverty?
אֲמַר לַהּ: מַאי נַעֲבֵיד?
He said to her: What can we do?
בְּעִי רַחֲמֵי דְּנִיתְּבוּ לָךְ מִידֵּי.
She said to him: Pray for mercy that they should give you something from Heaven.
בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי, יָצְתָה כְּמִין פִּיסַּת יָד וִיהַבוּ לֵיהּ חַד כַּרְעָא דְּפָתוּרָא דְּדַהֲבָא.
He prayed for mercy, and there emerged something like the palm of a hand, and they gave him one leg of a golden table.
חָזְיָא בְּחֶלְמָא, עֲתִידִי צַדִּיקֵי דְּאָכְלִי אַפָּתוּרָא דְּדַהֲבָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ תְּלָת כַּרְעֵי, וְאִיהוּ — אַפָּתוּרָא דִּתְרֵי כַּרְעֵי.
That night, she saw in a dream that in the future, the righteous will eat at a golden table that has three legs, but she and her husband will eat at a table of two legs.
אֲמַר לַהּ: נִיחָא לָךְ דְּמֵיכָל אָכְלִי כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא אַפָּתוּרָא דְּמַשְׁלַם וַאֲנַן אַפָּתוּרָא דִּמְחַסַּר.
When she told him this, he said to her: Are you content that everyone will eat at a complete table, and we will eat at a defective table?
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: וּמַאי נַעֲבֵיד? בְּעִי רַחֲמֵי דְּנִשְׁקְלִינְהוּ מִינָּךְ.
She said to him: But what can we do? Pray for mercy that they should take it from you.
בָּעֵי רַחֲמֵי וְשַׁקְלוּהוּ.
He prayed for mercy, and they took it back.
תָּנָא: גָּדוֹל הָיָה נֵס אַחֲרוֹן יוֹתֵר מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן. דִּגְמִירִי, דְּמֵיהָב יָהֲבִי מִישְׁקָל לָא שָׁקְלִי.
A Sage taught: The last miracle was greater than the first, as we have learned as a tradition that Heaven gives, but does not take back.
חַד בֵּי שִׁמְשֵׁי חַזְיַיהּ לְבַרְתֵּיהּ דַּהֲווֹת עֲצִיבָא, אֲמַר לַהּ: בִּתִּי אַמַּאי עֲצִיבַתְּ?
One Friday evening, he saw his daughter who was sad. He said to her: My daughter, why are you sad?
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: כְּלִי שֶׁל חוֹמֶץ נִתְחַלֵּף לִי בִּכְלִי שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן וְהִדְלַקְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ אוּר לְשַׁבָּת.
She said to him: A vessel of vinegar was confused by me for a vessel of oil, and I lit from it the light for Shabbos.
אֲמַר לַהּ: בִּתִּי, מַאי אִכְפַּת לִךְ? מִי שֶׁאָמַר לַשֶּׁמֶן וְיִדְלוֹק, הוּא יֹאמַר לַחוֹמֶץ וְיִדְלוֹק.
He said to her: My daughter, what does it matter to you? He Who said to the oil that it should burn, He will say to the vinegar that it should burn.
תָּנָא: הָיָה דּוֹלֵק וְהוֹלֵךְ כׇּל הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ, עַד שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אוּר לְהַבְדָּלָה.
A Sage taught: It continued burning the entire day, until they brought from it light for Havdalah.
רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא הֲווֹ לֵיהּ הָנָךְ עִיזֵּי, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: קָא מַפְסְדָן.
Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa had some goats. His neighbors said to him: They are causing damage to our fields.
אֲמַר: אִי קָא מַפְסְדָן — נֵיכְלִינְהוּ דּוּבֵּי, וְאִי לָא — כֹּל חֲדָא וַחֲדָא תַּיְתֵי לְאוּרְתָּא דּוּבָּא בְּקַרְנַיְיהוּ.
He said: If they are causing damage, let them be eaten by bears; but if not, let each and every one bring in the evening a bear on its horns.
