Parallel
עירובין 14:2
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
in water implies, in water that is gathered together; All his flesh implies, water in which all his body can be immersed; and how much is this? [A volume of water of the size of] a cubit by a cubit by a height of three cubits; and the Sages have accordingly estimated that the waters of a ritual bath must measure forty se'ah. Now how many [cubic units] were there [in the molten sea]? Five hundred [cubic] cubits. From three hundred [cubic cubits are obtained] a hundred [ritual baths], and from a hundred and fifty [cubic cubits] fifty [ritual baths are obtained]. [Would not then a volume] of four hundred and fifty [cubic cubits] be enough? — These calculations [apply only] to a square [shaped tank], while the sea that Solomon made was round. But consider: By how much does [the area of] a square exceed that of a circle? By a quarter. Then of the four hundred [cubic cubits previously assumed] one hundred [must be deducted], and of the hundred [cubic cubits] twenty-five [must be deducted]. [Would not then the number of ritual baths] be Only a hundred and twenty-five? — Rami b. Ezekiel learned that the sea that Solomon made was square in its lower three cubits and round in its upper three. Granted that you cannot assume the reverse, since it is written in Scripture that its brim was round, [can you not] say, however, [that only] one [cubit of the height of the brim was round]? — This cannot be entertained at all, for it is written, it held two thousand baths; now how much is a bath? Three se'ah,; for it is written in Scripture: The tenth of the bath out of the kor [which is ten baths], so that the sea contained six thousand griva. But Surely is it not written: It held three thousand baths? — This [includes the addition] of the heap [in a dry measure]. Said Abaye: From this it may be inferred that the heap [of a measure] is one third [of the entire quantity]. And so have we also learnt: A large box or chest, a cupboard, a large straw or reed basket, and the tank of an Alexandrian ship, although they have flat bottoms and are capable of holding forty se'ah of liquid, which are [equal to] two kor of dry [commodities], are levitically clean. MISHNAH. THE SIDE-POSTS OF WHICH THEY [THE RABBIS] SPOKE [MUST BE NO LESS THAN] TEN HANDBREADTHS IN HEIGHT, BUT THEIR WIDTH AND THICKNESS MAY BE OF ANY SIZE WHATSOEVER. R. JOSE RULED: THEIR WIDTH [MUST BE NO LESS THAN] THREE HANDBREADTHS. GEMARA. THE SIDE-POSTS OF WHICH THEY SPOKE etc. May it then be asserted that we have here learnt an anonymous Mishnah in agreement with R. Eliezer who ruled that two side-posts are required? — No; the expression of SIDE-POSTS [refers to] side-posts in general. If so, should it not have been taught, in the case of the cross-beam also, ‘cross-beams’, the plural referring to cross-beams generally? — It is really this that was meant: The SIDE-POSTS concerning which R. Eliezer and the Sages are in dispute [MUST BE NO LESS THAN] TEN HANDBREADTHS IN HEIGHT, BUT THEIR WIDTH AND THICKNESS MAY BE OF ANY SIZE WHATSOEVER. And how much [was meant by] ‘ANY SIZE WHATSOEVER’? — R. Hiyya taught: Even [if only] as that of the thread of a cloak. A Tanna taught: If a man put up a side-post for a half of an alley he may only use [the inner] half of the alley. Is not this obvious? — Rather read: He may use a half of the alley. Is not this, however, also obvious? — It might have been presumed that the possibility should be considered that one might proceed to use all of it; hence we were informed [that the inner half may be used]. Raba stated: If one constructed a side-post for an alley and raised it three handbreadths from the ground, or removed it three handbreadths from the wall, his act is invalid. Even R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, who holds [that in the case of gaps] we apply the rule of labud, maintains his view [only where the gap occurred] above, but [where it was] below, since [the post] constitutes a partition through which kids can push their way, he did not uphold that view. R. JOSE RULED: THEIR WIDTH [MUST BE NO LESS THAN] THREE HANDBREADTHS. R. Joseph stated in the name of Rab Judah who had it from Samuel: The halachah is not in agreement with R. Jose either in respect of ‘brine’ or in that of ‘SIDE-POSTS’. Said R. Huna b. Hinena to him: You told us this concerning ‘brine’ but not concerning ‘side-posts’. Now wherein does brine differ? Obviously because the Rabbis disagree with him; but do not they disagree with him in respect of side-posts also? — ‘Side-posts’, the other replied: ‘are in a different category because Rabbi has taken up the same point of view.’ R. Rehumi taught thus: Rab Judah son of R. Samuel b. Shilath stated in the name of Rab: The halachah does not agree with R. Jose either in respect of ‘brine’ or in that of ‘SIDE-POSTS’. ‘Did you say it?’ they asked him. ‘No’, he replied. ‘By God!’ Raba exclaimed, ‘he did say it, and I learned it from him,’ — Why then did he change his view? — Because R. Jose has always good reasons for his rulings. Said Raba son of R. Hanan to Abaye, ‘What is the law?’ — ‘Go’, the other told him, ‘and see what is the usage of the people’. There are some who teach this in connection with the following: A man who drinks water on account of his thirst must say [the benediction], ‘by whose word all things exist’. R. Tarfon ruled [that the following benediction must be said], ‘who createst many living beings with their wants, for all the means that thou has created’. Said R. Hanan to Abaye, ‘What is the law?’ — ‘Go’, the other told him, ‘and see what is the usage of the people’.
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