We have learned previously on daf TB Taanit 10b if rain hasn't fallen by the 17th day of Heshvan, individuals, meaning the rabbis, begin a series of three fasts. They fast on Monday, Thursday, and Monday. If rain still hasn't fallen, the Mishna on TB Taanit 12b instructs that a public fast is ordained. The second round is another three fasts, Monday, Thursday, and Monday. If rain still hasn't fallen, seven fast are now implemented, Monday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, Thursday, Monday, and Monday. The number of fast for all three rounds equals 13. Perhaps the number 13 symbolizes the 13 attributes of God's compassion. The stringency's increase as the drought continues.
“MISHNA: If these three regular fasts have passed and they have not been answered with rain, the court decrees three other fasts upon the community. These are severe fasts, in which one may eat and drink only while it is still day, before the beginning of the night of the fast, and on the day of the fast itself they are prohibited to engage in the performance of work, in bathing, in smearing with oil, in wearing shoes, and in marital relations; and they lock the bathhouses so that no one should come to bathe on that day.
If these three fasts have passed and they still have not been answered, the court decrees on them another seven fasts, which are a total of thirteen fasts, upon the community, not including the first three fasts observed by individuals. These seven fast days are more severe than the first ones, as on these days, in addition to all the earlier stringencies, they sound the alarm, as will be explained in the Gemara, and they lock the stores. Although shops must remained closed most of the time on these days, on Monday they open them a little at nightfall to allow people to purchase food for breaking their fast, and on Thursday they are permitted to open the stores all day in deference to Shabbat, so that people may purchase food for the sacred day.” (Sefaria.org translation)
Beginning on yesterday's daf, and continuing on the top of today's daf TB Taanit 13, we learn how people should spend their time while fasting. The first half of the day they take an audit of their business dealings to see you where they may have fallen short of the mark. The next half of the day is divided into two quarters. The first quarter is spent in reading the Torah in the second quarter is spent in prayer asking God for compassion and relief from the drought.
“The Gemara asks: How do they act on a fast day? Abaye said: From the morning until the middle of the day they examine the affairs of the town by checking if there are any deficiencies or corruptions in the city, moral or otherwise, and attempt to fix them, as these problems may have been the cause of the Divine punishment. From this point forward, for a quarter of the day they read a portion from the Torah and a portion from the Prophets [haftara]. From this point forward, they pray and petition for mercy, as it is stated: “And they stood up in their place and they read in the book of the Torah of the Lord their God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and prostrated themselves before the Lord their God” (Nehemiah 9:3).
"The Gemara asks: I can reverse the order of events, so that the first half of the day is spent in prayer while the second half is focused on the concerns of the community. The Gemara answers: It should not enter your mind to say that, as it is written elsewhere: “Then were assembled to me everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel due to the faithlessness of them of the captivity and I sat appalled until the evening offering” (Ezra 9:4). And it is written in the next verse: “And at the meal-offering I arose from my fast, even with my garment and my mantle rent; and I fell on my knees and I spread out my hands to the Lord” (Ezra 9:5). These verses indicate that first one must deal with the issues of the community, and only afterward engage in prayer.” (Sefaria.org translation)
According to the Arukh Hashulkhan we do not follow these procedures any longer because the court no longer has the power to enforce these fasts or we do not observe these fasts and all of the details . (Orekh Hayim, 566:17)
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