Commentary for Avodah Zarah 49:4
ר' אלעזר אמר שלשים ושית אזיל שית וקם תריסר אזיל שית וקם תריסר עמידתו כיום תמים רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר ארבעים ושמונה אזיל שית וקם תריסר אזיל שית וקם עשרים וארבעה [שנאמר] ולא אץ לבוא כיום תמים מכלל דמעיקרא לאו כיום תמים [הוה]
R. Elazar said: Thirty-six hours; it moved for six hours and stood still for twelve, it then moved for six and stood still for twelve so that its ceasing alone equaled a whole day. R. Shmuel b. Nahmani said: Forty-eight; it moved for six and stood for twelve, it then moved for six and stood still for twenty-four, as its says, “and hastened not to go down for about a whole day,” which implies that the previous stoppage did not equal a whole day.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
According to R. Elazar the sun stopped for a full 24 hours, divided into two periods. This is the meaning of “a whole day”—the sun stopped for a whole day.
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Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
R. Shmuel b. Nahmani says that its second period of stopping was a full day, but that the first time it stopped was not a full day.
All of these amoraim are interpreting the verse, “And the sun stayed in the midst of the heaven and hastened not to go down for about a whole day.” The verse seems to hint at two stoppages—“stayed in the midst of the heaven” is the first stoppage and “hastened not to go down” is the second. Then the question is how long were these stoppages and what does the phrase “for about a whole day” mean? Was the whole process one day? Were the two stops one day? Or was one stop a day in and of itself?
All of these amoraim are interpreting the verse, “And the sun stayed in the midst of the heaven and hastened not to go down for about a whole day.” The verse seems to hint at two stoppages—“stayed in the midst of the heaven” is the first stoppage and “hastened not to go down” is the second. Then the question is how long were these stoppages and what does the phrase “for about a whole day” mean? Was the whole process one day? Were the two stops one day? Or was one stop a day in and of itself?
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