With wild animals coming into town to find food and water because of droughts, Ta'anit is pointedly timely for it shows how our ancestors confronted deadly emergencies, especially droughts and pandemics ("traveling plagues"). Viewed as Divine punishments for our sins, the remedy was to proclaim fast days accompanied by public assemblies with shofar blowing to call the public to pay attention to the coming dangers and amend their ways. Sound familiar?

Tractate Ta'anit explains fast day prayers and procedures, and introduces us to men and women able to stop calamities because of G0d's regard for their good deeds. We'll look at the role anxiety over rainfall played in shaping our prayerbook, and at tales of extraordinary rainmakers, including the famous story of the Jewish Rip van Winkle, Choni, "the circle drawer".