Pesachim 48b — the Talmud in English

And we raise an objection:

But didn’t we learn: ![](pamud.bmp "

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five

“quarters”

of

«»

And in the books before us it reads

“and more.”

But Rashi did not include it ] —

are obligated in challah.

That is, five log of the measure of Tzippori, since a log is one-quarter of a kav.

The measure of dough obligated in challah is equivalent to the measure of dough that the Israelites had in the wilderness, as it is written: “The first of your kneading bowls.”

The wilderness dough was the measure of manna that descended for each person every day, namely, an omer per head.

The omer is one-tenth of an eifa.

An eifa contains three se’a.

A se’a contains six kav.

A kav contains four log.

A log contains six eggs.

It follows that an eifa contains eighteen kav, which are seventy-two log.

And since the omer is one-tenth of an eifa, we must divide the seventy-two log by ten, yielding seven log, plus one egg and one-fifth.

This is the calculation: one-tenth of seventy log is seven log.

We are left with two log, which are twelve eggs, since a log is six eggs.

And one-tenth of twelve eggs is one egg and one-fifth [12/10 = 1.2].

It follows that one-tenth of an eifa consists of seven log plus one egg and one-fifth.

However, this measure was stated in wilderness log. That was the measure used when the Israelites were in the wilderness. But in Jerusalem they increased the measures by one-sixth. Thus, every six wilderness measures became five Jerusalem measures [that is, an external one-sixth, which is one-fifth internally].

It follows that seven wilderness log plus one egg and one-fifth became six Jerusalem log. For six of those log became five, while the additional log together with the egg and one-fifth became only one log.

This is because a log is six eggs. Thus, a wilderness log is five Jerusalem eggs, and from the remainder, which was one wilderness egg and one-fifth, there resulted one Jerusalem egg.

Therefore, seven wilderness log plus one egg and one-fifth equal precisely six Jerusalem log.

And in Tzippori they increased the Jerusalem measures by another one-sixth.

Thus, every six Jerusalem measures became five Tzippori measures.

It follows that six Jerusalem log became five Tzippori log, namely, one kav [which contains four log] and one-quarter of a kav. This is the measure of dough obligated in challah.

And this is difficult for Rav, who said that the measure for the obligation of challah is “a kav of the measure of the place.”

And we answer:

This is what Rav said:

Rav’s statement,

“also a kav of the measure of the place,”

refers to this measure!

The kav-measure of that place is equivalent in size to a kav and one-quarter of Tzippori.

Rav Yosef said: These women

of

ours

were stringent upon themselves,

and they customarily baked a kavziza at a time for Passover

[They customarily baked matza for Passover using only a small measure of three log each time], in order to guard it from becoming leavened.

Abaye said to him: What is your reasoning?

Why, in your opinion, should this be done?

As a stringency

alone, since according to strict law there is no concern that it will become leavened even with a larger measure than this.

It is not proper to do so.

For

it is a stringency that leads to leniency.

Because

by

kneading less than the measure of five quarters of flour,

she exempts it

the dough

from

the obligation of

challah.

He said to him:

Even when they knead dough less than the measure that incurs the obligation, they separate challah,

as they act in accordance with Rabbi Eliezer.

As we learned in the Mishna: Rabbi Eliezer says: One who removes

the loaves from the oven

and places

them

in a basket,

if all of them together contain five quarters,

the basket combines them for

the measure of the obligation of

challah.

Although they did not become obligated at the time of kneading, since each was kneaded separately and none individually contained the requisite measure, they become obligated when they are joined together in the basket.

And Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Eliezer.

And this is what women do on Passover. They knead little by little and afterward combine all the matzot in a basket. In this way they become obligated in challah.

He said to him

Abaye:

But it was stated concerning it

Rabbi Eliezer:

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: They taught

that the basket combines them

only with Babylonian loaves. For

since they are broad and round, they

bite into one another

[they adhere to one another] in the oven and are considered one loaf. Therefore, their combination in a basket is effective.

But round, narrow loaves,

which are narrow and long and do not bite into one another in the oven, the basket

does not

combine them.

Rabbi Yosef said to him: This is not the ruling that we accept.

