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THE DAFYOMI DISCUSSION LIST
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Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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Ta'anis 018: Megilas Ta'anis
Jonathan Gillis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> asked:
Can you provide background on the subject of Megilat Taanit? What is it?
Apocrypha? How does the gemara base itself on it?
Jonathan Gillis, Jerusalem
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The Kollel replies:
Megilas Ta'anis is not Apocrypha, but rather a type of written Mishnah or
Beraisa. Here is what we wrote on it in Shabbos 13b:
15) [line 22] MEGILAS TA'ANIS
(a) Megilas Ta'anis was originally composed by a Tana named Chananyah ben
Chizkiyah ben Garon (along with students of Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel,
according to the BEHAG, Hilchos Sofrim), approximately 100 years before the
destruction of the Second Temple (see Shabbos 13b). It includes a list of
the dates which were set aside as holidays, during the Second Temple
period, due to the miraculous salvations and victories that occurred on
them. On some of the dates, fasting was forbidden. On others, even
delivering a eulogy was prohibited. Some salvations which occurred after
the destruction of the Second Temple are recorded in Megilas Ta'anis as
well (Rosh Hashanah 19a). These were added by later scholars and edited by
Rebbi Yehudah ha'Nasi, the editor of the Mishnah (see Tosfos there DH Ha).
It is apparent from the wording of the Megilas Ta'anis that we have that
certain comments which appear in the Megilah regarding the cause for the
celebrations were also added by a later editor.
(b) Megilas Ta'anis was committed to writing in order that these dates not
be forgotten. For this reason it is referred to as a "Megilah" as opposed
to the Mishnah and Beraisa which were still handed down by word of mouth at
that time (Rashi, ibid.). It is written in Aramaic.
(c) According to some Tana'im and Amora'im, shortly after the destruction
of the second Beis ha'Mikdash the holidays of Megilas Ta'anis ceased to be
celebrated -- with the exception of the holidays of Chanukah and Purim
(Rosh ha'Shanah 18b, 19b). The devastation that followed the destruction of
the Second Temple served such a crushing blow to the Jewish People that it
overshadowed all of the holidays of Megilas Ta'anis.
Best wishes,
Mordecai Kornfeld
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