Eruvin

in water1 implies, in water that is gathered together;2 All his flesh3 implies, water in which all his body can be immersed;4 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.5 Now how many [cubic units] were there [in the molten sea]? Five hundred [cubic] cubits.6 From three hundred [cubic cubits are obtained] a hundred [ritual baths],7 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?8 — These calculations9 [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.10 Then of the four hundred [cubic cubits previously assumed]11 one hundred [must be deducted], and of the hundred11 [cubic cubits] twenty-five [must be deducted]. [Would not then12 the number of ritual baths] be Only a hundred and twenty-five?12 — Rami b. Ezekiel learned that the sea that Solomon made was square in its lower three cubits and round in its upper three. 13 Granted that you cannot assume the reverse,14 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]?15 — This16 cannot be entertained at all, for it is written, it held two thousand baths;17 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],18 so that the sea19 contained six thousand griva.20 But Surely is it not written: It21 held three thousand baths?22 — This23 [includes the addition] of the heap [in a dry measure].24 Said Abaye: From this it may be inferred that the heap [of a measure]25 is one third [of the entire quantity].26 And so have we also learnt: A large box or chest, a cupboard, a large straw or reed basket,27 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],28 are levitically clean.29 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 then30 be asserted that we have here learnt an anonymous Mishnah in agreement with R. Eliezer who ruled that two side-posts are required?31 — No; the expression of32 SIDE-POSTS [refers to] side-posts in general.33 If so,34 should it not have been taught, in the case of the cross-beam also,35 ‘cross-beams’, the plural referring to36 cross-beams generally? — It is really this that was meant: The SIDE-POSTS concerning which R. Eliezer and the Sages are in dispute37 [MUST BE NO LESS THAN] TEN HANDBREADTHS IN HEIGHT, BUT THEIR WIDTH AND THICKNESS MAY BE OF ANY SIZE WHATSOEVER.38 And how much [was meant by] ‘ANY SIZE WHATSOEVER’? — R. Hiyya taught: Even [if only] as that of the thread of a cloak.39 A Tanna taught: If a man put up a side-post for a half of an alley40 he may only use41 [the inner] half of the alley.42 Is not this43 obvious?44 — Rather read: He may use45 a half of the alley.46 Is not this,47 however, also obvious?48 — It might have been presumed that the possibility should be considered that49 one might proceed to use all of it;50 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.51 Even R.52 Simeon b. Gamaliel, who holds [that in the case of gaps] we apply the rule of labud,53 maintains his view54 [only where the gap occurred] above,55 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’56 or in that of ‘SIDE-POSTS’. Said R. Huna b. Hinena to him: You told us this57 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.’58 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’56 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.59 Said Raba son of R. Hanan60 to Abaye, ‘What is the law?’61 — ‘Go’, the other told him, ‘and see what is the usage of the people’.62 There are some who teach this63 in connection with the following: A man who drinks water on account of his thirst64 must say65 [the benediction], ‘by whose word all things exist’.66 R. Tarfon ruled [that the following benediction65 must be said], ‘who66 createst many living beings with their wants, for all the means that thou has created’.67 Said R. Hanan68 to Abaye, ‘What is the law?’ — ‘Go’, the other told him, ‘and see what is the usage of the people’. a square tank contained 10 X 10 X 5 = 500 cubic cubits. perimeter of four such units. each three cubic cubits produced one ritual bath, the sea could have contained no more than 375/3 = 125 ritual baths. An objection again against R. Hiyya. less than a square, contained 2 X 10 X 10 — 50 = 150. The two sections together consequently contained (300 + 150)/3 = 350 ritual baths. maintain that it contained only a hundred and fifty ritual baths? bath equals three se'ah. ritual baths. Hence R. Hiyya's figure. above that level. The difference between the dry and liquid commodities that the sea could contain, explains the difference between the figures in I Chron., and I Kings respectively. For an attempt to reconcile Rami b. Ezekiel's solution with the more exact value of ‘pie’ v. Zuckermann, op. cit., p. 29 and Feldman, op. cit., p. 51. third of sixty. This Mishnah thus supports Abaye's calculation. susceptible. Those mentioned here are large and not easily moved; hence they are not subject to the same susceptibility. Shab. 35a; Kel. XV, 1; Oh. VIII, 1, 3. would agree with an individual opinion contrary to that of the majority? middle of it. the necessity for the Tosef cited. (cf. Singer's P.B., p. 290).