Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 3.1

משנה: סֵדֶר תַּעֲנִיּוֹת הָאֵילוּ הָאָמוּר בִּרְבִיעָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה. אֲבָל צְמָחִים שֶׁשָּׁנוּ מַתְרִיעִין עֲלֵיהֶן מִיָּד. וְכֵן שֶׁפָּסְקוּ גְּשָׁמִים מִגֶּשֶׁם לְגֶשֶׁם אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם מַתְרִיעִין עֲלֵיהֶן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא מַכַּת בַּצּוֹרֶת:

MISHNAH: The order of these fast-days was said for the first period of rains. But about abnormal growth one sounds the alarm immediately. Also if rains stopped for 40 days between rainy periods one raises the alarm about it since it is a sign of drought.

הלכה: סֵדֶר תַּעֲנִיּוֹת הָאֵילוּ הָאָמוּר כול׳. אֵי זֶהוּ מִיָּד שֶׁלְּהֶן. רַב אָמַר. שֵׁינִי וַחֲמִישִּׁי וְשֵׁינִי. שָׁנוּ בַשֵּׁינִי. מָהוּ לְהַתְרִיעַ עֲלֵיהֶן בַּחֲמִישִּׁי. רִבִּי זְעוּרָה שָׁמַע לָהּ מִן הָדָא. וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי אַל תִּירָא דָנִיֵּאל כִּי מִן הַיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה אֶת לִבְּךָ לְהָבִין וּלְהִתְעַנּוֹת לִפְנֵי יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ נִשְׁמְעוּ דְבָרֶיךָ. כְּבָר נִשְׁמְעוּ דְבָרֶיךָ. וְכָאן מִכֵּיוָן שְׁנָּתְנוּ בֵית דִּין נַפְשָׁן לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּמִי שֶׁעָשׂוּ.

HALAKHAH: “The order of these fast-days was said,” etc. What is their “immediately”? Rav said, Monday, Thursday, and Monday. If it became abnormal on Monday, what about sounding the alarm on Thursday? Rebbi Ze`ira understood it from the following: He said to me, do not fear, Daniel, since from the first day when you intended to fast before the Eternal, your God, your words were heard. Already your words were heard. And here, since the Court were determined to do it is as if they did.

תַּנֵּי. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמַּתְרִיעִין עֲלֵיהֶן בִּשְׁאַר יְמֵי שְׁבוּעַ כָּךְ מַתְרִיעִין עֲלֵיהֶן בַּשְּׁבִיעִית מִפְּנֵי פַרְנָסַת אֲחֵרִים. מָהוּ מִפְּנֵי פַרְנָסַת אֲחֵרִים. חֲבֵרַיָיא אָמְרֵי. מִפְּנֵי פַרְנָסַת גּוֹיִם. רִבִּי זְעוּרָא אָמַר מִפְּנֵי פַרְנָסַת חָשׁוּדִים. אַתְיָיא דְּרִבִּי זְעוּרָה כְרִבִּי. וְדַחֲבֵרַיָיא כְרִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר. דְּרִבִּי זְעוּרָה כְרִבִּי. חַד סָפָר הֲוָה חָשִׁיד עַל פֵּירוֹת שְׁמִיטְתָא. אַיְיתוּנֵיהּ גַּבֵּי רִבִּי אֲמַר לוֹן. וּמַה יַעֲבִיד עָלִיבָא וּבְגִין חַיָיו הוּא עֲבַד. וְדַחֲבֵרַיָיא כְרִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר. רִבִּי בְעָא מִישְׁרֵי שְׁמִיטְתָא. סְלַק רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר לְגַבֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. מָה עִיבּוּרַיָּא עֲבִידִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. עוּלְשִׁין יָפוֹת. וּמָה עִיבּוּרַיָיא עֲבִידִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. עוּלְשִׁין יָפוֹת. יָדַע רִבִּי דְּלֵית הוּא מְסַכְּמָא עִימֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. מִישְׁגַּח רִבִּי מֵיכוּל עִימָּן פֶּטֶל צִיבְחַד יוֹמָא דֵין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. אִין. מִי נְחִית חָמָא מוּלְוָותָא דְּרִבִּי קַיָימִן. אֲמַר. כָּל אִילֵּין יְהוּדָאיֵי זַיינִין. אֶיפְשַׁר דְּלָא חֲמִי סְבַר אַפּוֹיי. מִן כְּדוֹן [שְׁמָעוּן קָלֵיהּ.] אָזְלוּן וְאָמְרוּן לְרִבִּי. שְׁלַח רִבִּי בָעֵי מְפַיְיסָתֵיהּ. מָטוּן בֵּיהּ גַּבֵּי קַרְתֵּיהּ. אֲמַר. בְּנֵי קַרְתִּי קוֹרְבִין לִי. נַחְתּוֹן בְּנֵי קַרְתֵּיהּ וְאָקְפוֹן עֲלוֹי. אָמְרוּן לוֹן. רִבִּי דוּ בָעֵי מְפַיְיסָתֵיהּ. שָׁבְקוּנֵיהּ וְאָזְלוֹן לוֹן. אֲמַר. בְּנֵי דִילִי קוֹרְבִין לִי. נַחְתָּת אֵישְׁתָּא מִן שְׁמַיָיא וְאַקְפָת עֲלוֹי. חָזְרוֹן וְאָמְרוּן לְרִבִּי. אֲמַר. הוֹאִיל וְלָא זָכִינָן מִישְׂבַּע מִינֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין. נִיזְכֵּי וְנִשְׂבַּע מִינֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתִי.

It was stated: “Just as one sounds the alarm during the other years of a Sabbatical period, so one sounds the alarm during the Sabbatical because of the livelihood of others.” What means “because of the livelihood of others”? The colleagues said, because of the livelihood of Gentiles. Rebbi Ze`ira said, because of the livelihood of the suspect ones. That of Rebbi Ze`ira follows Rebbi, that of the colleagues follows Rebbi Phineas ben Yair. That of Rebbi Ze`ira follows Rebbi: A teacher was suspected in matters of Sabbatical produce. They brought him before Rebbi who said to them, what should this wretch do, he does it for his livelihood. But that of the colleagues follows Rebbi Phineas ben Yair. Rebbi wanted to permit the Sabbatical year. Rebbi Phineas ben Yair went to him. He said to him: how is the grain doing? He answered him: endives are doing fine. He said to him: how is the grain doing? He answered him: endives are doing fine. From this, Rebbi understood that he did not agree with him. He said to him: Would the Rabbi care to eat a bite with me today? He said to him, yes. When he came, he saw the she-mules of Rebbi standing. He said, are all these fed by Jews? He will not see me again! They went and told this to Rebbi. Rebbi sent and wanted to pacify him. They found him in his city. He said, the people of my city should come close to me. The people of his city came and surrounded him. They said to them, Rebbi wants to make peace with him. They left him and went away. He said, my sons should come close to me. Fire descended from Heaven and surrounded him. They returned and told Rebbi. He said, since we did not have merit to eat our fill from him in this world, may we be worthy to eat our fill from him in the World to Come.