לימא תיהוי תיובתיה דחייא בר רב אמר לך חייא בר רב
WAS INSTITUTED ONLY etc. It was stated: R'Huna laid down: A karpaf is allowed for each town. Hiyya B'Rab laid down: Only one karpaf is allowed for both towns. We learned: BUT THE SAGES RULED: [THE LAW OF] KARPAF WAS INSTITUTED ONLY BETWEEN TWO TOWNS. Is not this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The use of KARPAF in the sing.');"><sup>35</sup></span> an objection against R'Huna? - R'Huna can answer you: What is meant by 'KARPAF'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The use of KARPAF in the sing.');"><sup>35</sup></span> The law of karpaf, but in fact a karpaf is allowed for each town. This may also be supported by reason, since in the final clause it was stated: SO THAT BY ADDING TO EACH ONE A STRETCH OF LAND OF SEVENTY AND A FRACTION CUBITS THE KARPAF COMBINES THE TWO TOWNS INTO ONE. This is conclusive. Must it be said that this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The final clause just cited, according to which a karpaf is allowed to each town.');"><sup>36</sup></span> presents an objection against Hiyya B'Rab?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who allows only one karpaf for both towns.');"><sup>37</sup></span> - Hiyya B'Rab can answer you:
Sefer HaChinukh
And remember with this that the principles that the Sages, may their memory be blessed, set down regarding matters of mathematics - such as that which they said (Eruvin 57a), "Any ell in a square is an ell and two fifths in diagonal"; and so [too,] "Everything that has three handbreadths in its circumference has a width of one handbreadth"; and so [too,] "How much more is a square than a circle? One fourth"; and similar to these principles - they, may their memory be blessed, did not say with complete exactitude, but rather in approximation. And therefore do not rely on it in the division of things among people. And do not wonder, how did they write things that were not exact, since they are men of truth, that God stands in their assembly. As they only needed the calculations for the perimeters of Shabbat or the planting of forbidden mixtures or their planting of trees, and similar to these things; and in this, that which they were not exact about it brings us to a stringency and does not damage any person's money. And nonetheless, they testified in most of these places that the calculation is not precise there. As they said in each and every place according to what is fit about it, "That is that it is not precise, and it is not precise for stringency," and similar to this that they informed us in every place; such that we not attribute lack of concern or knowledge to them in any thing of this. And the rest of the details of the commandment are in [Bava] Batra and in other places (see Tur, Choshen Mishpat 230).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
