Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 4:3:1

הלכה: וְלָמָּה שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אוֹמֵר כְּנֶגֶד שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר מִזְּמוֹרוֹת שֶׁכָּתוּב מֵרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל תִּילִים עַד יַעַנְךָ יי בְּיוֹם צָרָה. אִם יֹאמֵר לָךְ תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה הֵן אֱמוֹר לוֹ לָמָּה רָגְשׁוּ גּוֹיִם לֵית הוּא מִינּוֹן. מִיכַּן אָמְרוּ הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל וְלֹא נֶעֱנֶה צָרִיךְ תַּעֲנִית. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא רֶמֶז לְתַלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁאָדָם צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לְרַבּוֹ תִּשָּׁמַע תְּפִילָּתָךְ. HALAKHAH: And why 18¹³⁸The list of the Yerushalmi is quoted at length in Tanḥuma Wayyera 1, and from there in other Midrashim. The Babli (28b) has a shorter list with different names; many allusions given here are not in that list.? Rebbi Joshua ben Levi says, corresponding to the 18 psalms that are written from the start of Psalms to (Ps. 20:2): “May the Lord listen to you on the day of need.” If somebody would say to you they are 19, tell him (Ps. 2:1) “Why are the Gentiles in upheaval” is not in the count¹³⁹In most of Talmudic sources, Psalms 1 and 2 form one song. To compensate, Ps. 116 is divided in two.. From here they said that one who prayed and was not answered needs to fast. Rebbi Mana said, a hint that a Torah student must say to his teacher: May your prayers be answered¹⁴⁰Since Ps. 20:2 is adressed to David by his students (or the Synhedrion)..

אָמַר רִבִּי סִימוֹן כְּנֶגֶד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה חוּלְיוֹת שֶׁבְּשִׁדְרָה שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָדָם עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל צָרִיךְ לָשׁוּחַ בְּכוּלָּן. מַה טַעַם כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹאמַרְנָה יי מִי כָמוֹךָ. Rebbi Simon said, corresponding to the 18 bones in the spine since when a person prays he has to bend all of them bowing down. What is the reason? (Ps. 35:10) “All my bones shall say, o Eternal, who is like You?¹⁴¹In the Babli (28b), this reason for the number 18 is given by Rebbi Tanḥum in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi who notes that, when bowing down in prayer, all joints must be moved.”

אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי כְּנֶגֶד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה הַזְכָּרוֹת שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּהָבוּ לַיי בְּנֵי אֵלִים. אָמַר רִבִּי חוּנָה אִם יֹאמַר לָךְ אָדָם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה אִינּוּן. אֱמוֹר לוֹ שֶׁל מִינִין כְּבַר קָבְעוּ חֲכָמִים בְּיַבְנֶה. הָתִיב רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְהָכְתִיב אֵל הַכָּבוֹד הִרְעִים. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְהָתַנִּי כּוֹלֵל שֶׁל מִינִים וְשֶׁל פּוֹשְׁעִים בְּמַכְנִיעַ זֵידִים. וְשֶׁל זְקֵינִים וְשֶׁל גֵּרִים בְּמִבְטָח לַצַּדִּיקִים וְשֶׁל דָּוִד בְּבוֹנֶה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם. אִית לָךְ מַסְפְּקָא לְכָל חָדָא וְחָדָא מִינְהוֹן אַדְכָּרָה. Rebbi Levi¹⁴²In the Babli, this is a statement of Rebbi Hillel, the son of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥmani. Also the following discussion has a parallel in the Babli. said, corresponding to the 18 Divine Names written in (Ps. 29) “Give to the Eternal, o sons of the mighty.” Rebbi Ḥuna said: If it were said that they are 17, tell him the one against sectarians the Sages fixed already at Jabneh¹⁴³Rebbi Ḥuna’s question is an attack against all who try to find a reason for the eighteen benedictions by pointing out that in the 500 years between the institution of formalized prayer by the Men of the Great Assembly and the Synhedrion of Rabban Gamliel, the Amidah prayer consisted of only 17 benedictions. Rebbi Ḥuna’s answer, not very satisfactory, is that the eighteenth benediction is also an institution of the Synhedrion, the legal successor of the Great Assembly, and, therefore, all eighteen benedictions have the same status.. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yose objected before Rebbi Yose, but is it not written (Ps. 29:3) “the God of Glory thundered¹⁴⁴The mention of God introduces a nineteenth Divine name.”? He said to him: Has it not been stated: He takes together the one against sectarians and sinners in “He Who subdues offenders”¹⁴⁵This implies that the benediction containing the curse upon apostates and sectarians (i. e., Christians) was not newly introduced at Jabneh but that it was a modification of an old benediction directed at those who wantonly transgress the commandments of the Torah. Hence, the original number of benedictions instituted by the Great Assembly was 18. The benediction has been changed in Christian surroundings beyond recognition. The text of Jabneh must have been close to today’s Yemenite version: למשומדים אל תהי תקוה, כל המינים והמוסרים כרגע יאבדו ומלכות זדון תעקור ותשבור מהרה בימינו. ברוך אתה יי֨ שובר אויבים ומכניע זדים., the one for elders and proselytes in “Assurance to the righteous”, and the one for David in “He Who builds Jerusalem.”¹⁴⁶This is the Israeli version which has no separate benediction asking for the return of the Davidic rulers. The Babylonian version has no mention of the Davidic dynasty in the prayer for rebuilding Jerusalem; it is retained in today’s Yemenite prayerbook. Current Ashkenazic and Sephardic versions combine the Israeli prayer, for Jerusalem and the Davidic dynasty in benediction 14, with the Babylonian one for the Davidic dynasty alone in benediction 15. Hence, Psalm 29 accomodates both the Galilean (18) benedictions based on the number of mentions of the Tetragrammaton, and the Babylonian (19) versions, based on all invocations of the Deity in the Psalm. Then you have enough to have a Divine name¹⁴⁷The parallels הזכרות, אדכרה in this paragraph show that in the times of the Yerushalmi the sounds of ז /z/ and soft ד /ð/ (voiced th) were almost indistinguishable. for each one of them.

רִבִּי חֲנִינָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי פִינְחָס כְּנֶגֶד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה פְעָמִים שֶׁאָבוֹת כְּתוּבִין בַּתּוֹרָה. אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקֹב. אִם יֹאמַר לָךְ אָדָם תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה הֵן אֱמוֹר לוֹ וְהִנֵּה יי נִצָּב עָלָיו לֵית הוּא מִינְהוֹן. אִם יֹאמַר לְָךְ אָדָם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה הֵן אֱמוֹר לוֹ וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי וְשֵׁם אֲבוֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק מִינּוֹן. Rebbi Ḥanina in the name of Rebbi Phineas: Corresponding to the eighteen times the Patriarchs are mentioned together in the Torah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. If somebody will tell you that there are nineteen, tell him that (Gen. 23:13) “Behold, the Eternal was standing over him” is not counted¹⁴⁸Since Jacob is not mentioned in that verse.. If somebody will tell you that there are seventeen, tell him that (Gen. 48:16) “My name should be called over them, as well the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac” is counted¹⁴⁹Since Jacob is mentioned implicitly; he speaks about “my name”..

רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן כְּנֶגֶד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה צִיוּוּיִין שֶׁכָּתַב בְּפָרָשַׁת מִשְׁכָּן שֵׁינִי. אַמָר רִבִּי חִיָיא בַּר וָוא וּבִלְבַד מִן וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אַחִיסָמָךְ עַד סוֹפֵיהּ דְּסִיפְרָא. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥmani in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Corresponding to the eighteen times “commandment” is mentioned in the second description of the tabernacle¹⁵⁰The description of the actual construction of the tabernacle.. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, only from (Ex. 38:23) “And with him Aholiab ben Aḥisamakh” to the end of the book¹⁵¹Since from the start of the section, v. 21, there would be 19 times mentioned that “the Eternal commanded Moses”..