לְאוּרְתָּא אַיְיתַי כֹּל חֲדָא וַחֲדָא דּוּבָּא בְּקַרְנַיְיהוּ.
In the evening, each and every one brought a bear on its horns.
הֲוָה לֵיהּ הָהִיא שִׁיבָבְתָא דְּקָא בָנְיָא בֵּיתָא וְלָא מְטוֹ כְּשׁוּרֵי.
He had a certain neighbor who was building a house, and the beams did not reach from wall to wall.
אָתְיָא לְקַמֵּיהּ, אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: בְּנֵיתִי בֵּיתִי וְלָא קָמָטוּ כְּשׁוּרַאי.
She came before him and said to him: I built my house, and my beams do not reach.
אֲמַר לַהּ: מָה שְׁמִךְ? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אֵיכוּ. אָמַר: אֵיכוּ נִימְטוֹ כְּשׁוּרִיךְ.
He said to her: What is your name? She said to him: Ikku. He said: If so, may your beams reach.
תָּנָא: הִגִּיעוּ עַד שֶׁיָּצְאוּ אַמָּה לְכָאן וְאַמָּה לְכָאן. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִין: סְנִיפִין עֲשָׂאוּם.
A Sage taught: They reached, until they jutted out a cubit to this side and a cubit to that side. And some say: They made segments, adding new walls to support them.
תַּנְיָא, פְּלֵימוֹ אוֹמֵר: אֲנִי רָאִיתִי אוֹתוֹ הַבַּיִת, וְהָיוּ קוֹרוֹתָיו יוֹצְאוֹת אַמָּה לְכָאן וְאַמָּה לְכָאן, וְאָמְרוּ לִי: בַּיִת זֶה שֶׁקֵּירָה רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ.
It is taught in a Braisa, Pleimo says: I saw that house, and its beams were jutting out a cubit to this side and a cubit to that side, and they said to me: This is the house that Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa roofed through his prayer.
וְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא מֵהֵיכָן הֲווֹ לֵיהּ עִזִּים? וְהָא עָנִי הֲוֵי!
The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, from where did he have goats? But wasn't he poor?
וְעוֹד, אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: אֵין מְגַדְּלִין בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל?
And furthermore, the Sages said: One may not raise small domesticated animals in Eretz Yisrael because they destroy fields. How then could he raise goats?
אָמַר רַב פִּנְחָס: מַעֲשֶׂה וְעָבַר אָדָם אֶחָד עַל פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ וְהִנִּיחַ שָׁם תַּרְנְגוֹלִין, וּמְצָאָתַן אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא, וְאָמַר לָהּ: אַל תֹּאכְלִי מִבֵּיצֵיהֶן.
Rav Pinchas said: An incident occurred and a certain man passed by the entrance of his house and left chickens there, and the wife of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa found them, and he said to her: Do not eat of their eggs, as they are not ours.
וְהִרְבּוּ בֵּיצִים וְתַרְנְגוֹלִין וְהָיוּ מְצַעֲרִין אוֹתָם, וּמְכָרָן וְקָנָה בִּדְמֵיהֶן עִזִּים.
And they multiplied eggs and chickens, and they were distressing them with their noise, and he sold them and bought goats with their proceeds.
פַּעַם אַחַת עָבַר אוֹתוֹ אָדָם שֶׁאָבְדוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַתַּרְנְגוֹלִין וְאָמַר לַחֲבֵירוֹ: בְּכָאן הִנַּחְתִּי הַתַּרְנְגוֹלִין שֶׁלִּי.
Once, that same man from whom the chickens were lost passed by, and he said to his companion: Here is where I left my chickens.
שָׁמַע רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, אָמַר לוֹ: יֵשׁ לְךָ בָּהֶן סִימָן? אָמַר לוֹ: הֵן. נָתַן לוֹ סִימָן וְנָטַל אֶת הָעִיזִּין,
Rabbi Chanina heard, and said to him: Do you have an identifying sign on them? He said to him: Yes. He gave him the sign and took the goats.
וְהֵן הֵן עִיזֵּי דְּאַיְיתוֹ דּוּבֵּי בְּקַרְנַיְיהוּ.
