Menachot 77a (עז.) — the Talmud in English

Ten “

issaron”

for

the ten loaves of

leavened bread: one issaron

each

for

each

cake

of the ten leavened cakes.

And ten

issaron

for

all thirty loaves of

unleavened bread.

And there are three types of unleavened bread: cakes, wafers, and scalded bread—

It follows that there are three and one-third issaron for each type,

because the ten issaron are divided equally among each of the types—

and three cakes for

each

issaron,

since there are ten cakes of each type, so each cake contains one-third of an issaron, which means that there are three cakes per issaron.

Thus far, the Mishna has explained the division of the issaron measures that were used in the wilderness. The Mishna now explains, according to the Jerusalem measure—which did not use the measure of “issaron” , the division of the five Jerusalem se’ot, which were equivalent to the six wilderness se’ot:

And according to the Jerusalem measure there were

five se’ot,

thirty

kab,

because a se’a contains six kab; thus, five se’ot contain thirty kab. Their division was as follows:

Fifteen

kab

for leavened bread, and fifteen for unleavened bread,

and the Mishna proceeds to explain how.

Fifteen

kab

for leavened bread: one and one-half kab for

each

cake

of the ten leavened cakes.

Fifteen

kab

for unleavened bread: and there are three types of unleavened bread—cakes, wafers, and scalded bread. It follows that there are five kab for each type, and two cakes per kav.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna:

The todah offering was brought with five Jerusalem se’ot...

an eifa is three se’ot:

The Gemara asks:

From where are these matters derived,

that an eifa is three se’ot?

It is written in the Book of Ezekiel (45:9–11): “So said the Lord God: Enough for you, princes of Israel; remove violence and robbery, and perform justice and righteousness; remove your evictions from My people, says the Lord God. You shall have just balances and a just eifa [an eifa is a measure for dry substances] and a just bat [a bat is a measure for liquids]. The eifa and the bat shall have one measure [the measure of the eifa and the measure of the bat shall be equal], to contain one-tenth of a homer—the bat; and one-tenth of a homer—the eifa [that is, the size of the bat shall be one-tenth of the measure called a homer, which equals thirty se’ot and is also called a kor; likewise, the measure of the eifa shall be one-tenth of the homer]. According to the homer shall be its measure” [that is, these measures shall always be one-tenth of the measure of the homer, and if the measure of the homer is increased, the measures of the eifa and the bat shall also be increased]— “

This shall be the offering [a large offering] that you shall offer: one-sixth of an eifa [you shall offer] from a homer of wheat [according to one calculation, one-sixtieth, since a homer equals ten eifot, and when one contributes one-sixth of an eifa, it is one-sixtieth], and one-sixth of an eifa from a homer of barley [and likewise, from a homer of barley you shall offer one-sixth of an eifa]— “And the statute of the oil: the bat of oil, one-tenth of a bat from a kor [that is, for the terumat ma’aser—which is one-tenth of the tithe—you shall take one bat from every kor, which is the homer], ten baths shall be a homer for you, because ten baths are a homer [that is, since the measure of the kor, which is the measure of the homer, equals ten baths, if you take one bat from every homer, you have taken a tithe, as the Torah commanded]”.”

And the prescribed measure of oil: a bath of oil, one-tenth of a bath from a kor [that is, for the terumat maaser—the tithe from the tithe—you shall take one bath from each kor, which is the homer]; ten baths are a homer, for ten baths are a homer [that is, since the kor, which is the homer, equals ten baths, if you take one bath from each homer, you have taken a tithe as the Torah commanded].”

Rav Ḥisda said:

He explained:

Rav Ḥisda:

From here we know that an eifa is three se’ot:

as the verse says

in Ezekiel: “

The eifa and the bat shall have one measure” [

they have an equal measure]. Therefore,

just as a “

bat”

is three se’ot,

so

too an “

eifa”

is three se’ot

.

The Gemara challenges this:

But a “

bat”

itself, from where do we know

that the measure of a bat is three se’ot? How can you derive the measure of the eifa from the bat, whose measure is equal to it, when the measure of the bat itself is unknown?

If you say that it is derived from what is written

in that same verse: “

to contain one-tenth of a homer—the bat,”

meaning that the bat contains one-tenth of the measure of the homer, and since the homer is thirty se’ot, we consequently know that the bat is three se’ot, and from it we derive that the eifa is three se’ot—this cannot be said, for:

Before you derive the measure of the eifa from the bat, whose measure you know only from the measure of the homer, go and derive the measure of the eifa directly from the measure of the homer, for regarding the

eifa too, it is written: “

and one-tenth of a homer—

the eifa”!

Rather, certainly you cannot derive it in this manner, because the

you certainly cannot derive it this way, because the measure of the

homer

itself,

we do not know how much

its measure is.

Here too, we do not know how much,

meaning that you likewise cannot know the measure of the bat, since you do not know the measure of the homer; all you know is that the bat is one-tenth of it!?

Rather, from here

we know that the bat is three se’ot [and consequently we know that the eifa, which is equal to it, is three se’ot], for the verse says there: “

And the statute of the oil: the bat of oil” [

a bat of oil] “

one-tenth of a bat from a kor, ten baths shall be a homer, because ten baths are a homer.”

We thus learn that the bat is one-tenth of the kor, and we learn that the kor is the same as the homer. The people of Babylonia knew the measure of a kor to be thirty se’ot, and consequently we know that the bat is three se’ot, and from it that the eifa is three se’ot.

