Yoma 79b — the Talmud in English

This

if there was in the food the measure of

an egg —

it requires a sukka.

And it is proven that two dates without their pits, which are exempt from a sukka [according to the basic law], are less than the measure of an egg, which is the measure requiring a sukka.

And if it enters your mind

to say in accordance with the words of Rav Yehuda, that

the large date of which they spoke

in our Mishna is

more than an egg —

how is this possible?

For

now,

if

two dates without their pits

are not the measure of an egg,

and since together they are less than the measure of an egg, they are exempt from a sukka.

One large date

one

and its pit —

is it more than an egg?

And this is difficult for Rav Yehuda!

Rabbi Yirmeya said: No.

Indeed,

two dates without their pits are not the measure of an egg,

but

one large date and its pit —

is more than an egg,

since the pit of the date has a greater volume than the flesh of the fruit.

Rav Pappa said: This is what people say: Two kavs of dates,

in two kavs of dates with their pits, there is

one kav of pits

one kav of pits,

and more,

and an excess in addition to the one kav.

And this means that there are more than one kav of pits from the two kavs. Whereas the flesh of the fruit of the dates is less than one kav.

This is because the volume of the pit of the date is greater than the flesh of the fruit itself.

Rava said:

In fact, two dates contain more than the measure of an egg. And as for the fact that those two dates were exempt from the sukka —

There,

in the sukka,

this is the reason

that the two dates are exempt from the sukka:

because they are fruit, and fruit does not require a sukka

even in a large measure.

They raised an objection

to Rava from this, as it was taught in a beraita:

Rabbi said: When we were studying Torah with Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua, they brought figs and grapes before us, and we ate them “as a casual eating”

when they did not contain the measure requiring a sukka,

outside the sukka.

And the Gemara infers: Only

casual eating —

yes,

is permitted. But

fixed eating

of a large measure —

no,

it was not permitted outside the sukka. And this is against the words of Rava.

And we answer:

Say: We ate them

without restriction as to measure,

as casual eating

of foods requiring a sukka, which one is permitted to eat as a casual eating [when they are less than the measure]

outside the sukka.

And

if you wish, say: We ate them

as fruit

as a fixed eating.

And

likewise

we ate bread as a casual eating together with them

together with them

outside the sukka.

And the Gemara says:

Let us say that this supports

Rava from that which was taught in tractate Sukka [27a]:

Rabbi Eliezer said: A person is obligated to eat fourteen meals in the sukka, one during the day and one at night.

Therefore, if he completed

the number of meals

with types of delicacies —

he has fulfilled his obligation.

And the Gemara infers:

And if it enters your mind that fruit requires a sukka —

let it teach

that if he completed the number of meals by eating

fruit

he has fulfilled his obligation. And since we did not teach this, it is proven in accordance with Rava, that eating fruit is exempt from the sukka.

And the Gemara rejects:

What are “types of delicacies

with which he may complete his mitzva” —

fruit.

And if you wish, say: In a place where fruit is not common,

for there are places in which fruit is not found, and therefore the beraita mentioned types of delicacies, which are found everywhere. In fact, one also fulfills his obligation with fruit.

Rav Zevid said: The large date of which they spoke —

it is

less than an egg.

And the proof is from that which

we learned

at the beginning of tractate Beitza, concerning the measure of hametz and leaven [with which one leavens the dough], for which one transgresses the prohibitions of “it shall not be seen” and “it shall not be found”:

Beit Shammai say:

The measure of

leaven

is

an olive-bulk,

and the measure of

hametz

is

a date-bulk.

And we were discussing it: What is the reason

what is their source

of Beit Shammai

for distinguishing between the measure of hametz and the measure of leaven?

And we say:

Let the Merciful One write

“it shall not be seen” and “it shall not be found” concerning

hametz, and there would be no need

to write

leaven.

And I would reason

this matter on my own:

And if hametz, whose fermentation is not strong,

as it does not have the power to leaven other doughs,

is forbidden in an olive-bulk;

leaven, whose fermentation is strong,

as one leavens dough with it,

is it not all the more so

that it is forbidden in an olive-bulk?

And

since the Merciful One divided them,

since the Torah divided their prohibitions and prohibited each one separately,

it taught you: The measure of this is not like the measure of that.

Rather:

Leaven

whose fermentation is strong, its measure is

an olive-bulk.

And

whereas

hametz

whose fermentation is not strong, its measure is

a date-bulk.

And from here Rav Zevid proves:

And if it enters your mind

that

the large date of which they spoke

is

more than an egg,

Granted,

for

Beit Shammai

who prohibited hametz in a date-bulk

were seeking a measure greater than an olive-bulk,

they sought the first measure that is above an olive-bulk [for beyond this, how do we know it] for the prohibition of hametz.

And if an egg is less than a large date-bulk,

let it teach

the measure of hametz as

an egg,

and not teach “a date-bulk,” whose measure is greater than an egg.

And alternatively,

if an egg and a date

are equivalent,

their measures being equal —

let it teach an egg!

for the measure of an egg is always customary in the language of the tannai concerning the ritual impurity of foods.

Rather, is it not to be concluded from it: The large date is less than an egg,

and therefore Beit Shammai prohibited hametz in a date-bulk.

And the Gemara rejects Rav Zevid’s proof:

From where

do we know that an ordinary date is less than an egg?

Perhaps, in fact, I will say to you

that only

the “large” date of which they spoke

is

more than an egg.

This

date

simply [and not “large”], about which Beit Shammai spoke, is only

less than an egg,

an egg.

And alternatively,

one may say that a large date and an egg

are equivalent.

And he took one of them

the tannai. And one cannot prove anything from the fact that he did not take the measure of an egg, which is customary in his speech concerning the ritual impurity of foods.

Rather,

Rav Zevid said, my proof is

from here:

For we learned in tractate Berakhot, at the beginning of the chapter “How Do We Invite”:

Up to how much,

what is the smallest measure for which one

invites

for the blessing of the invitation?

Until

there is in the bread at least the measure of

an olive-bulk, the words of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Until

there is in the bread at least the measure of

an egg.

Over what do they disagree?

In the exposition of the verse: “And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless.”

Rabbi Meir holds: “And you shall eat”—this is eating; “and you shall be satisfied

—this is drinking. And

ordinary

“eating”

is

an olive-bulk.

And Rabbi Yehuda holds: “And you shall eat and be satisfied

—eating in which there is satisfaction; and what is it —

this is an egg.

And if it enters your mind that the large date of which they spoke

in our Mishna, for which one is liable on Yom Kippur, is

more than an egg,

but for eating an egg one is not liable, this is difficult:

Now

eating of the measure

of an egg satisfies,

for one is obligated to recite Grace after Meals for it, since “and you shall be satisfied” applies to it, eating in which there is satisfaction.

And if so, is it possible that

the mind

the person’s mind

is not settled

and is not settled by such a measure? For the measure that settles the mind from hunger is less than the measure of satisfaction!

Rather, is it not to be concluded from it: The large date of which they spoke

is

less than an egg.

And therefore, the measure of

an egg —

satisfies,

and only then is one obligated in Grace after Meals according to Rabbi Yehuda.

And the measure of

a date-bulk,

which is less than it,

settles his mind,

and therefore one is liable for it on Yom Kippur.

We learned further concerning measures: