21
votes
Accepted
Does the Holy Ark weigh 4 tons?
I go through the math here. Admittedly I use a lot of very rough estimation. I caught some mistakes in my math in the video which I have edited here, as well as adding a section below regarding the ...
- 34.6k
10
votes
Is the shiur called a "k'beiah" or a "k'beitzah"?
Yam Shel Shlomo in chapter 4 of Bava Kamma says to pronounce it beya as the other word is not nice.
This is subsequently brought in the Magen Avraham in siman 156 which is probably where it picked up ...
- 34k
7
votes
The minimum amount of water a Sotah must drink
With regards to your first question, there is an opinion quoted in Sefer Habatim (Mitzvah 224) that holds that poison was actually added to the water and the miracle was not regarding the guilty sotah,...
- 42.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Minimum measure for שריטה/גדידה
There's a rather enigmatic Tosefta that seems to require that it be visible:
וכמה ישרוט ויהא חייב כדי שיראה משם שריטה
But the Ritva directly states there's no minimum:
ומדלא יהיב תלמודא שיעורא ...
- 4,805
6
votes
Place the Menorah above 10 tefachim?
The Shevet Hakehasi 5:115:4 brings that the Chida (Machzik Bracha) was bothered by this postion of the Seder Hayom. The Shevet Hakehasi explains that this postion of the Seder Hayom can be reconciled ...
- 42.5k
6
votes
3 Pesukim minimum per Aliyah
The Talmud states that this is to correspond to the three-fold division of Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim:
Megillah 24a
הני ג' פסוקין כנגד מי אמר רב אסי כנגד תורה נביאים וכתובים
What do these three ...
- 49.8k
6
votes
Accepted
How large was the menorah?
The Talmud says on Menachot 28b:
אמר שמואל משמיה דסבא
גובהה של מנורה שמנה עשר טפחים
הרגלים והפרח ג' טפחים וטפחיים חלק וטפח שבו גביע וכפתור ופרח וטפחיים חלק וטפח כפתור ושני קנים יוצאין ממנו אחד אילך ...
- 48.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Is there a minimum field size for peah to apply?
This is the subject of a debate in Peah 3:6.
The halachah follows R. Akiva’s opinion that there is no minimum size (Rambam Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 2:3).
- 45.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Shiur for when shaatnez prohibits an item
The Rambam (MT Kilayim 10:5) answers your question
There is no minimum measure for kilayim. Even the smallest thread of
wool in a large linen garment or a thread of linen in a woolen garment
is ...
- 53.6k
5
votes
Accepted
How much water could the tub Shlomo made hold?
In Eruvin 14b, the gemara asks this, and determines that the 2000 is a wet measurement and 3000 is dry, since dry goods can be heaped above the rim.
לא סלקא דעתך דכתיב (מלכים א ז, כו) אלפים בת יכיל ...
- 23.2k
4
votes
No mitzvah to wear tefillin every day?
Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham 37:2) discusses whether the obligation is constant or daily.
Rabbeinu Yonah (Iggeres Teshuva Ois 24) writes that one who doesn’t wear tefillin has close to 300 עונשים ...
- 10.8k
4
votes
Halachic measures
This question was posed to R. Sherira Gaon and he answered that the Sages gave the measurements in terms of fruits and the like because those are constantly around and we can't argue that they have ...
- 49.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Why are there different versions of what Chazon Ish says is the size of an Amah?
In the Steipler's Shiurin shel Torah he writes the Chazon Ish's opinion about the amount needed for each Mitzvah. When it is a Mitzva D'Oraisa like Sukkah, he uses 10cm as a Tefach - 60cm as an amah , ...
- 6,183
4
votes
Accepted
What precisely are the differences between היתר מצטרף לאיסור and טעם כעיקר?
Rashi in Pesachim defines the two concepts, and stresses the differences between them:
Rashi on Pesachim 43b:
אכל חצי זית חלב וחצי זית בשר בבת אחת אין היתר משלים את שיעור האיסור לחייבו חוץ מאיסורי ...
- 45.1k
3
votes
Halachic measures
You ask about "k'zayit, k'betzah, revi'it, k'dei achilat pras, amah, etc", i.e. lengths and volumes. The Wikipedia article on which you base your premise "precise units were readily available in Greek ...
- 73.7k
3
votes
how much is required to make something tamei?
There is no general rule. Some things need a minimum of a lentil's worth, some a barley's worth, some an olive's worth, etc. You just need to check each case. For example, check out Mishna Ahilot ...
- 100k
3
votes
What is Omer and how much is it?
My husband and I did extensive research on the hin, omer, and ephah, and correlated all the constraints on the omer from the Bible texts, including recipes for the daily grain offerings, recipes for ...
3
votes
How much Matzo must one eat on Pesach?
What is the source for the number "26 cubic centimeters?"
As Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on the Mishnah in Peah.8.5 says (as per the Rambam):
קב. אודיעך בכאן שיעור כל מדה מהם ושמור אותה תמיד בכל המשנה. ...
- 44.1k
3
votes
How obligated is one to say Kaddish for a deceased relative?
It might be noted that Kaddish is considered to be a benefit for the neshamah of the niftar (soul of the departed) and is considered to be part of Kivud Av v'Em (under those circumstances where it ...
- 398
3
votes
Beis Shammai's dinar for kiddushin - philosophy?
The gemara in Kiddushin 11b and 12a provides 2 additional reasons.
Reish Lakish says that we learn it from Chizkiyah, who holds the minimum sale price of an amah Ivriyah is a dinar, (because one must ...
- 410
3
votes
Accepted
Measuring Levi's cities
The reason you didn't see the cities' sizes being determined is that the cities were existing cities allocated by lottery to the different sons of Levi according to the size of the tribe giving them ...
- 53.6k
3
votes
Shouldn't the minimum Succah size be 6x7 Tfachim?
Sha'ar HaTziyun 634:1 presents three answers:
Ma'amar Mordechai - he and his table need to be able to fit in the sukkah in any orientation.
Magen Avraham in the name of Rashi - they would eat lying ...
- 45.1k
3
votes
How would you practically measure the volume of a matzah?
Not a problem! Rav Moshe Heinemann shlit"a is said to have laminated one, then measured its displacement in water.
- 3,811
3
votes
Accepted
Minimum amount for beracha achorona
SA 210:1
האוכל פחות מכזית בין מפת בין משאר אוכלים והשותה פחות מרביעית בין מיין בין משאר משקים מברך תחלה ברכה הראויה לאותו המין ולאחריו אינו מברך כלל ויש מסתפקים לומ' שעל דבר שהוא כברייתו כגון גרגיר ...
- 13.3k
2
votes
What is the absolute minimum length for peyos?
I like the question, and note that it says "the minimum length of the hairs in the peyos area." (A different and important question would be what is included in "the peyos area".)
...
- 350
2
votes
What is the absolute minimum length for peyos?
All information got from: https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/haircuts-peiyos/
Cutting the peiyos with a razor is forbidden (Tur in name of Rambam Avodas Kochavim 12:6; Ritva Shavuos 3a). Even ...
2
votes
Has there been a discussion of changing the maximum height in halacha?
I’m not familiar with such a discussion, but I see no reason why it would be applicable. As far as I’m aware, the three discussions you cite - Menorah, Sukkah, and Koreh - are the only ones where 20 ...
- 34.6k
2
votes
Would halachic units be shrunk if a person was (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-style)?
The question is extremely relevant as some people (e.g with allergies to gluten) are unable to eat Matza on Pesach and more than a few crumbs could be fatal, so as far as we're concerned they are the "...
- 101
2
votes
Accepted
How long must tzitzis be?
As in the link that @Double AA posted in the comment the Shulchan Oruch writes:
ולמעלה אין להם שיעור
Meaning there's no maximum length. However, the RamBaM writes הלכות ציצית פרק א ט that:
...
- 136
2
votes
Accepted
Halachic measures
The Rabbis of the Talmud used measurements of olives etc. because those are the measurements used by G-d when he gave them - as the Talmud says in sukkah, ארץ זית שמן - ארץ שכל שיעורה כזיתים, "the ...
- 518
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible