עירובין 4:1 — Soncino English Talmud

that [their measurements must] not be exactly alike. Now according to Raba this is intelligible [since the measuring must be done in such a manner] as to have [the handbreadths] in the latter case expanded and the former case compact; but according to Abaye [does not this present] a difficulty? — Abaye can answer you: ‘The cubit [spoken of in respect] of kil'ayim is of the length of six [handbreadths]’. But since it was stated in the final clause, ‘R. Simeon b. Gamaliel ruled: All cubits of which the Sages spoke in relation to kil'ayim are of the standard of six [handbreadths] except that these must not be compact’, does it not follow that the first Tanna referred to all cubits? — Abaye can answer you: Is there not R. Simeon b. Gamaliel who maintains the same standpoint as I! I uphold the same ruling as R. Simeon b. Gamaliel. According to Abaye's view [the standard of the respective cubits] is undoubtedly [a question in dispute between] Tannas; must it, however, be said that according to Raba's view also [the standard of the cubit is a question in dispute between] Tannas? — Raba can tell you, ‘It is this that R. Simeon b. Gamaliel desired to inform us: [That the handbreadths of] the cubit applicable to kil'ayim must not be compact’. [If that is the case] he should have said, ‘[The handbreadths of] the cubit applicable to kil'ayim must not be compact’; what, [however, could he have meant] to exclude [by his addition,] ‘of the standard of six [handbreadths]’? [Did he] not [obviously mean] to exclude the cubit of the sukkah and the cubit of the ‘entrance’? No; to exclude the cubit [by which the] base, and the one [by which the] surrounding ledge [of the altar were measured] for it is written in Scripture: And these are the measures of the altar by cubits — the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth,’ the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span,’ and this shall be the base of the altar; ‘The bottom shall be a cubit’ refers to the foundation [of the altar]; ‘And the breadth a cubit’ refers to its surrounding ledge; ‘And the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span refers to the horns; ‘And this shall be the base of the altar’ refers to the golden altar. R. Hiyya b. Ashi stated in the name of Rab: [The laws relating to] standards, interpositions and partitions [are a part of] the halachic code [that was entrusted] to Moses at Sinai. Are [not the laws relating to] standards Pentateuchal, since it is written in Scripture: A land of wheat and barley etc. and R. Hanan stated that all this verse was said [with reference to the laws] of standards? ‘Wheat’ [namely was mentioned] as [an allusion to what] we have learnt: ‘If a man entered a leprous house, [carrying] his clothes upon his shoulders and his sandals and rings in his hand both he and they become levitically unclean forthwith. If, however, he was wearing his clothes, had his sandals on his feet and his rings on his fingers, he becomes unclean forthwith but they remain clean unless he stayed there [as much time] as is required for the eating of half a loaf of wheaten bread, but not of barley bread, while in a reclining posture and eating with some condiment’. ‘Barley’ [is an allusion to the following]. For we have learnt: ‘A bone of the size of a barley grain causes defilement by contact and carrying, but not by cover’. ‘Vines’ [are an allusion to] the quantity of a quarter [of a log] of wine [the drinking of which constitutes an offence] of a nazirite.^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ

^ᵃnote:,ubuufn, this is explained anon.
^ᵇnote:The statement that the measurements must not be ‘exactly alike’.
^ᶜnote:Who maintains that not all cubits consisted of six handbreadths.
^ᵈnote:The ruling that ‘all cubits . . . are of the standard of six (handbreadths)’.
^ᵉnote:,ubuufn (v. Supra note 12) need not necessarily mean ‘exactly alike’. It may be rendered ‘pressed together’, ‘compact’. ,ubuufn uhvh tka ‘that the handbreadths shall be expanded’.
^ᶠnote:Whose ruling is quoted in the objection supra 3b ad fin.
^ᵍnote:Not only, as suggested in the reply, to those relating to kil'ayim.
^ʰnote:Of course there is.
^ⁱnote:R. Simeon b. Gamaliel and the Sages, since the latter who ruled that ‘all cubits ... are of the standard of six (handbreadths)’ obviously differ from Abaye who holds that only those of kil'ayim conformed to that standard.
^ʲnote:Sc. must R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, in his specific mention of the cubit of six handbreadths in connection with kil'ayim, (a) be assumed to exclude the cubit of sukkah and entrance which, according to his opinion, must measure no more than five handbreadths, and his view consequently differs from that of the Sages; or (b) is his statement a commentary on the vague ruling of the Sages, that ‘the measurements are not alike’, its object being to explain that the cubit of six handbreadths of which they spoke must in the case of kil'ayim measure not six compact, but six expanded handbreadths, and thereby he only implied that the cubit of sukkah and entrance must be one of six compact ones, so that his views are in every way in complete agreement with that of the Sages?
^ᵏnote:Lit., ‘came’.
^ˡnote:V. Supra note 5b.
^ᵐnote:That R. Simeon b. Gamaliel merely wished to explain the ruling of the Sages.
^ⁿnote:Lit., ‘and let him say’.
^ᵒnote:Which in his opinion must be no longer than five handbreadths. How then could Raba maintain that no dispute existed between R. Simeon b. Gamaliel and the Sages?
^ᵖnote:suxh, lit., ‘foundation’.
^ᵠnote:ccux (rt. ccx, ‘to go round’).
^ʳnote:These cubits were of the standard of five handbreadths.
^ˢnote:Spoken of elsewhere, sc. the one measuring six handbreadths.
^ᵗnote:Of those spoken of here.
^ᵘnote:Ezek. XLIII, 13.
^ᵛnote:,ubre, (cf. Ex. XXVII 2) projections of the altar.
^ʷnote:V. Ex. XXX, 1ff and Men. 97b.
^ˣnote:The minimum quantities, e.g., of forbidden foodstuffs the consumption of which constitutes the offence. V. infra for other examples.
^ʸnote:That cause, e.g., the invalidity of ritual bathing if they intervene between the body of the bather and the water of the bath.
^ᶻnote:Required, e.g., in connection with the arrangements for carrying burdens on the Sabbath.
^ᵃᵃnote:Deut. VIII, 8.
^ᵃᵇnote:V. Lev. XIV, 34ff.
^ᵃᶜnote:Sc. if he did not wear them.
^ᵃᵈnote:Since the clothes, sandals and rings were only carried by the man but not worn they, like himself, come under the Pentateuchal law, of ‘he that goeth into the house . . ‘shall be unclean’ (Lev. XIV 46).
^ᵃᵉnote:Since they were worn in the usual manner.
^ᵃᶠnote:They are included in the category of ‘clothes’ which have only to be washed (cf. Lev. XIV, 47 and the definition of ‘eateth’ infra n. 4).
^ᵃᵍnote:Lit., ‘until he will delay’.
^ᵃʰnote:This is the definition of ‘eateth’ (v. Supra n. 2).
^ᵃⁱnote:xrp, lit., ‘a half’, the whole loaf being equal to the size of eight eggs (cf. infra 82b).
^ᵃʲnote:The former is eaten much quicker than the latter which is not so tasteful.
^ᵃᵏnote:In such a position, one eats quicker than when walking about.
^ᵃˡnote:Neg. XIII, 9, Hul. 71b; cf. Supra n. 7 mutatis mutandis.
^ᵃᵐnote:Deut. VIII, 8.
^ᵃⁿnote:Lit., ‘in the tent’; only a backbone, a skull and the like cause the defilement of a person in the same tent or under the same roof or cover. V. Oh. II, 3.
^ᵃᵒnote:V. Glos.
^ᵃᵖnote:Punishable by flogging.