And these are the very goats that brought bears on their horns.
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פְּדָת דְּחִיקָא לֵיהּ מִילְּתָא טוּבָא.
The Gemara relates: Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat was very hard-pressed for money.
עֲבַד מִלְּתָא וְלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ מִידֵּי לְמִטְעַם, שְׁקַל בְּרָא דְתוּמָא וְשַׁדְיֵיהּ בְּפוּמֵּיהּ, חֲלַשׁ לִבֵּיהּ וְנִים.
He underwent bloodletting, and he did not have anything to taste afterward. He took a clove of garlic and put it in his mouth; his heart became weak and he fell asleep.
אֲזוּל רַבָּנַן לְשַׁיּוֹלֵי בֵּיהּ, חַזְיוּהּ דְּקָא בָכֵי וְחָיֵיךְ, וּנְפַק צוּצִיתָא דְנוּרָא מֵאַפּוּתֵיהּ.
The Rabbis went to inquire about him. They saw him weeping and laughing, and a ray of light was shining from his forehead.
כִּי אִתְּעַר, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: מַאי טַעְמָא קָבָכֵית וְחָיְיכַתְּ?
When he awoke, they said to him: What is the reason that you were weeping and laughing?
אֲמַר לְהוּ: דַּהֲוָה יָתֵיב עִמִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וַאֲמַרִי לֵיהּ: עַד מָתַי אֶצְטַעַר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא?
He said to them: Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, was sitting with me, and I said to Him: Until when will I suffer in this world?
וַאֲמַר לִי: אֶלְעָזָר בְּנִי, נִיחָא לָךְ דְּאֵפְכֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא מֵרֵישָׁא, אֶפְשָׁר דְּמִתְיַלְּדַתְּ בְּשַׁעְתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי.
And He said to me: Elazar, My son, is it pleasing to you that I turn the world back to its beginning? Perhaps you would be born in an hour of sustenance and not be poor.
אֲמַרִי לְקַמֵּיהּ: כּוּלֵּי הַאי, וְאֶפְשָׁר?
I said before Him: All this trouble to recreate the world, and even then it is only a perhaps, not a certainty?
אֲמַרִי לֵיהּ: דַּחֲיַי טְפֵי אוֹ דְחָיֵינָא?
I said to Him: Are the years that I have lived more, or those that I will live more?
אֲמַר לִי: דַּחֲיֵית.
He said to me: Those that you have lived are more.
אֲמַרִי לְקַמֵּיהּ: אִם כֵּן, לָא בָּעֵינָא.
I said before Him: If so, I do not want You to recreate the world for the sake of a few remaining years.
אֲמַר לִי: בְּהַאי אַגְרָא דַּאֲמַרְתְּ ״לָא בָּעֵינָא״ יָהֵיבְנָא לָךְ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי תְּלֵיסְרֵי נַהְרָווֹתָא דְמִשְׁחָא אֲפַרְסְמוֹן דָּכַיִין כִּפְרָת וְדִיגְלַת, דְּמִעַנְּגַתְּ בְּהוּ.
He said to me: In reward for this, that you said "I do not want," I will give you in the World-to-Come thirteen rivers of pure balsam oil as large as the Euphrates and the Tigris, that you may enjoy them.
אֲמַרִי לְקַמֵּיהּ: הַאי וְתוּ לָא?
I said before Him: This and no more?
אֲמַר לִי: וּלְחַבְרָךְ מַאי יָהֵיבְנָא?
He said to me: But if so, what will I give to your colleagues?
אֲמַרִי לֵיהּ: וַאֲנָא מִגַּבְרָא דְּלֵית לֵיהּ בָּעֵינָא?
I said to Him: And do I request this from a man who has nothing, that You should be concerned about running out? You are omnipotent!
מַחְיַין בְּאִסְקוּטְלָא אַפּוּתַאי, וַאֲמַר לִי: אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִי, גָּרוֹ בָּךְ גִּירַי.
He playfully snapped His finger on my forehead, and said to me: Elazar, My son, My arrows I have cast upon you, meaning My blessings.
רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא גְּזַר תַּעֲנִיתָא וְלָא אֲתָא מִיטְרָא.
The Gemara returns to the topic of fasts: Rabbi Chama bar Chanina decreed a fast, and rain did not come.
אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: וְהָא רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי גָּזַר תַּעֲנִיתָא וְאָתֵי מִיטְרָא!
The people said to him: But Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi decreed a fast and rain came! Why does your prayer not work?
אֲמַר לְהוּ: הָא אֲנָא, הָא בַּר לֵיוַאי.
He said to them: Here am I, and here is the son of Levi; we are not on the same spiritual level.
אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: דְּנֵיתֵי וְנִיכַוֵּין דַּעְתִּין, אֶפְשָׁר דְּתָבְרִי צִיבּוּרָא לִבַּיְיהוּ דְּאָתֵי מִיטְרָא.
They said to him: Let us come and direct our minds together; perhaps the congregation will break their hearts in repentance so that rain will come.
בְּעוֹן רַחֲמֵי וְלָא אָתֵי מִיטְרָא.
They prayed for mercy, and rain did not come.
אֲמַר לְהוּ: נִיחָא לְכוּ שֶׁיָּבֹא מָטָר בִּשְׁבִילֵנוּ? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: הֵן.
He said to them: Is it pleasing to you that rain should come for our sake? They said to him: Yes.
אָמַר: רָקִיעַ רָקִיעַ כַּסֵּי פָּנֶיךָ! לָא אִיכַּסִּי.
He said: Heaven, Heaven, cover your face with clouds! But it did not cover.
אֲמַר: כַּמָּה עַזִּין פְּנֵי רָקִיעַ, אִיכַּסִּי וַאֲתָא מִיטְרָא.
He said: How brazen is the face of Heaven! It then covered and rain came.
לֵוִי גְּזַר תַּעֲנִיתָא וְלָא אֲתָא מִיטְרָא.
The Gemara relates: Levi decreed a fast, and rain did not come.
אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! עָלִיתָ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בַּמָּרוֹם וְאֵין אַתָּה מְרַחֵם עַל בָּנֶיךָ. אֲתָא מִיטְרָא, וְאִיטְּלַע.
He said before Him: Master of the Universe! You ascended and sat on high, and You do not have mercy on Your children? Rain came, but he became lame as a punishment for speaking so harshly.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: לְעוֹלָם אַל יָטִיחַ אָדָם דְּבָרִים כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָדָם גָּדוֹל הֵטִיחַ דְּבָרִים כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה וְאִיטְּלַע, וּמַנּוּ — לֵוִי.
Rabbi Elazar said: A person should never speak insolently toward Heaven, for a great man spoke insolently toward Heaven and became lame, and who was he? Levi.
הָא גְּרַמָא לֵיהּ? וְהָא לֵוִי אַחְוִי קִידָּה קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי, וְאִיטְּלַע!
The Gemara asks: Did this cause it to him? But didn't Levi demonstrate a kidah bow before Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, and from that he became lame?
הָא וְהָא גְּרַמָא לֵיהּ.
The Gemara answers: Both this and that caused it to him.
רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר לוּלְיָינִי שַׁמְעִינְהוּ לְהָנָךְ עֲנָנֵי דְּקָאָמְרִי: נֵיתוֹ וְנִישְׁדֵּי מַיָּא בְּעַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב.
Rabbi Chiyya bar Lulyani heard those clouds saying: Let us go and pour water on Ammon and Moab.
אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! כְּשֶׁנָּתַתָּ תּוֹרָה לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל חִזַּרְתָּ על כׇּל אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְלֹא קִיבְּלוּהָ, וְעַכְשָׁיו אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם מָטָר? שְׁדוֹ הָכָא. שַׁדְיוּהּ אַדּוּכְתַּיְהוּ.
He said before Him: Master of the Universe! When You gave the Torah to Your nation Israel, You went around to all the nations of the world and they did not accept it, and now You give them rain? Pour it here! They poured it on their place in Eretz Yisrael.
דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר לוּלְיָינִי, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה״,
Rabbi Chiyya bar Lulyani expounded: What is that which is written: "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon"?
אִם נֶאֱמַר תָּמָר לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר אֶרֶז, וְאִם נֶאֱמַר אֶרֶז לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר תָּמָר?
If "palm tree" is said, why is "cedar" said? And if "cedar" is said, why is "palm tree" said?
אִילּוּ נֶאֱמַר תָּמָר וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶרֶז, הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר: מָה תָּמָר אֵין גִּזְעוֹ מַחְלִיף, אַף צַדִּיק חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אֵין גִּזְעוֹ מַחְלִיף — לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אֶרֶז.
If "palm tree" were said and "cedar" were not said, I would say: Just as a palm tree, its trunk does not regenerate when cut, so too the righteous, Heaven forbid, his trunk does not regenerate and he has no hope after a downfall; therefore, "cedar" is said.
אִילּוּ נֶאֱמַר אֶרֶז וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר תָּמָר, הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר: מָה אֶרֶז אֵין עוֹשֶׂה פֵּירוֹת אַף צַדִּיק חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אֵין עוֹשֶׂה פֵּירוֹת — לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר תָּמָר וְנֶאֱמַר אֶרֶז.
If "cedar" were said and "palm tree" were not said, I would say: Just as a cedar does not produce fruit, so too the righteous, Heaven forbid, does not produce fruit of good deeds; therefore, "palm tree" is said and "cedar" is said.
וְאֶרֶז גִּזְעוֹ מַחְלִיף? וְהָתַנְיָא:
The Gemara asks: And does a cedar's trunk regenerate? But isn't it taught in a Braisa:
הַלּוֹקֵחַ אִילָן מֵחֲבֵירוֹ לָקוֹץ, מַגְבִּיהוֹ מִן הַקַּרְקַע טֶפַח וְקוֹצֵץ.
One who buys a tree from his fellow to cut down, he must raise it a handbreadth from the ground and cut so that it can grow back.
בְּסַדַּן הַשִּׁקְמָה — שְׁנֵי טְפָחִים. בִּבְתוּלַת הַשִּׁקְמָה — שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים.
With a sycamore trunk, he must leave two handbreadths. With a virgin sycamore, he must leave three handbreadths.
בְּקָנִים וּבִגְפָנִים — מִן הַפְּקָק וּלְמַעְלָה.
With reeds and vines, he must cut from the joint and above.
בִּדְקָלִים וּבַאֲרָזִים — חוֹפֵר לְמַטָּה וּמַשְׁרִישׁ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין גִּזְעוֹ מַחְלִיף.
But with palm trees and with cedars, he digs below and uproots them, because their trunk does not regenerate. This contradicts the assumption that a cedar's trunk regenerates!
הָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן בִּשְׁאָר מִינֵי אֲרָזִים, כִּדְרַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא.
The Gemara answers: With what are we dealing here? With other species of cedars, in accordance with the statement of Rabbah bar Huna.
דְּאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר הוּנָא: עֲשָׂרָה מִינֵי אֲרָזִים הֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶתֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶרֶז שִׁטָּה וַהֲדַס וְגוֹ׳״.
For Rabbah bar Huna said: There are ten species of cedars, as it is said: "I will plant in the wilderness cedar, acacia, and myrtle, etc." Some of these species do regenerate.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר שֶׁגָּזַר שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה תַּעֲנִיּוֹת עַל הַצִּבּוּר וְלֹא יָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים, בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה הִתְחִילוּ הַצִּבּוּר לָצֵאת.
The Rabbis taught: An incident occurred with Rabbi Eliezer, who decreed thirteen fasts on the congregation and rain did not fall. On the last fast, the congregation began to leave the synagogue.
אָמַר לָהֶם: תִּקַּנְתֶּם קְבָרִים לְעַצְמְכֶם?! גָּעוּ כׇּל הָעָם בִּבְכִיָּה, וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים.
