Commentary for Menachot 82:17

מאי לאו אין לה שיעור כלל לא

Rabina used to sew them up. Our Rabbis taught: How many threads must one insert? Beth Shammai say, Four;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One must insert four threads in the hole at each corner of the garment and double them over in the middle, so that eight threads hang down.');">¹⁴</span> but Beth Hillel say. Three. And how far must they hang down?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After making the necessary windings and knots in the form of a chain, the threads are left to hang loose; and it is established that the loose kh,p ;bg khsd threads, called the or , must be twice as long as the chain-like portion, called the . The dispute between Beth Shammai and Beth kh,p khsd Hillel is, according to Rashi, in respect of the length of the , and according to R. Tam, in respect of the length of the .');">¹⁵</span> Beth Shammai say, Four [fingerbreadths]; but Beth Hillel say, Three. And as for the three [fingerbreadths] stated by Beth Hillel each must measure one fourth part of the handbreadth of an ordinary person. R'Papa said, The handbreadth of the Torah is equal to four times the width of the thumb, or six times the width of the little finger, or five times the width of the middle finger.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In MS.M.: 'five times and one third the (width of the middle) finger'; so too' R. Gershom, and Sh. Mek.');">¹⁶</span> R'Huna said, Four [threads] must be [inserted in the garment] within [the distance of] four [fingerbreadths from the corner], and they must hang down for four [fingerbreadths]. Rab Judah said, Three [threads] must be inserted within three [fingerbreadths from the corner], and they must hang down for three [fingerbreadths]. R'Papa said, The law is: Four [threads] must be inserted within three [fingerbreadths from the corner], and they must hang down for four [fingerbreadths]. Do we then hold that the fringes have a prescribed length, but I can point out a contradiction. It was taught: Zizith:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XV, 38. ckuk');">¹⁷</span> the word zizith means nothing else than something which hangs over; moreover zizith signifies any length whatsoever. And [this was established] long ago when the elders of Beth Shammai and of Beth Hillel went up into the upper chamber of Johanan B'Bathyra and decided that there was no prescribed length for the zizith; and so, too, that there was no prescribed length for the lulab.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The palm-branch, used on the Feast of Tabernacles. V. Lev. XXIII, 40.');">¹⁸</span> Now this means, does it not, that there is no prescribed length at all for it? - No,

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