שֶׁבַע שֶׁל שַׁבָּת מְנַיִין. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק כְּנֶגֶד שִׁבְעָה קוֹלוֹת שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּהָבוּ לַיי בְּנֵי אֵלִים. אָמַר רִבִי יוּדָן עַנְתּוֹרָיָא כְּנֶגֶד שִׁבְעָה אַזְכָּרוֹת שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּמִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת. The seven¹⁵²Benedictions of the Amidah. There is no need to ask for a reason for the seven benedictions of a holiday since holidays in everything imitate the Sabbath. In the Babli (29a) only the first reason is given, in the name of R. Ḥalaphta ben Shaul.
In a Midrash Yelamdenu quoted in Yalqut Shim‘oni Psalms #863, the seven voices are said to refer to the seven kinds of voices heard at the theophany at Sinai, which was on a Sabbath. of Sabbath, from where? Rebbi Isaac¹⁵³An Amora from the circle of Rebbi Yoḥanan. said, corresponding to the seven “voices” written in (Ps. 29) “Give to the Eternal, o sons of the mighty.” Rebbi Yudan Antoraya said, corresponding to the seven Divine Names in (Ps. 92) “Psalm, Song for the Sabbath Day.”

תֵּשַׁע שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מְנַיִין. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא קַרְטִיגֵנָיָא כְּנֶגֶד תֵּשַׁע אַזְכָּרוֹת שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּפָרָשַׁת חַנָּה. וּכְתִיב בְּסוֹפָהּ יי יָדִין אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ. Nine of New Year’s Day, from where? Rebbi Abba from Carthage¹⁵⁴An Israeli Amora of the circle of Rebbi Yoḥanan and Resh Laqish. He is either from Carthage in North Africa or from Cartagena in Spain. said: Corresponding to the nine Divine Names in Hanna’s prayer; there it is written at the end: (1Sam 2:10) “The Eternal will judge the ends of the earth¹⁵⁵This is reported in shortened form in Babli 29a. The entire series of analogous numbers is given only by Israeli Amoraïm; the Yerushalmi is the source for all abbreviated statements in the Babli. The verse from Hannah’s prayer, not quoted in the Babli, is the reason that Hannah’s prayer forms the Haphtarah of the first day of the New Year..”

עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה שֶׁל תַּעֲנִיּוֹת מְנַיִין. רִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ וְרִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב נַחְמָן תְּרַוֵּיהוֹן אָמְרִין כְּנֶגֶד עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה פְּעָמִים שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּפָרָשָׁה שֶׁל שְׁלֹמֹה רִינָּה וּתְפִילָּה וּתְחִינָּה. The twenty-four of fast days¹⁵⁶Public fasts for rain in a year of draught. The argument is quoted in the Babli (29a) in the name of Rebbi Ḥelbo alone., from where? Rebbi Ḥelbo and Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Naḥman both say, corresponding to the twenty-four times that entreaty, prayer, and supplication are mentioned in Solomon’s prayer (1Kings 8).

