Yosef Karo

“ If so much rain comes that it becomes an affliction, we pray, because there is no greater affliction when houses fall and houses become graves. In the land of Israel, we do not pray over an excess of rain because it is a mountanous land with houses built in rocks where an excess of rain is good, and we do not fast to remove something good. ”

“ If a city has 500 infantry and three die in three consecutive days, one each day, this is a plague. If they die in one day or over four days, this is not a plague. If there are 1000 and six die in three consecutive days, this is a plague. If they die on one day or over four days, this is not a plague. The calculation is like this. Women, children, and elders who no longer work are not considered citizens for this matter. If there is a plague in the land of Israel, the Disapora fasts for them (provided there is a plague in the whole land and not just in part of it (Ra"n chapter 3 of Taanit) ) . ”

“ For example, if non-Jews come to start a war with Jews or to collect a tax or to seize land to impose a decree on them even [hindering the performance of] an unimportant commandment, they should fast and blast until God has mercy on them. All surrounding cities should fast but not blast unless they are doing so to gather to assist them. Even if [the enemy] only tries to pass through their land, not trying to wage war with the Jews but with a different non-Jewish enemy via Israel land, they fast and blast. ”