Why has it been ordained that the psalms1So H while M has the singular; it is lacking in V. [prescribed for the Temple service] are to be said2At the present time when no sacrifices are offered. on every New Moon?3As in Temple times when they were recited while the continual sacrifice was being offered. [This is done in accordance with the view of] R. Simeon b. Laḳish. He enquired of R. Joḥanan whether it was permissible to recite the psalms4lit. ‘song’. in the absence of libations, and he replied, ‘We may deduce the answer from the following statement: On this and that [occasion]5The destruction of the first and second Temples. the Levites stood on the platform6On the Sunday immediately following the respective destructions (‘Arak. 11b, Sonc. ed., p. 65). and recited, And He hath brought upon them their own iniquity’.7Ps. 94, 23. As this Psalm was prescribed normally for Wednesdays (in connection with the sacrifices and libations of the day) but was said on these two occasions on the Sunday (for which a different Psalm had been arranged), it follows that the recital of a particular Psalm is independent of the sacrifices or libations of the day. It was ordained, therefore, that the Psalm for the New Moon, originally prescribed for the Temple service, should also be said at the present time (cf. N.Y.). R. Simeon b. Laḳish asked him, ‘Which is first, the psalm8Which was said in connection with the morning continual offering. or the additional sacrifice?’9Of the New Moon, if the Psalm had been delayed until the time of the additional sacrifice had arrived. He replied,10Inserted by GRA. ‘It is obvious that the psalm is read first’.11Since it belongs to the earlier part of the service. For this reason12Because of the ruling above that the Temple Psalm of the New Moon should continue to be said even at the present time. the people have adopted the custom of saying psalms13As in the Temple, although no sacrifices are now offered. at their proper times;14As prescribed for the Temple service. as we have learned in the Mishnah:15Tamid VII, 4 (Sonc. ed., pp. 37f). ‘These were the psalms which the Levites used to recite in the Temple: On Sunday16lit. ‘the first day’. Monday is called ‘the second day’ and so on. they used to recite, The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.17The quotation represents Ps. 24, and the following quotations denote the respective Psalms in which they occur. On Monday, Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised,18Ps. 48. etc. On Tuesday, God standeth in the congregation of God,19Ps. 82. etc. On Wednesday, O Lord, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth,20Ps. 94. etc. On Thursday, Sing aloud unto God our strength,21Ps. 81. etc. On Friday, The Lord reigneth; He is clothed in majesty.22Ps. 93. On the Sabbath, A psalm, a Song. For the sabbath day,23Ps. 92. [which is the psalm and song also]24So in Tamid loc. cit., but omitted in V. for the hereafter, for the day which will be wholly a Sabbath and [will bring] rest in life everlasting’. For whoever makes mention of a Biblical verse at its proper time is regarded [by God] as though he had built a new altar and offered a sacrifice upon it. On Ḥanukkah [the psalm is] I will extol Thee, O Lord.25Ps. 30. On Purim it is Shiggaion of David,26Ps. 7. but others say it is O God, keep not Thou silence.27Ps. 83. This is inserted by GRA but lacking in V, M and H. On the first day of Passover it is, Praise ye the name of the Lord,28Ps. 135. V, M and H quote as an alternative Ps. 83. and the same [is said during] the intermediate days of the Festival; but on the first [two] days of Passover one must [also] say May the glory of the Lord,29Ps. 104, 31. The reference is to the collection of verses beginning with these words (cf. P.B., p. 28). while all the people stand. Then30From ‘Then’ to ‘for ever’ is the reading of GRA. The order of the words in V, M and H is confused. they sit and say all the prescribed psalms31P.B., pp. 20-33. up to And blessed be His glorious name for ever;32Ps. 72, 19; but the reference is to the doxology (P.B., p. 33) which concludes the morning Psalms. but on the last day of Passover the Great Hallel is said. And what is the Great Hallel? [42b] O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good … O give thanks unto the God of gods.33Ps. 136. The people have adopted the custom of saying the Great Hallel, although this is not the proper thing to do.34The proper time to say it is ‘when the appetite is satisfied and the stomach is full’ (Ta‘an. 26a, Sonc. ed., p. 135) and not in the morning service before food has been tasted. On the Feast of Weeks35Pentecost. [the psalm is] Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye sons of might.36Ps. 29. On the ninth day of Ab [the reading consists] of four verses of Jeremiah, Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? to For Thou hast made all these things,37Jer. 14, 19-22. and the following two psalms, O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance38Ps. 79. and By the rivers of Babylon.39Ps. 137. Although it is usual40lit. ‘in every place’. to give precedence to the Holy Words41lit. ‘words of holiness’, the Hagiographa. over the words of [prophetical] traditions,42The Prophets forming the second division of the Scriptures. in this case the latter43Jeremiah, although it is included in the Prophets. takes precedence over the former.44The Psalms, which are included in the Hagiographa. Some [congregations] read