(Mishnah): If they were fasting and rain fell for them before sunrise, they do not complete [the fast. If it fell] after sunrise, they complete.

R. Eliezer says, [if it fell] before midday, they do not complete; after midday, they complete.

A case occurred in which they decreed a fast in Lud, and rain fell before midday. R. Tarfon told them, go eat and drink and make a Yom Tov. They left, ate and drink and made a Yom Tov, and in the afternoon they read the great Hallel.

(Gemara): [If rain fell before sunrise, they do not complete, for it says] "v'Hayah Terem Yikre'u va'Ani E'eneh'' (immediately; nothing else is needed). If it fell after sunrise, they complete - "Od Hem Medabrim va'Ani Eshma'' (they must complete, so that Hash-m will hear and then answer).

Question: Perhaps it is oppositely! ("Va'Ani E'eneh'', but not due to hearing their prayer, rather, due to their fasting. "Va'Ani Eshma'' their prayer, so they need not fast!)

Answer (R. Tanchuma): Can you say so?! Aniyah (answering) is only right after Keri'ah, and Keri'ah is said only when it is next to Aniyah. (If it says that Hash-m answered before the Keri'ah, surely He was pleased as if it was after Keri'ah, so we need not complete.)

In the days of R. Yudan they decreed a fast, and rain fell at night [before the fast]. R. Mana went out to him. He said, I am thirsty - may I drink? He said, wait - perhaps they will decide to complete [the fast].

(R. Acha citing R. Avahu citing R. Yosi bar Chanina): One may not fast until six hours on Shabbos.

Support (R. Yosi bei R. Bun): Our Mishnah teaches so! [If it fell] before midday, they do not complete - until then is morning. After midday, they complete - the majority of the day already passed in Kedushah. (Regarding Shabbos, it is as if he fasted the entire day.)

When R. Yochanan ben Zakai wanted rain to fall, he would tell a teacher of children 'go in front of the Heichal' [to pray, for a teacher has more merits, like the opinion that "u'Matzdikei ha'Rabim ka'Kochavim...'' refers to them - Bavli Bava Basra 8b]. Because the Rebbi (R. Yochanan ben Zakai was the Nasi) needed to ask a teacher, and [felt that] he does not have enough merit, he was pained, and immediately rain fell. (MASA D'YERUSHALAYIM)

When Rav Ada bar Achavah wanted rain to fall, he would remove a shoe. If he would remove both, the world would drip [from the abundance of rain].

There was a house about to fall there, and Rav told one of his Talmidim to stay there, until they cleared out [the contents of] the house. When the Talmid left, the house fell. Some say that Rav Ada bar Achavah was [the Talmid].

Chachamim asked him "what good deeds do you have?'' He said, no one ever came before me to the Beis ha'Keneses, and I never left when someone was in the Beis ha'Keneses, and I did not go four Amos without Torah, and I did not say (or even think about - MASA D'YERUSHALAYIM) Divrei Torah in a filthy place;

I never spread a sheet and slept a fixed sleep (I slept only haphazardly, to awake and engage in Torah), I did not walk between Talmidim [who sat on the floor, lest it look like I step on their heads], I did not make a nickname for my colleague, and I did not rejoice at the failure of my colleague;

I did not go to sleep with the curse of my colleague (I immediately forgave him), I did not walk in the market near one who owed to me [lest he feel pressured], and I was never adamant in my house, to fulfill what it says "Es'halech b'Sam Levavi b'Kerev Beisi.''

Question: What is the great Hallel?

Answer #1 (R. Parnach citing R. Chaninah): It is "Hodu lei'Lokei ha'Elokim Ki l'Olam Chasdo; Hodu la'Adonei ha'Adonim Ki l'Olam Chasdo'' (Psalm 136).

Answer #2 (R. Yochanan): They must start with [the previous Tehilim, 135] "she'Omdim b'Veis Hash-m.''

Note: Piskei Tosfos (Ta'anis Perek 3, 55) says "ha'Omdim b'Veis Hash-m ba'Leilos'' (Psalm 134). This is like R. Yochanan said in the Bavli (Pesachim 118a), that Hallel ha'Gadol starts from Shir ha'Ma'alos. Here, we say that it is "two Perakim'' [in all]; perhaps Piskei Tosfos considers 134 and 135 to be one Perek, like Tosfos (Pesachim 117a) says (Eliyahu Rabah 575:11).

Question: Why do they say these two Perakim?

Answer #1 (R. Ze'irah citing R. Avahu citing R. Shmuel bar Nachman): It is because rainfall is included in them.

Question: According to R. Yochanan, it is fine - it says [in the first Perek] "Ma'aleh Nesi'im mi'Ketzei ha'Aretz.'' However, according to R. Chaninah, what [can we answer]?

Answer #2: It is because it says "Nosen Lechem l'Chol Basar Ki l'Olam Chasdo.''

Answer #3 (to Question (m) - R. Ba and R. Simon, R. Yehoshua ben Levi and Bar Kaparah): [The great Hallel] is ours (what we say on Yom Tov, Chanukah...)

Bar Kaparah teaches like he taught elsewhere. A Mishnah there (Pesachim 5:7) teaches that the third group [to offer Korban Pesach, the Leviyim singing Hallel] never reach "Ahavti Ki Yishma], for there were few people (they finished offering their Pesachim quickly). Bar Kaparah taught that this is the great Hallel.

A Talmid of Abaye (PNEI MOSHE Shevu'os 1:4) came in front of the Aron [on a fast]. He said, answer after me what I say. This shows that it is not our Hallel (everyone already knows it)!

Rejection (R. Mana): It was our [Hallel]. Because it was a great miracle, he told them "answer after me, what I say'' (so all will say it together).