רִבִּי זְעִירָא בְשֵׁם רַב יִרְמְיָה יָחִיד בְּתַעֲנִית צִיבּוּר צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר מֵעֵין הַמְּאוֹרָע. אֵיכָן הוּא אוֹמְרָהּ בֵּין גּוֹאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים. וּמַהוּ אוֹמֵר עַנֵּינוּ יי עַנֵּינוּ בָּעֵת וּבְעוֹנָה הַזֹּאת כִּי בְצָרָה גְדוֹלָה אֲנָחְנוּ אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנּוּ וְאַל תִּתְעַלֵּם מִתְּחִינָּתֵנוּ כִּי אַתָּה יי עוֹנֶה בְעֵת צָרָה פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל בְּכָל עֵת מְצוּקָה וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל יי בַּצָּר לָהֶם מִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹצִיאֵם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי עוֹנֶה בְּעֵת צָרָה. רִבִּי יַנַּיי [בֵּרִבִּי] יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּשֵׁם בֵּית רִבִּי יַנַּיי אוֹמֵר בְּשׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה. Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rav Jeremiah, a private person has to mention the occasion on a public fast day¹⁵⁷The following discussions belong to tractate Taäniot (fol. 65c). They are inserted here because the 24 benedictions of fast days were mentioned. On the other hand, the correspondences to the 18, 7, and 9 benedictions on other days belong here and are repeated in Taäniot only because of the following text.
The 24 benedictions are recited by the reader in public prayer. In the Babli (Taänit 13b–14a) the opinion quoted here in the name of Rav Jeremiah (bar Abba, one of the most important students of Rav in Babylonia) is attributed to Rav himself.. Where does he say it? Between “Redeemer of Israel” and “Healer of the sick.”¹⁵⁸Between the Seventh and Eighth benedictions, as a separate benediction. What does he say? “Answer us, o Eternal, answer us in this time and season because we are in great trouble, do not hide Your presence from us, do not be oblivious to our supplications, because You, o Eternal, will answer in time of trouble, redeem and save in any time of distress. (Ps. 107.6) “They cried to the Eternal in their trouble, He led them out from their distress.”¹⁵⁹The Galilean practice was to end every benediction in prayer or Grace with a verse from the Bible. This practice has survived only sporadically. Even though this prayer text is given only in the Yerushalmi, (the Babli usually assumes that all texts are known) there are many variants already in the extant prayer manuals from the 8th to the 10th centuries. Praise to You, o Eternal, Answering in times of trouble. Rebbi Yannai ben Rebbi Ismael¹⁶⁰This is the reading of the Rome ms. here and the Venice text in the parallel version in Taäniot 65c. Rebbi Yannai ben R. Ismael was a student of R. Yoḥanan and a colleague of R. Zeïra. (The Venice text here has בשם instead of בר.) in the name of the House of Rebbi Yannai¹⁶¹The Yeshivah established by Rebbi Yannai in the first generation of Amoraïm; it continued after its founder’s death. says: In “He Who hears prayer.¹⁶²In the 15th benediction. In the Babylonian rite we never find that a private person adds a benediction to his prayer. The House of Rebbi Yannai omitted the final benediction in Rav Jeremiah’s text.”

