- חוני המעגל
The opening Mishnah of the third perek lists a variety of calamities, other than drought, that require fasting, such as pestilence, locusts, dangerous beasts and armies passing through the land. It then states: על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור – For every trouble that should not befall the community, which Rashi explains to mean, for every trouble that befalls the community, מתריעין עליהן חוץ מרוב גשמים – we cry out about them, except when there is an abundance of rainfall. The Mishnah brings the famous story of Choni Hame’agel, who was asked to daven for rain. He told them to bring in the ovens that were used to roast the korban pesach so they should not get ruined in the rain. When he was not initially answered, he drew a circle and stood inside of it, and swore that he would not leave the circle until Hashem’s children were answered. Eventually, when significant rains fell, he was asked to stop davening, and he refused to do so unless there was terrible flooding. Shimon ben Shatach sent him a message that if he were not Choni, he would decree excommunication on him, but what can he do, for Hashem fulfills his requests כבן שהוא מתחטא על אביו – like a son who misbehaves towards his father yet gets what he desires?
- The difference between a food shortage and a famine
Rebbe Chaninah identifies the difference between a food shortage and a famine. He said: סאה בסלע ושכיחא בצורתא – If the price of wheat is so expensive that one se’ah costs one sela, but there is ample wheat, then it is considered a food shortage. ארבע ולא שכיחא כפנא – But if the price of wheat is cheap that four se’ah can be purchased for a sela, but wheat is not in abundance, then it is considered a famine. Rebbe Yochanan said that this applies when מעות בזול ופירות ביוקר – money is cheap, and the produce is expensive. אבל מעות ביוקר ופירות בזול מתריעין עליה מיד – But when money is costly, meaning people are poor, even if produce is cheap, we cry out immediately. For Rebbe Yochanan said that he remembered when four se’ah were sold for one sela, which is the average price, yet there were people that were hungry in Tiveria because they had no money to purchase food.
- The story of Nakdimon ben Gurion
It was taught in a Baraisa: פעם אחת עלו כל ישראל לרגל לירושלים ולא היה להם מים לשתות – It happened one time that all of Yisroel went up to Yerushalayim for the regel and, due to a drought, they had no water to drink. A very wealthy Jew named Nakdimon ben Gurion went to a Gentile nobleman and asked him to lend him twelve wells of water for the pilgrims to drink, and that he will pay back twelve wells of water within a certain amount of time. Rashi explains that he was depending on rainfall to fill the wells to repay him. If he could not pay back in time, he promised him twelve talents of silver. When that day arrived and no rain had fallen, the Gentile went into the bathhouse in joy, anticipating the monies he would receive. Nakdimon went to the Beis Hamikdash and davened and the clouds came, and rain fell. When the Gentile came outside, he claimed that the sun had already set before the rain had fallen. Nakdimon re-entered the Beis Hamikdash, davened and said: רבונו של עולם הודע שיש לך אהובים בעולמך – Ribbono shel Olam! Make it known that you have beloved ones in your world. Immediately, the clouds dispersed, and the sun shone through, proving it was still day.
