With daf TB Taanit 15 we begin the second chapter of our massekhet. The Gemara front loads all the mishnayot. This chapter outlines the procedure for the third set of seven fasts. I recommend studying the next several dappim because there's so many wonderful insights that I will not be able to touch upon.
We know from the previous chapter we add six extra blessings to the standard Amidah. Originally the standard Amidah had 18 benedictions. Later on a 19th blessing was added. Nevertheless, the alternative name of the Amidah, the Shemona Esrai (18 inHebrew refering to the 18 blessings) stuck even though today there are19 blessings. When the Mishna and the Gemara talk about the Shemona Esrai, the original Amidah is being referenced.
The additional six blessings are added between the seventh and eighth blessing.
“And he recites twenty-four blessings before the congregation: The eighteen blessings of the everyday Amida prayer, to which he adds another six blessings, and they are as follows: The special series of blessings recited on Rosh HaShana, the Remembrances and Shofarot; and the sections of Psalms that begin with the verses: “In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me” (Psalms 120:1), “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come” (Psalms 121:1), “Out of the depths I have called You, O Lord” (Psalms 130:1), and “A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints” (Psalms 102:1)...
“And he recites at the end of all of these six blessing their unique conclusions. For the conclusion of the first blessing: Redeemer of Israel, he recites: He Who answered Abraham on Mount Moriah (see Genesis 22:11–18), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Redeemer of Israel. For the second blessing, to which he adds the verses of Remembrances, he recites: He Who answered our forefathers at the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:15–31), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who remembers the forgotten.
“For the third blessing, which includes the verses of Shofarot, he recites: He Who answered Joshua at Gilgal, when they sounded the shofar in Jericho (see Joshua 5:6), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who hears the terua. For the fourth blessing, he recites: He Who answered Samuel in Mizpah (see I Samuel, chapter 7), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who hears cries. For the fifth he recites: He Who answered Elijah on Mount Carmel (see I Kings, chapter 18), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who hears prayer.
“For the sixth blessing he recites: He Who answered Jonah from within the innards of the fish (see Jonah 2:2–11), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who answers in a time of trouble. For the conclusion of the seventh blessing, which is actually the sixth additional blessing, as the first blessing listed here is an expanded version of a regular weekday blessing, he recites: He Who answered David and Solomon his son in Jerusalem (see I Kings 8:12–53), He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day. Blessed are You, Lord, Who has mercy on the Land.” (Sefaria.org translation)
For those who are familiar with the slikhot prayers that are recited the Saturday night before Rosh Hashana and on Yom Kippur, you will recognize these blessings for there is a piyut, a religious poem, that lists a long series of times when God answered the Jewish people's prayers. These blessings and piyut comforts me and gives me hope in times of trouble. First of all, these are examples when God answered our ancestors’ prayers. So too I believe that this is precedent affirming that God will answer my prayers as well. Secondly to reinforce this hope, all the blessings concluded the present tense emphasizing that God still hears prayers and answers them in time of trouble to this very day.
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