רִבִּי יוֹנָה בְּשֵׁם רַב אֲפִילוּ יָחִיד שֶׁגָּזַר תַעֲנִית עַל עַצְמוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר מֵעֵין הַמְּאוֹרָע. אֵיכָן הוּא אוֹמְרָהּ. רִבִּי זְעִירָא בְּשֵׁם רַב הוּנָא כְּלֵילוֹ שַׁבָּת וּכְיוֹמוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנִי אֲנָא דְּלָא בְדַקְתָּהּ אִין כַּהֲדָא דְּרַב יִרְמְיָה. אִין כַּהֲדָא דְּרִבִּי יַנַּאי [בְרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעְאֵל] סָלְקִית לְסִדְרָה וְשָׁמְעִית רַב חוּנָה בְשֵׁם רַב אֲפִילוּ יָחִיד שֶׁגָּזַר עַל עַצְמוֹ תַעֲנִית צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר מֵעֵין הַמְּאוֹרָע. הָתִיב רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְהָא מַתְנִיתָא פְּלִיגָא. בְּכָל יוֹם אָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי יוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים וּבְמוֹצָאֵי תַּעֲנִית צִיבּוּר. מִן מַה דָּמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי מַתְנִיתָא פְּלִיגָא. הֲוָה כֵן אִיתְתָּבַת בֵּין גּוֹאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים. Rebbi Jonah in the name of Rav: Even an individual who decreed a fast day on himself has to mention the occasion¹⁶³He also has to recite עננו. [In practice, the fastdays of the 3rd of Tishre, 10th of Tevet, 13th of Adar, and 17th of Tammuz, follow the rules of private fast days.]. Where does he say it? Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rav Ḥuna: Similar to Friday night and Sabbath day¹⁶⁴During every prayer he has to recite that day.. Rebbi Mani said: I, who did not check whether one follows Rav Jeremiah or Rebbi Yannai the son of Rebbi Ismael, went to the study hall and I heard: “Rav Ḥuna in the name of Rav: Even an individual who decreed a fast day on himself has to mention the occasion. Rebbi Yose objected that a baraitha disagrees: Every day one prays eighteen benedictions, including the night after Sabbath and the nights after Yom Kippur and after Public Fasts¹⁶⁵See Halakhah 1, Note 86..” Since Rebbi Yose said, this baraita disagrees¹⁶⁶Rebbi Mani’s argument goes as follows: Since R. Yose stated that the baraita contradicts Rav, he takes the baraita to mean that a private person always recites 18 benedictions on weekdays, never 19, even on fast days. The additional days are mentioned to point out that insertions for a private person are always accomodated in an existing benediction, never as an additional one, in contrast to the opinion of R. Aqiba who states in Mishnah 5:2 that Havdalah Saturday nights is a separate benediction. In addition, it is stated that on those days when Neïlah is recited, Yom Kippur and fast days for a severe draught, the Neïlah prayer does not replace the following night’s prayer as discussed in Halakhah 1. The Yerushalmi does not address the question what the reader says on a public fast day which is not a fast for rain; the Babli decides that the reader will recite עננוּ as a separate benediction between “Redeemer of Israel” and “Healer of the sick.” This decision does not go against R. Mani’s argument., it contradicts the statement: between “Redeemer of Israel” and “Healer of the sick.”

אָמַר רִבִּי אָחָא בַּר יִצְחָק בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי [הוּנָא רַבָּא] דְצִיפּוֹרִין יָחִיד בְּתִשְׁעָה בְּאַב צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר מֵעֵין הַמְּאוֹרָע. מַהוּ אוֹמֵר. רַחֵם יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים וּבַחֲסָדֶיךָ הַנֶּאֱמָנִים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַםִ עִירָךְ וְעַל צִיּוֹן מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדָךְ וְעַל הָעִיר הָאֲבֵילָה וְהַחֲרֵיבָה וְהֶהָרוּסָה וְהַשּׁוֹמְמָה הַנְּתוּנָה בְיַד זָרִים הָרְמוּסָה בְיַד עָרִיצִים וַיִּירָשׁוּהָ לִגְיוֹנוֹת וַיְּחַלְלוּהָ עוֹבְדֵּי פְסִילִים וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמָּךְ נָתַתָּהּ נַחֲלָה וּלְזֶרַע יְשׁוּרוּן יְרוּשָׁה הוֹרַשְׁתָּהּ כִּי בְאֵשׁ הֵיצַתָּהּ וּבָאֵשׁ אַתָּה עָתִיד לִבְנוֹתָהּ כָּאָמוּר וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהּ נְאֻם יי חוֹמַת אֵשׁ סָבִיב וּלְכָבוֹד אֶהְיֶה בְּתוֹכָהּ. Rebbi Aḥa bar Isaac¹⁶⁷An Israeli Amora of the third generation, companion of Rebbi Abba bar Mamal and contemporary of Rebbi Zeïra. in the name of the older Rebbi Huna of Sepphoris¹⁶⁸A student of R. Yohanan whose sayings are reported by several sages of the third and fourth generations in Galilee. The name is correctly given in the Rome ms. and in the Venice text in Taäniot.: An individual must mention the occasion on the Ninth of Av. What does he say? “Have mercy, o Eternal, our God, in Your great mercy and your trusted kindness, towards us, Your people Israel, Your city Jerusalem, Zion the dwelling place of Your glory, and on the mourning, ruined, destroyed, and desolate city that is given into the hand of strangers, trampled down by haughty peoples, that was inherited by legions and desecrated by idol worshippers, when You had given her to Your people Israel as property, and let her be inherited by the seed of Yeshurun, for in fire You set her on fire and with fire You will build her in the future as it has been said (Zach. 2:9): “But I shall be for her, says the Eternal, a wall of fire around, and Glory I shall be in her midst.¹⁶⁹This is the only text of the prayer in Talmudic sources; it is quoted in the manuals of Rif (R. Isaac Fassi) and Rosh (R. Asher ben Yehiël). However, Maimonides has a different text from Gaonic sources and the currently used versions are derived from his. Also, most rituals have replaced רחם “have mercy” by נחם “console” as more appropriate in a prayer for Jerusalem.”

