Questions tagged [shiurim-measurements]
measurements relating to the performance of different Mitzvot
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How large was the menorah?
This question asking why the menorah didn't have rings and staves for carrying reminded me that, unlike with the other mishkan objects, we're not given any dimensions for the menorah. I've always ...
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Halachic measures
Why did the rabbis of the Talmud use approximate weights and measures, such as k'zayit, k'betzah, revi'it, k'dei achilat pras, amah, etc. [1], which caused disagreements among later Sages as to what ...
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Measuring the time of eating (c'dei achilas pras)
I once saw written in a "alon" (given out in shuls before Shabbos) that in regards to eating matzah that it has to be done in the amount of time that is "c'dei achilas pras" -- that this time begins ...
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Suit Jackets and Tzitzis
I recently purchased a suit, and with Hashem's help it will be ready sometime this week. When I was at the suiting shop, I began thinking about whether or not my new suit would be obligated in tzitzis ...
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After-bracha on <kezayis of motzi, plus other food
If someone ate some motzi with other food as a snack (let's say half a filled pita pocket), what, if any, after-bracha should he make?
Assume he ate a kezayis of the other food in 4 minutes, but not ...
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Is the shiur called a "k'beiah" or a "k'beitzah"?
Is the shiur the size of an egg properly called a k'beitzah ("כביצה") or a "kebeyah" ("כביעה" maybe)? If "כביצה" is correct, as I think it is, then why do people sometimes say "כביעה"?
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Arokh HaShulchan and shiur tzitzith
A braita cited authoritatively in the Talmud (Menachoth 40b-41a) seems to be pretty explicit that only a garment sufficient to cover a majority of a child is obligated in tzitzith:
טלית שהקטן מתכסה ...
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Arokh HaShulchan and pocket square tzitzith
According to the Arokh HaShulchan (OC 16:5) that there is no size limit on garments to require tzitzith, does that mean a pocket square is obligated in tzitzith?
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how much is required to make something tamei?
Do all things that are tamei have to be more than an adasha or just a sheretz? for example is less than an adasha of zera tamei?
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Using archaeological findings for determining weights and measurements
Halacha uses many units of length (amot/cubits), volume (k'zayit/olive), etc. There are multiple opinions regarding how to translate these into modern equivalent units. For instance, the Chazon Ish ...
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Shamash needs to be a little longer than the rest of the strings?
In this answer, @Ezra linked to video tutorials of different methods of tying tzitzit.
In the Arizal/Chabad method, the tutor says that according to Halacha, once the tying of the tzitzit is ...
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Where does Rashi say that less than a kezayis of oil does not become impure?
Wikiyeshiva has an article in Hebrew on the question of the Beis Yosef as to why Chanukah is 8 rather than 7 days (after all they had oil for one day).
The article quotes an answer on the approach ...
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Place the Menorah above 10 tefachim?
The Shulchan Aruch 671:6 writes that one should initially place the menorah under 10 tefachim and above 3, but writes that if he lit above 10 tefachim he fulfills his obligation. The source comes from ...
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How long must tzitzis be?
Is there a requirement on how long tzitzis must be? I was wondering because there seems to be lots of people who wear rather long tzitziyos.
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How much snow for tevilah?
In respect to tovelling dishes in the snow, this discussion concludes that who knows what the Shulchan Aruch holds, but the Rema allows such a practice in times of need.
But just how much snow? After ...
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Strictly speaking hilchos tznius for a man
Strictly speaking when going to play basketball, what must a man wear in regards to covering his body, I am asking because as I had learned a man has to cover from his breastbone to and including his ...
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Shalom Alecha: Rebbi vs. Rebbi u'Mori
A Toch K'dei Dibbur is the amount of time (~3s) that one has to fix a bracha, renege on a deal, etc. The phrase used for this time frame is a machlokes between the Mishnah Berurah (206:12) and the Taz ...
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May one eat dairy immediately after tasting a meat item? [duplicate]
I know that there are different customs regarding how long one must wait to eat dairy after eating meat.
Let's say one tastes a meat stew or soup to see if it needs more spicing, and this amount is ...
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Length of skirt
If I understand correctly there are two reasons that women wear skirts:
To cover the shok
To solve the issue of pisuk raglayim
To solve the "shok" concern, I understand that the skirt should reach ...
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Is there a minimum amount of urine that is considered "Going to the bathroom" for the purpose of making a blessing?
After eating food or drinking beverage, we say a blessing; however, this is only the case if some minimum amount of food or beverage has been consumed.
Likewise, after going to the bathroom, we say a ...
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the regulatory size of a garment in way to be subject to tsitsit [duplicate]
Is there a minimal size of a garment with four corners that makes it duty to tsitsit? Is there a one size fits all?
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How does one measure the size of a tallit kattan?
A Judaica store emailed me, yesterday, that they are having a 2 for 1 sale on online purchases.
I don't recall my tallit kattan size, and I don't understand the sizing numbers on the online site. I ...
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Taking three steps with limited space
The Shulchan Arukh describes the measurement of the three steps back taken after amidah in OC 122:3 (translation my own):
וְשִׁעוּר פְּסִיעוֹת אֵלּוּ, לְכָל הַפָּחוֹת, הוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתֵּן
...
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Halachic definition of "full" (sated)
I was reading this:
After the fact (if one ate between 8 Kezayitim and a definite meal), if one is not full make Al HaMichya and if one is full make Birkat HaMazon, yet, in such a case it’s ...
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What to do with kiddush cups that are too small?
If one comes to own a kiddush cup that is well under a reviis, is there a way the cup can be used for a mitzvah and not be left in a closet forever? What can be done with a kiddush cup that is too ...
