Arakhin

‘My breadth, what is [the law]? ‘My sitting’, or ‘My thickness’, what is [the law]? ‘My circumference’, what is [the law]?1 — The questions remain unanswered. I VOW THE WEIGHT OF MY HAND. Our Rabbis taught: [If one said:] ‘I vow the weight of my hand and the weight of my foot’, R. Judah says: Let him bring a barrel, fill it with water, place his hand therein up to the elbow, and his foot up to the knee; then let him weigh the flesh, bones and sinews of an ass and put it in [to the barrel] until it is filled up. And although there is no proof for it [in the Bible],2 there is a mnemonical allusion: Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses.3 R. Jose said to him: How is it possible to account exactly one kind of flesh as against another kind of flesh, one kind of bones as against another kind of bones, and one kind of sinews as against another kind of sinews? R. Judah answered him: They estimate [the weight of the flesh, bones and sinews].4 Said R. Jose to him: If you must estimate, estimate the hand [itself]? And R. Judah? As far as possible we do it by weight. ‘The hand up to the elbow’? An objection was raised: The hands and feet in the Sanctuary were washed up to the joint [of the palm]? In [the language of] the Torah [hand means] up to the joint, but with regard to vows, go after human parlance! But according to the Torah [language, does it mean] up to the joint? What then of tefillin with regard to which thy hand5 is written; and the School of Mennaseh taught: ‘thy hand’, that means on the biceps muscle? [Rather say thus,] In the Torah [it means] the whole biceps-muscle, but with regard to vows, go after human parlance, and as to washing the hands and feet in the Sanctuary. that6 is a traditional teaching. ‘The foot up to the knee’? But there is a contradiction against this. [It is written,] Feet,7 that excludes people with wooden legs?8 — With regard to vows, go after human parlance. But in the Torah does [the term] foot exclude people with wooden legs? What of halizah where it is written: his foot,9 and yet it was taught if she drew off his shoe [that was strapped] from the knee below, her halizah [ceremony] is valid?10 — It is different there, because Scripture says: From off his foot.9 If that be so, then even if [the shoe was strapped] above the knee, it should also be [valid]? — It reads: from above’, not ‘from over above’. R. Papa said: It is evident therefrom11 that what is called istawira12 goes down to the ground.13 For if you should think it is divided [into two], then the istawira would be ‘above the foot’ and the thigh14 ‘over above’ [the foot].15 — R. Ashi said: You may even say that it is divided [into two], yet whatsoever is horizontally with the foot16 is [like] the foot. MISHNAH. [IF SOMEONE SAID] I VOW THE WORTH OF MY HAND, THEY ESTIMATE HIS WORTH WITH HIS HAND AND [WHAT IT WOULD BE] WITHOUT HIS HAND. IN THIS RESPECT VOWS OF WORTH ARE MORE STRINGENT THAN VALUATIONS.17 GEMARA. How do we estimate him? — Raba said: We estimate him as one estimates in the case of injury.18 Said Abaye: Are the two cases alike? There the man is reduced in value, here he is in physical integrity! — Rather, said Abaye: They estimate how much a man would give for a slave who does his work with but one hand as against what he would give for a slave who does his work with both hands. [You say,] ‘With one hand’? What does that imply? That the other is cut off? But that is the very case [of damage just mentioned]. Rather [say, How much a man would give . . . as against the case] where one of his hands is assigned to the first master. 19 Raba asked: If they have estimated him in a case of injury and he said: ‘I vow my worth’, what is [the law]? Do we say, ‘surely they have estimated him once already’, or is an estimate by ten different from an estimate by three?20 And if you find a reason for saying that the estimate by ten is different from one by three, what is [the law] if he said: I vow my worth and he was estimated, whereupon he said again. I vow my worth? Is it here definite since ten have estimated him, or perhaps he may have increased in value meantime!21 [And if you were to say that he has increased in value meantime,] what is [the law] if he said: I vow my worth, and they did not estimate him, and then he again said: I vow my worth? [Do we say] in this case he is surely ‘my thickness’, too, is ambiguous; ‘my circumference’ may imply a staff, crooked and of the same circumference as myself, or one as thick as my circumference. the hand itself]. Hag. 3a. This shows that the foot does not stretch to the knee. worth (before the injury) and how much he is worth now. is warranted. assessment in the case of injuries can be determined by a court of three (v. Sanh. 2a).