רִבִּי אֶבְדַּימָא דְּצִיפּוֹרִין בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי מָנָא אֵיכַן אוֹמְרָהּ. אָמַר לוֹ וְאֲדַיִין אֵין אַתְּ לְזוּ. כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא לָבֹא אוֹמְרָהּ בָּעֲבוֹדָה. וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא לְשֶׁעָבַר אוֹמְרָהּ בְּהוֹדָאָה. וּמַתְנִיתָא אָמְרָה וְנוֹתֵן הוֹדָאָה לְשֶׁעָבַר וְצוֹעֵק לְעָתִיד לָבוֹא. Rebbi Eudaimon of Sepphoris¹⁷⁰An Amora of the fifth generation, student of R. Mana. asked before Rebbi Mana: Where does one say this? He said to him: You still do not understand? Anything for the future one says in “Service”¹⁷¹The 16th benediction in the Galilean service, a prayer for the restitution of the Temple service. In the opinion of the Yerushalmi, that is the correct place for the insertion of the prayer for the Ninth of Ab. However, in all historical documents we have from Gaonic times and later, the insertion is made in the 14th benediction, which is a prayer for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. This is either a popular custom or a Gaonic institution. It is justified since the place is fitting and the later discussion will show that occasional variations in the prayer text are welcomed. and anything about the past one says in “Thanksgiving”¹⁷²The 17th benediction, the natural place for the mention of the miracles of Ḥanukkah and Purim.. The Mishnah (Berakhot 9:6) says as much: “One gives thanks for the past and cries about the future.”

אֵי זוֹ הִיא שֶׁבַע מֵעֵין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. רַב אָמַר סוֹף כָּל בְּרָכָה וּבְרָכָה. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר רֹאשׁ כָּל בְּרָכָה וּבְרָכָה. אִית תְּנָיֵי תַנִּי שֶׁבַע מֵעֵין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. וְאִית תְּנָיֵי תַנִּי שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה מֵעֵין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. מָאן דָּמַר שֶׁבַע מֵעֵין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה מְסַיֵיעַ לִשְׁמוּאֵל וּמָאן דָּמַר שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה מֵעֵין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה מְסַיֵיעַא לְרַב. ¹⁷³After the digression about prayers on special days one returns to the discussion of the Mishnah and the statement of Rebbi Joshua that a private prayer on weekdays is “similar to the eighteen benedictions” recited by the reader in public service. What are “seven similar to eighteen”? Rav says the end of each benediction¹⁷⁴Rav requires the first three and the last three benedictions in full and of the twelve benedictions in between only the final doxology of each: Praise to You, o Eternal, Who bestows knowledge as a favor. Praise to You, o Eternal, Who desires repentance, etc., without any other text. and Samuel says the head of each benediction¹⁷⁵Samuel also requires the first and last three benedictions in full but of the text of the intermediate ones only a few words, as explained in full in the next paragraph. The statements of Rav and Samuel are in Babli 29a, the following connection with tannaïtic statements appears only in the Yerushalmi.. Some formulate “seven similar to eighteen” and some formulate “eighteen similar to eighteen.”¹⁷⁶The disagreement of Rav and Samuel did not originate with them, but they follow different tannaïtic traditions. He who says “seven similar to eighteen” supports Samuel, he who says “eighteen similar to eighteen” supports Rav.

רִבִּי זְעוֹרָא שָׁלַח לְרִבִּי נָחוּם גַּבֵּי רִבִּי יַנַּיי בֵּירִבִּי יִשְׁמָעְאֵל אָמַר לֵיהּ אֵי זוֹ הִיא שֶׁבַע מֵעֵין שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה דִּשְׁמוּאֵל. אָמַר לֵיהּ הֲבִינֵינוּ רְצֵה תְשׁוּבָתֵינוּ סְלַח לָנוּ גּוֹאֲלֵינוּ רְפָא חָלְיֵינוּ בָּרֵךְ שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי חַגַּיי אִם הָיוּ גְשָׁמִים אוֹמְרִים [בְּגִשְׁמֵי] בְרָכָה. אִם הָיוּ טְלָלִים אוֹמְרִים בְּטַלְלֵי בְרָכָה. כִּי מְפוּזָרִים אַתָּה מְקַבֵּץ וְתוֹעִים עָלֶיךָ לִשְׁפּוֹט וְעַל הָרְשָׁעִים תָּשִׁית יָדְךָ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָּל חוֹסֵי בָךְ בְּבִנְיַין עִירָךְ וּבְחִידּוּשׁ בֵּית מִקְדְּשָׁךְ וּבְצֶמַח דָּוִד עַבְדָּךְ כִּי טֶרֶם נִקְרָא אַתָּה תַעֲנֶה כָּאָמוּר וְהָיָה טֶרֶם יִקְרָאוּ וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה עוֹד הֵם מְדַבְּרִים וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמָע בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִילָּה. וְאוֹמֵר שָׁלֹשׁ בְּרָכוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַחֲרוֹנוֹת. וְאוֹמֵר בָּרוּךְ יי כִּי שָׁמַע קוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי. Rebbi Zeïra sent Rebbi Naḥum¹⁷⁷Probably identical with Rebbi Naḥum, the organizer of the Yeshivah of Rebbi Abbahu. to Rebbi Yannai ben Rebbi Ismael and said to him: What are the “seven similar to eighteen” of Samuel? He said to him:¹⁷⁸The text in the Babli (29a) is different but based on the same principles. Give us understanding, have pleasure in our repentance, forgive us, redeem us, heal our sicknesses, bless our years [Rebbi Ḥaggai said, in the rainy season one says: with blessed rains, in the season of dew one says: with blessed dew¹⁷⁹The Babli (29a) forbids the recitation of the shortened prayer in winter time because the change would disturb the memory of the person who prays. It seems that in Babylonia the text of the prayer for blessed agricultural years was similar to today’s Sephardic and Oriental versions where the summer prayer is short (in Rabbenu Saadia’s siddur 19 words) and the winter prayer is long (in Rabbenu Saadia’s siddur 48 words) and this change is not adaptable to the short prayer. In contrast, in the Ashkenazic tradition based on Yerushalmi sources, the difference between summer and winter prayer is just two words. One may note that the French Maḥzor Vitry from the school of Rashi combines the Babylonian text of הביננו with the Israeli versions for summer and winter and, hence, allows the short prayer for the entire year following the Jerusalem Talmud.], for You gather in the dispersed, Yours it is to judge the misguided, put down Your hand on the wicked, but in You may rejoice all who hope for You to rebuild Your city, to renew Your Temple with the offspring of Your servant David, because before we call You will answer as it is said¹⁸⁰The obligatory verse before the end of a longer benediction in the Israeli tradition. This verse is used in the middle of the currently used text of עננוּ on fast days. (Is. 65:24): “It shall be before they call that I shall answer, they still shall be talking while I will listen.” Praise to You, o Eternal, Who hears prayer. And he says the first three and the last three benedictions. And he says¹⁸¹As private prayer after all seven required prayers. (Ps. 28:6): Praised be the Eternal, Who certainly hears the voice of my supplications.