the Book of Lamentations in the evening45Of the Ninth of Ab. while others postpone it to the [following] morning after the reading of the Torah, when the reader46GRA. stands up, his head covered with ashes, his clothes torn,47Like a mourner, the mourning being for the destruction of the Temples. and reads it with weeping and lamentation. If he is able to translate it, well and good; but if he is unable he entrusts it to one who knows how to translate properly and [that person] does the translation, so that the rest of the people, the women and children may understand it; in that women are obliged to listen to the reading of the Book, how much more so does it apply to men.Women have similarly the duty to read the Shema‘, the [‘Amidah] prayer and the Grace after meals, and to have a mezuzah [on their doors]. But if they are not acquainted with the holy tongue they are to be taught [to say them] in any language which they can understand and master. From this it was deduced that the man who recites the benedictions48In his home. must raise his voice for the benefit of his young sons, his wife and daughters. It is, therefore, a logical deduction that every section of the Torah and the Prophet [prescribed for the readings] of the Sabbath should be translated for the people, the women and the children after the reading of the Torah. This is why it was ruled: On the Sabbath the people come [to the Synagogue] early and depart late. They come early to read the Shema‘, like the pious men of old, with the first glimpse of the sun; and they depart late to listen to the interpretation of the weekly section. On a Festival, however, they come late, because they have to prepare the food for the day;49Which is permitted on a Festival when not the Sabbath. and they hasten to depart because it is unreasonable to interpret [the Torah or the Prophet] for them, it having been stated: Rab did not appoint an interpreter from [the beginning of the first day of] the Festival to the conclusion of the second day.50lit. ‘its companion’. Rab’s reason was that, owing to the legitimate indulgence on the Festival days, his mind might not be clear to impart the proper instruction or to give the necessary guidance to the public through the interpreter. Similarly it is implied that, in order to enable the people to enjoy the festivities of the day, they are given the opportunity of departing at an earlier hour. There was likewise a beautiful custom in Jerusalem to train51Inserted by GRA, M and H. their young sons and daughters to afflict themselves on a fast day:52Although the duty of fasting the whole day did not apply to them. at the age of eleven to the middle of the day, at the age of twelve the full day, and at the age of thirteen [the boy] was taken round53So GRA. V, M and H read ‘and after that he carried him’. and presented to every elder to bless him and pray for him that he may be worthy to study the Torah and engage in good deeds. In like manner,54This is an insertion of GRA, omitted in V, M and H. everyone who had a man superior to him in the town would rise from his place and go and bow down to him [requesting] that he pray on his behalf. This is meant to teach us that they55The men of Jerusalem. were splendid men and their deeds were splendid, and that their hearts [were directed] towards Heaven. Furthermore, they did not leave their young children behind but took them to the Synagogue to encourage them in the performance of the precepts. On the day when R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah was appointed head of the academy, he began his discourse by saying: Ye are standing this day all of you … your little ones, your wives, the men came to listen, the women came to receive a reward for their journey, but why did the little ones come? That a reward may be given to those who bring them. From this the young daughters of Israel learnt the practice of coming to the Synagogue so that a reward may be granted to those who bring them while they would [in due course] also receive their reward.⁠a In childhood one is subject neither to reward nor punishment. The reader on the Ninth of Ab says, ‘Blessed … the true Judge’.63Cf. P.B., p. 292. This blessing is said on a calamity or hearing bad news. Some place the Torah scroll64M reads ‘the case of the Torah’. on the ground in a black wrapping and say, The crown is fallen from our head.65Lam. 5, 16. The reading and the lamentations are carried out as with a man whose dead lies before him. Some change their [customary] places [in the Synagogue]; others descend from their benches, and all of them roll in ashes and do not greet one another throughout the night and also throughout the day until the people have finished their lamentations. During the recital of the lamentations it is forbidden to speak [any irrelevant] word, or to go outside [the Synagogue], lest one’s mind be diverted from the mourning; and it is obvious that no conversation with a Gentile is permitted.66Since the conversation would have no relevance to the destruction of the Temples. In the evening service67On the ninth of Ab. no one can hear the other, because all pray in a whisper;68As a mark of mourning for the destruction. therefore we say neither ‘Bless ye’69‘Bless ye the Lord Who is to be blessed’ which is addressed to the congregation at the beginning of the evening service (cf. P.B., p. 96). nor ‘[Blessed] be the name’.70Which was exclaimed before ‘Bless ye’ but is not now said.