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Matza eating time limit
Why is there approximately a 4 minute time constrain in which we have to eat the Matzo on the night of the Seder?
In other words what is the Halachic and spiritual reasoning behind why we must eat it ...
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Difference Between Brit and Medical Circumcision
I have recently encountered a number of non-Jews who were protesting circumcision in front of the U.S. White House. While I found most of their notions somewhat absurd, I was given pause to question ...
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What is the minimum shiur for Shulchan Orekh?
It has been mentioned that abbreviating shulchan orekh at the seder can be a practical way of keeping the seder from going too late. I have also heard rabbis--when asked for leniencies in the amount ...
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What is Gerah and how much is it?
I would like to know what Gerah(גרה) is. Omer and Cubit are related to human body. What about Gerah? How much is Gerah in modern measurements?
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How much chessed should one be doing?
Chesed, kindness, is a mitzvah in Judaism.
Say people are coming to you all day asking for favors, should one make an effort to do every favor that is asked or is there a sane limit to how much ...
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Meaning of "emunah shlaima"?
The Rambam's 13 Articles of Faith begin with the statement: "אני מאמין באמונה שלמה" - "I believe with complete faith...", words that then go on to express our faith that God "creates and guides" all ...
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What is considered the "correct speed" for a Shabbat morning service?
I've had a few discussions with various co-congregants about "fast" and "slow" minyanim.
Our shul building has 2 minyanim. The main one has a professional chazzan. We begin Shabbat services at 9 am ...
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How traditional measurements of Omer fit with Shemot 16:16?
According to this Omer is 2.5 liters or more. This is too much bread per person as specified in Shemot 16:16? How do traditional sources justify the value of Omer? Shemot 16:4,8,12,15 e.t.c calls it ...
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What is Omer and how much is it?
My understanding is that Omer is a handfuls, which is about 1 US Cup or 236g. This is exact amount needed to produce bread for one day for one healthy adult.
What do traditional sources say an Omer ...
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Is there a halachic time limit for sending an organization its charity box money?
Many Jewish organizations distribute tzedaka (charity) boxes. A few that I know tell people, "collect the money and at some point, empty the money and mail us a check."
Let's say someone leaves this ...
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How much skin is a woman halachically allowed to show from the neck downward?
Is there a requirement to how much skin a woman can show - when going out in public - from where the neck ends to where the torso begins going downward at the top of her shirt?
The question is ...
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Why are Shabbat candles lit 18 minutes before sunset? [duplicate]
My understanding is that the number 18 is the amount of time it takes for an average person to walk 1 mil (side Q, how does this measurement translate to current English or metric units?)
Why was ...
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3 tefachim minimum height for candles on Chanukah - from the flame itself, or base of the chanukiyah?
For Chanukha Shulchan Aruch (תרעא:ו) writes:
...מניחו למעלה משלשה טפחים
To which the Mishneh Berura writes:
דכל למטה משלשה כאלו הניח בקרקע ואין ניכר שבעל הבית הניחו שם
"For anything below ...
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Minimum amount of food for Beracha Rishona
I've heard much discussion about minimal amounts of food to qualify as eating (eg. this discussion about how much Matza to eat at the Seder).
How much would one need to eat in order to say a Beracha ...
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Teaching halacha to children with halachically invalid "props"
The Talmud (Sukkah 2b; cited also here) implies that chinukh (educating children in halacha observance) necessitates that the mitzvah be fulfilled according to its halachik details (at least with ...
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How big can a mezuzah be?
I read in the news about an Israeli designer, Yaakov Merdinger, who created the world's largest mezuzah case.
As you can see in the photo, the mezuzah case is bigger than the door.
Is this kosher?
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How far does one have to go into the ocean to say HaGomel?
When one goes "into" the sea, one is obligated to say HaGomel (see Berachos 54).
How far does one have to go to be considered "in" the sea?
If one goes swimming on the beach, does one say HaGomel?
...
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What is the hallachic definition of randomness?
A new Shabbat-friendly technology, KosherSwitch, uses randomly timed light pulses to create various safeks, so that flipping the switch does not hallachically count as switching the light on, even in ...
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How long does entire process of baking matzo take to be kosher?
If one would like to bake matzo or use flour to make a Passover food, how long do we have for the process to take place?
If 18 min, then is that 18m59s or 18m00s?
If the food is cooked before 18 ...
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Is ice considered food or drink in Halacha?
Is ice considered food or drink in Halacha? So for example, if one would eat an kezais of ice on yom Kippur, but it would not be equal to a reviyis, would he be liable for a chatas?
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The angle of heseiba and derech cheirus
Heseiba (reclining) is a Rabbinic ordinance of the Passover seder intended to invoke the style of derech cherut ("the way of freedom" - associated with luxury/aristocracy). Some Rishonim (medieval ...
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Is there a concise book on how math and measurements are used in Torah and talmud?
Both the Torah and Gemarrah use math in various places, e.g. percentages (5ths (certain penalties); 10ths (ma'aser), etc.)
They also use many terms of measurements - e.g. shekel = 20 gerah; numerous ...
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Can you carry an object from the step outside your house inside your house?
According to the laws of carrying on shabbos one may not carry from one domain to another aside from a makom petur ("exempt area"). A makom petur is less that 4X4 handbreadths and more than three ...
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Regarding chametz, what is considered "not fit to be eaten by a dog"?
Regarding whether something needs to be considered chametz or not, there is a general rule of ראוי לאכילת כלב - i.e. - if a dog wouldn't eat it, then it's not considered food and therefore it is not ...
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Would halachic units be shrunk if a person was (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-style)?
In the classic move Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its sequels, people get shrunk down to 1/264th of their normal size. So, a person is around 1/4 of an inch tall.
If such a thing were even possible, ...
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