Shmuel said:

a.

Measures may not be increased by more than an external sixth,

as the Gemara explains below: this means an external sixth, which is one-fifth of the previous measure, and the same applies in all such cases.

b.

And

one may not increase

the coinage by more than an external sixth.

c.

And one who profits

from an item that is essential for subsistence

may not profit [

earn]

by more than an external sixth.

The Gemara discusses this:

What is the reason

that measures may not be increased by more than an external sixth?

If you say it is because of price manipulation,

perhaps you will say that the reason is concern over the raising of prices: since the measures are increased, the price of that measure necessarily rises, and this leads to a general inflation of prices; this cannot be said, for:

If so, even an external sixth should not be added,

to the measures, so as not to cause a general inflation of prices.

If one deceives another in a sale, if the overcharge was less than a sixth, this is deemed waived; if it was exactly a sixth, the sale stands and the overcharge must be returned; and if the overcharge was more than a sixth, the sale is void.

Rather,

the Gemara explains a different reason not to increase the measures by more than an external sixth:

because of overreaching, so that it should not become a case of “

voiding of the sale.”

That is, sometimes field owners who bring their produce to sell in the city do not know that the city has increased its measures. They mistakenly sell using the new, larger measure at the price of the old measure, and consequently they are cheated through the increase. Therefore, care must be taken that the increase not be greater than an external sixth, because in that case the sale would be void. When they add an external sixth, however, the sale remains valid, and the buyer returns the overcharge to the seller.

We challenge this:

But Rava said: With regard to anything sold by measure, by weight, or by number,

meaning that if the overreaching does not result from an error in the price, but from an error in quantity, weight, or number,

even

if the error was

less than the measure of overreaching,

the sale

is reversed—

If so, even if they increase the measures only by an external sixth, the sale should be void,

because the error concerns the measure: the sellers do not know that the quantity being sold is greater than the quantity they intended to sell.

Rather,

on the basis of this objection the Gemara gives another reason not to increase the measures:

because of the merchant [

one who buys in the fields and sells in the city],

so that no loss should come upon him [

a loss; so that he should not be found to have suffered a loss]—

That is, sometimes the increased measures are already in use in the city, while the villagers in the fields sell to the merchant according to the old, smaller measure. The merchant, meanwhile, does not yet know that the city has increased its measures, and he sells a large measure at the price of a small one, thereby suffering a loss. Since the merchant does not sell at the price at which he bought, but also adds an external sixth to his purchase price, he suffers a loss only when the measures are increased by more than an external sixth, exceeding the merchant’s profit. Therefore, the measures should not be increased by more than an external sixth.

We challenge this: Is the merchant concerned only with

a loss [

a loss]

coming upon him

and does he want

it not to come upon him?

Do we seek only to prevent a loss to the merchant, while

he does not need a profit

—do we not need to ensure that he has a profit?

And is one who

buys and sells [

one who buys and sells without any profit]

called a merchant [

he is called a merchant]!?

That is, if you limited the increase to an external sixth, you ensured that he would suffer no loss, but you left him no profit at all. Surely we must ensure that the merchant also earns a profit and does not work for nothing!?

Rather, Rav Ḥisda said: Shmuel found a verse and expounded it [

a verse is written in the Book of Ezekiel in the matter mentioned above; Shmuel found it and expounded it], teaching that measures may not be increased by more than an external sixth:

For it is stated there [after the verse establishing the measure of the eifa and the bat]:

The shekel [

it is the sela; it shall be]

twenty gera [

coins; and the verse continues by explaining how many shekels the maneh shall contain]:

twenty shekels, [

and additionally]

twenty-five shekels, [

and additionally]

fifteen shekels [

altogether, sixty shekels]

shall the maneh be for you.”

But is the

maneh two hundred and forty [

two hundred and forty zuz]

!?

For if a maneh contains sixty sela and a sela contains four zuz, the maneh would be two hundred and forty zuz. But this is not so, because a maneh is twenty-five sela, which amount to only one hundred zuz!?

Rather, learn from here

from this verse

three matters:

a.

Learn from here: the sacred maneh [

the maneh concerning which the verse speaks]

was double

in weight, and it contained two hundred ordinary zuz—

b.

And learn from here: measures may be increased, but they may not be increased by more than an external sixth;

that is, that sacred maneh, which was double in weight, was further increased in weight in the days of Ezekiel [and this is an increase of a measure]. It then equaled sixty shekels, meaning that an external sixth was added to the fifty shekels that it should have equaled; it was worth two hundred and forty zuz instead of two hundred zuz. And from the fact that Ezekiel established, “it shall be for you,” we learn that Ezekiel taught that it should not be increased beyond this.

c.

And learn from here: the sixth—

the amount by which measures are increased—

is external [

from outside], that is, the addition is one-fifth of the previous measure, and when it is joined to the previous measure it constitutes one-sixth of the total.

Ravina said:

Our Mishna also proves [

that our Mishna too teaches] that measures may be increased up to an external sixth, even though the addition is more than an internal sixth [from within, that is, a literal sixth]:

For,

since it teaches

in our Mishna:

“The thanksgiving-offering came with five Jerusalem seahs, which are six desert seahs,”

this is an addition of one-sixth to the measure of a seah, which is one-fifth internally [from within].

Infer from this!