Commentary for Eruvin 46:5

אמר רב יהודה דאמר קרא (שמות כז, יח) ארך החצר מאה באמה ורחב חמשים בחמשים אמרה תורה טול חמשים וסבב חמשים

and surround [with them the other] fifty'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the square (cf. previous note) . Rashi: Surrounding the square with equal strips cut from the remaining area of 50 X 50 cubits, a larger square area is the result. The area of two beth se'ah is consequently equal to 100 X 50 square cubits which (since a cubit 6 = handbreadths) equals 100 X 50 X 6 X 6 = 180,000 sq. handbreadths. An area of (70 and 2/3) squared cubits = (70 X 6 + 4) squared = 424 squared = 179,776 sq. handbreadths. The difference between the first Tanna and R. Akiba is thus the small area of 180,000 - 179,776 = 224 sq. handbreadths (or 224/36 = 6 and 2/9 sq. cubits) which if split up into small strips to surround with them the perimeter of (70 and 2/3) squared cubits would be small indeed. [For a full mathematical discussion of this passage v. Feldman, op. cit. pp. 54ff].');">⁸</span> What, however, is<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'about what is it written'.');">⁹</span>

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