He said to them: Have you prepared graves for yourselves that you are leaving? All the people burst into weeping, and rain fell.
שׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר שֶׁיָּרַד לִפְנֵי הַתֵּיבָה, וְאָמַר עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע בְּרָכוֹת וְלֹא נַעֲנָה.
Another incident occurred with Rabbi Eliezer, who went down before the Ark and said twenty-four blessings, and was not answered.
יָרַד רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אַחֲרָיו וְאָמַר: ״אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּא אָתָּה. אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ, לְמַענְךָ רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ״, וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים.
Rabbi Akiva went down after him and said: "Our Father, our King, we have no King but You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake have mercy on us," and rain fell.
הֲווֹ מְרַנְּנִי רַבָּנַן, יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁזֶּה גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, אֶלָּא שֶׁזֶּה מַעֲבִיר עַל מִידּוֹתָיו, וְזֶה אֵינוֹ מַעֲבִיר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו.
The Rabbis were whispering in surprise that Rabbi Akiva was answered and not his master. A Heavenly Voice went forth and said: Not because this one is greater than that one, but because this one, Rabbi Akiva, forgives his measures of anger, and that one, Rabbi Eliezer, does not forgive his measures, due to his strict nature.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: עַד מָתַי יְהוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין וְהַצִּבּוּר פּוֹסְקִין מִתַּעֲנִיתָם?
The Rabbis taught: Until when must the rain be falling for the congregation to stop their fasting?
כִּמְלֹא בֶּרֶךְ הַמַּחֲרֵישָׁה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר.
Until the rain penetrates as much as the knee of the plow enters the soil; these are the words of Rabbi Meir.
וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: בַּחֲרֵבָה טֶפַח, בְּבֵינוֹנִית טִפְחַיִים, בַּעֲבוּדָה שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים.
And the Sages say: In dry land, a handbreadth; in average land, two handbreadths; in cultivated land, three handbreadths.
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: אֵין לְךָ טֶפַח מִלְּמַעְלָה, שֶׁאֵין תְּהוֹם יוֹצֵא לִקְרָאתוֹ שְׁלֹשׁ
It is taught in a Braisa, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: You do not have a handbreadth of rain falling from above, that the deep does not go out to meet it three handbreadths from below.
The daf begins with the famous miracles of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa's household, including his wife's oven miraculously filling with bread, and his daughter's Shabbos lamp burning with vinegar instead of oil. We learn of the golden table leg sent from Heaven to relieve their poverty, which they ultimately asked to be taken back so as not to diminish their portion in the World-to-Come. The Gemara explains how Rabbi Chanina's goats miraculously brought back bears on their horns to prove they did not damage others' property, and clarifies that these goats were bought from the proceeds of lost chickens that Rabbi Chanina had meticulously cared for and returned to their rightful owner. Finally, the Gemara relates the story of Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, who, after falling weak from hunger, dreamed that Hashem offered to recreate the entire world just for a chance that he might be born into wealth, illustrating the profound love Hashem has for the tzaddikim despite their worldly suffering.
We often look at the natural world and think we are bound by its rigid rules. If we don't have the right resources, we think we cannot succeed; if we make a mistake, we assume the consequences are set in stone. But Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa teaches us a profound lesson in emunah: nature has no independent power. The very same Creator Who decreed that oil should burn can just as easily decree that vinegar should burn. The limitations we see around us are only there because Hashem wills them to be there at this moment.
This means that when you face a situation that seems naturally impossible or ruined by a simple mistake, you must not despair. Your parnassah, your shalom bayis, and your success in Torah do not depend on the 'oil' of perfect circumstances. They depend entirely on the word of the Aibershter. When we internalize this emunah, we stop looking at our deficiencies as dead ends and start looking at them as opportunities to rely fully on Hashem.
Today, when you encounter a setback or feel you lack the natural means to accomplish a task, pause and say to yourself: 'The One Who tells the natural way to work can make any way work.' Do your practical histadlus, but place your trust entirely in the Master of the Universe Who is above all nature.