For

indeed

already

it was stated concerning it: Rabbi Ḥanina said: Even narrow, long loaves,

the basket combines them.

Rabbi Yirmeya raised a dilemma:

Loaves that were placed

on a board that has no rim

[a surrounding frame] —

what

is the law regarding their combining for challah?

And these are the sides of the dilemma:

Is it specifically the combination of

the interior of a vessel that we require,

so that only a basket with sides and an interior combines them,

but there is no

interior in this board?

Or perhaps,

the combination of

the airspace of a vessel is what we require.

All the loaves located in the airspace above the vessel are considered to be located within it and combine.

And

there is

indeed

airspace above this board as well.

And we conclude:

Teyku!

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Eliezer says: The basket combines

the loaves so that they become obligated in challah.

Rabbi Yehoshua says:

Even the

oven combines them.

Even if they were not combined in a basket, they combine by having remained together in the oven.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Babylonian loaves that bite into one another in the oven combine!

Because they adhere to one another.

Mishna:

Rabban Gamliel says: Three women may knead as one

matzot for Passover.

They may knead simultaneously, each kneading an amount sufficient to fill the oven,

and

they

may bake in the oven one after another,

and we are not concerned that in the meantime the dough might become leavened.

This is so even though the second woman must wait with her dough until the first has baked, and the third must wait until both of her companions have baked, because the dough does not become leavened during the time required for two bakings.

And the Sages say:

The three may not begin kneading simultaneously, since if they must wait from the completion of kneading until baking, the dough may become leavened.

Rather,

three

women shall

work with the dough simultaneously,

each at a different stage of its preparation.

One woman shall be

kneading.

замешивает.

And one,

the second, who began before her and has already kneaded, shall now be

arranging

the dough [smoothing its surface with water].

And one,

the third, who began kneading before both of them and has already arranged the dough, shall be

baking

at that time.

By the time the second woman finishes arranging, the third will finish baking. The second can then bake immediately, while the first arranges her dough. When she finishes arranging, the oven will again become available, and she will bake immediately.

It follows that they need not wait at all.

Rabbi Akiva says:

The statement of Rabban Gamliel is not persuasive in establishing a general rule and saying that dough does not become leavened during the time required for three women to bake.

For

not all women

are equal. Some are more diligent in guarding against leavening, while others are less diligent.

And not all wood

is equal. Some wood burns hotter and its baking is faster, while with other wood the baking is slower.

And not all ovens are equal.

Some are hotter and some less hot. Since the time required for three women to bake is not fixed, it is impossible to establish a general rule based upon it.

Therefore, the statement of the Sages is persuasive. They should not begin kneading simultaneously.

And they further said:

This is the general rule:

If a woman sees that the dough in her hands

has risen

[is beginning to rise], she shall

dip

[immerse] her hands

in cold water,

and pat the dough with the cold water, thereby cooling it so that it will not become leavened.

Gemara:

We learned in our Mishna: And the Sages say: Three women work with the dough simultaneously. One kneads, one arranges, and one bakes.

The Sages taught:

The woman who

kneaded

first, when she finished kneading,

she

already

arranges

[smooths] the dough, while

her companion,

the second woman,

kneads in her place

at that time.

When the first woman

arranging

has finished arranging,

she bakes. And

at that time,

her companion,

the second woman,

arranges in her place. And

at the same time,

the third

begins working with the dough and

kneads.

When the woman who

bakes

first has finished baking,

she

begins working with another dough and

kneads

it.

And

at the same time,

her companion,

the second woman, who until then had been arranging,

bakes in her place. And the third arranges

in the second woman’s place at that time.

And

so

the cycle repeats

itself [“the cycle,” from the term for a circular dance, going around and around] until they finish baking all their dough. When the third woman bakes, the second begins kneading and the first begins arranging, and so on. It follows that not even for a moment does any one of them cease working with the dough.

And as long as

they

are working with the dough —

it does not become leavened.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Akiva says: Not all women

are equal.

And so on.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Akiva said: I posed the following question before Rabban Gamliel,

who taught a general rule that in every case they knead simultaneously, and one woman waits until the other has finished baking, even if she waits until two bakings have been completed:

Our teacher, instruct us!

In what circumstances did you state the rule that three women may knead simultaneously?

Is it specifically

with diligent women,

who carefully guard against leavening even when the dough remains for a long time?

Or

even

with women who are not diligent?

Did you permit this even

with damp wood,

with which the baking takes a long time?

Or

specifically

with dry wood,

which burns quickly and whose baking is completed in a short time, insufficient for the dough in the hands of the other women to become leavened?

Is it specifically

with a hot oven

that you permitted three women to knead together, since its baking is fast and they will not have to wait long?

Or

even

with a cold oven,

where the baking takes a long time?

He said to me: You have only what the Sages taught!

The Sages did not differentiate in their measures; rather, they always knead simultaneously, and while one woman bakes, the others wait.

This is the general rule:

If

the dough has risen

and is close to becoming leavened,

she shall dip

the woman her hands

in cold water,

and pat the dough with them so that it will cool and not become leavened.

Mishna:

Dough that has not become fully leavened is called “si’ur.” Its status is that of hardened leaven, concerning which we learned at the beginning of our chapter that one violates only a prohibition for possessing it; Rashi explains in the Gemara that one does not even violate a prohibition for it, and is exempt from lashes and not liable to karet. [

This is not the “se’or” mentioned in the Torah, which is an agent used to leaven other dough. One is liable to karet for eating it, by biblical decree, even though it is unfit for consumption ].

See above, on page 43a, in the introduction, for an explanation of si’ur.

Si’ur

on Passover

must be burned.

Since it is forbidden both for benefit and for eating.

But

one who eats it is exempt.

And

“siduk,”

which is fully leavened,

must be burned.

And one who eats it

is also

liable to karet!

What is

“si’ur”

for which one who eats it is exempt?

When thin cracks have formed in the dough, one on this side and one on that side,

like

the shape of

locust horns —

this is the sign of the beginning of leavening.

And what is

“siduk”? —

When it has cracked with many cracks, until

the

cracks

have merged

within it

with one another.

This is a sign that it has already become fully leavened,

the words of Rabbi Yehuda.

And the Sages

[that is, Rabbi Meir]

say:

Both dough

of this kind,

whose cracks have merged,

and dough

of

this kind,

which has cracked like locust horns, are both fully leavened.

And one who eats it is liable to karet.

Rather,

what is

“si’ur”

that is not fully leavened?

Any

dough that has not yet cracked at all, but

whose surface has become pale.

Its color is

like

the pale color of the face of

a person whose hair has stood on end

from fear and trembling.

Gemara:

The Sages taught: What is

“si’ur”? —

Any

dough

whose surface has become pale, like that of a person whose hair has stood on end.

And what is

“siduk”? —

Any dough in which cracks have formed

like

the shape of

locust horns —

the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages

[that is, Rabbi Yehuda]

say: What is

“si’ur”? —

When it has cracked

like locust horns.

And what is

“siduk”? —

Any dough

in which the cracks have merged

with one another.

And both

this

si’ur

and

this

siduk,

the

siduk,

one who eats it is liable to karet.

And we raised a difficulty concerning this: How did the Sages [that is, Rabbi Yehuda, who disputes Rabbi Meir concerning si’ur] say that even si’ur carries liability for karet?

But didn’t we learn: Si’ur must be burned, and one who eats it

the si’ur in which cracks have formed like locust horns

is exempt

from karet and does not even violate a prohibition —

the words of Rabbi Yehuda.

How, then, does Rabbi Yehuda say in the baraita that one who eats si’ur [with cracks like locust horns] is liable to karet?

And we answer:

Say:

The latter clause of the baraita is not the statement of the Sages, but the statement of Rabbi Meir.

And

for Rabbi Meir,

dough

of this kind,

which is like locust horns,

and dough

of

this kind,

whose cracks have merged, are both fully leavened; therefore,

one who eats it is liable to karet.

According to Rabbi Meir, si’ur is only dough whose surface has become pale but which contains no cracks at all.

Rava said: What is Rabbi Meir’s reason,

for considering even dough with thin cracks fully leavened?

Because

there is no crack above that does not have several cracks below.

Although only thin cracks like locust horns are visible on its surface, within it the cracks have already merged with one another.