Avodah Zarah Daf 8 עבודה זרח דַף 8

The Chochomim disagree with both Tannaim recorded on the previous Daf (whether one should praise Hashem before or after davening), and say: שואל אדם צרכיו בשומע תפלה – a person may ask for his needs during [the berachah of] שומע תפילה. Rav said that although a person may make any request during שומע תפילה, אבל אם בא לומר בסוף כל ברכה וברכה מעין כל ברכה וברכה אומר – but if he wants to say at the end of each berachah a personal request similar to the topic of each berachah, he may.

Similarly, Rav said: אם יש לו חולה בתוך ביתו – if one has a sick person in his home, אומר בברכת חולים – he may daven for him during the berachah for the sick (רפאינו). ואם צריך לפרנסה – And if h needs sustenance, אומר בברכת השנים – he may ask for it during the berachah for the years (ברך עלינו). Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi adds: אם בא לומר אחר תפלתו אפילו כסדר יום הכפורים – if he wants to say, after his [שמונה עשרה] davening, a request even as long as the Yom Kippur Service, he may.

The next Mishnah discusses various idolatrous festivals, and the Gemara elaborates on the first two: קלנדא is eight days after the תקופה – winter solstice, and סטרנורא is eight days before the תקופה. A Baraisa explains their background: when אדם הראשון realizes the days were getting progressively shorter, he cried: אוי לי – “Woe is me! שמא בשביל שסרחתי עולם חשוך בעדי – Perhaps because I sinned, the world is becoming darkened for me, וחוזר לתוהו ובוהו – and is returning to astonishing emptiness, and this is the death that Hashem decreed upon me!” Adam fasted and davened for eight days, until he saw (after the תקופה) that the days were getting longer. He said: מנהגו של עולם הוא – it is the natural course of the world for the days to shorten and lengthen through the year,” and he established eight festival days. The next year, he additionally established the eight days prior as another festival. Later, idolators established these festivals for idolatry.

On the first day Adam was created, and he saw the sun setting, he thought the world was darkening and returning to its original state as punishment for his sin. He fasted and wept the entire night, and חוה wept opposite him. When the sun rose, he said it is מנהגו של עולם, and brought a unique korban.

The Romans fought thirty-six battles against the Greeks, but could not overcome them until partnering with the Jews. Their terms were that the king would be from one nation, and the governors would be from the other. The Romans then sent a message to the Greeks that instead of battling, they would debate. They asked, if one has a pearl and a precious stone, which should be used as a setting for the other, and the Greeks responded that the pearl should be the setting. They then agreed that the precious stone would be used as a setting for an "אינך" (a different precious stone), and that even an אינך would be a setting for a sefer Torah. The Romans then said, [א"כ] אנן ספר תורה גבן וישראל בהדן – "If so, we have a sefer Torah with us, because Yisroel is with us,” and the Romans conquered the Greeks. For twenty-six years, they kept their word, but afterwards subjugated the Jews. They originally expounded the passuk, "נסעה ונלכה ואלכה לנגדך" – Travel on and let us go, I will go alongside you, implying equality, but later expounded the passuk, "יעבר נא אדני לפני עבדו" – Let my master go ahead of his servant.