Yoma 79b (עט:) — the Talmud in English

This

if the food contained the measure of

an egg—

it requires a sukkah.

.And it follows that two dates without their pits, which are exempt from a sukkah [as a matter of law], amount to less than the measure of an egg, which is the measure that obligates one to eat in a sukkah.

And if it enters your mind

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

the large date that they spoke of

in our Mishna is

larger than an egg—

how is this possible?

For

now,

if

two dates without their pits

are not the measure of an egg,

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

One large date

and one

with its pit—

is it larger 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

a large date with its pit—

is larger than an egg,

.since the volume of a date pit is greater than that of the fruit’s flesh.

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

in two kav of dates with their pits, there is

one kav of pits,

one kav of pits,

and more,

in addition to the one kav.

.That is, there is more than one kav of pits in the two kav, whereas the flesh of the dates is less than one kav.

.This is because the volume of a date pit is greater than that 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 a sukkah—

There,

with regard to a sukkah,

this is the reason

that the two dates are exempt from a sukkah:

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

even in a large quantity.

The Gemara raises an objection

to Rava from that which 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 “temporary eating”,

when they did not contain the measure that obligates one to eat in a sukkah,

outside the sukkah.

And the Gemara infers: Only

temporary eating—

yes,

is permitted. But

permanent eating

of a large quantity—

no,

it is not permitted outside the sukkah. And this contradicts the statement of Rava.

And we answer:

Say instead: We ate them

without limitation as to quantity,

as temporary eating

of food that requires a sukkah, which one may eat as a temporary eating [when it is less than the measure]

outside the sukkah.

And

alternatively, say: We ate them

as fruit,

as a permanent eating.

And

likewise

we ate bread as a temporary eating together with them

along with them

outside the sukkah.

And the Gemara says:

Let us say that this supports

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

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

Therefore, if he completed

the number of meals

with various types of food—

he has fulfilled his obligation.

And the Gemara infers:

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

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 follows, in accordance with Rava, that eating fruit is exempt from a sukkah.

And the Gemara rejects this:

What are “various types of food”

with which one may complete his obligation?—

Fruit.

Alternatively, say: It is referring to a place where fruit is not commonly found,

.as there are places where fruit is unavailable; therefore, the beraita mentions various types of food, which are available everywhere. But in fact, one also fulfills the obligation with fruit.

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

it is

less than an egg.

And the proof is from that

which we learned

at the beginning of tractate Beitza, with regard to the measure of leavened dough and sourdough [with which dough is leavened], concerning which one transgresses the prohibitions of “it shall not be seen” and “it shall not be found”:

Beit Shammai say:

The measure of

sourdough

is

an olive-bulk,

and the measure of

leavened dough

is

a date-bulk.

And we inquire: What is the reason

what is the source of

Beit Shammai

for distinguishing between the measure of leavened dough and the measure of sourdough?

And we say:

Let the Torah write

the prohibitions of “it shall not be seen” and “it shall not be found”

with regard to leavened dough, and it would not need

to write

sourdough.

And I would reason

I would derive this matter on my own:

And just as leavened dough, whose leavening is not potent,

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

is prohibited in an olive-bulk,

sourdough, whose leavening is potent,

as dough is leavened with it,

all the more so

is it prohibited in an olive-bulk.

And

since the Torah distinguished between them,

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

it teaches you that the measure of this one is not like the measure of that one.

Rather:

sourdough,

whose leavening is potent, its measure is

an olive-bulk.

And

whereas

leavened dough,

whose leavening is not potent, its measure is

a date-bulk.

And from here Rav Zevid proves:

And if it enters your mind

that

the large date that they spoke of

is

larger than an egg,

After all,

Beit Shammai,

who prohibited leavened dough in the measure of a date-bulk,

were seeking a measure greater than an olive-bulk,

as they sought the first measure above an olive-bulk [for if it were more than this, from where would we know it] for the prohibition of leavened dough.

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

let it teach

the measure of leavened dough

as an egg,

rather than teach “as a date-bulk,” whose measure is greater than an egg.

Alternatively,

if an egg and a date-bulk

are equivalent,

their measures being equal—

let it teach “as an egg”!

Since the measure of an egg is the one regularly used by the tanna with regard to the ritual impurity of food.

Rather, must one not conclude from this that a date-bulk is less than an egg,

and therefore Beit Shammai prohibited leavened dough in the measure of a date-bulk.

And the Gemara rejects Rav Zevid’s proof:

From where

do you know that an ordinary date-bulk is less than an egg?

Perhaps, in fact, I can say to you that only

that only

the “large” date-bulk that they spoke of

is

larger than an egg.

But this

date-bulk

without qualification [

and not the “large” one], which Beit Shammai discussed, is merely

an egg.

Alternatively,

one can say that a large date-bulk and an egg

are equivalent.

And the tanna mentioned one of them,

and there is no proof from the fact that he did not mention the measure of an egg, which is customary in his language with regard to the ritual impurity of food.

Rather,

Rav Zevid said, my proof is

from here:

For we learned in tractate Berakhot, at the beginning of the chapter “How They Invite to Grace”:

How much—

what is the minimum measure for which one

recites the zimmun

the blessing of the invitation?

Until

there is in the bread at least the measure of

an olive-bulk; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Until

there is in the bread at least the measure of

an egg.

With regard to what do they disagree?

.They disagree concerning the interpretation of the verse: “And you shall eat, and be satisfied, and bless.”

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

—this is drinking. And

ordinarily,

“eating”

is

an olive-bulk.

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

eating that entails satisfaction. And what is that?—

This is an egg.

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

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

larger than an egg,

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

Now,

eating the measure of

an egg, which brings satisfaction,

for which one is obligated to recite Grace after Meals, since it fulfills “and you shall be satisfied,” eating that entails satisfaction—

and if so, is it possible that

the mind,

a person’s mind,

is not settled

by such a measure? After all, the measure that settles the mind and alleviates hunger is less than the measure that brings satisfaction!

Rather, must one not conclude from this that the large date-bulk that they spoke of

is

less than an egg.

And therefore, the measure of

an egg—

brings satisfaction,

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

And the measure of

a date-bulk,

which is less than that,

settles the mind,

and therefore one is liable for it on Yom Kippur.

We learned further with regard to measures: