וגשרים ונפשות שיש בהן בית דירה מוציאין את המדה כנגדן ועושין אותה כמין טבלא מרובעת כדי שיהא נשכר את הזויות:
OR BRIDGES, OR SEPULCHRAL MONUMENTS THAT CONTAINED DWELLING CHAMBERS, THE BOUNDARY OF THE TOWN IS EXTENDED<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the measure is brought out'.');"><sup>1</sup></span> TO INCLUDE THEM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'over against them', the houses, turrets etc. that projected. If a projection, for instance, was at one point, the boundary line is drawn along the outer side of that projection in a straight perpendicular line, to both extremities of that side of the town.');"><sup>2</sup></span> SABBATH LIMITS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That are drawn at a distance of two thousand cubits from the said boundaries of the town.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
Our sages in Eruvin 53a have said that the reason the cave Abraham and Sarah were buried in is called מערת המכפלה, is from the word כפול, twin, or double, an appropriate name for a grave containing husbands and their wives, i.e. זוגות. What advantage is there in the fact that this cave houses the remains of husband and wife respectively? The meaning of our sages is that these pairs are all united with one another, that they are not separate pairs. Once the last of the four pairs, i.e. Jacob came to burial whose מטתו שלמה, whose "bed" was complete (since Leah had born him six sons and one daughter whose name was דינה),this symbolized the six days of creation and the Sabbath.
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Orchot Tzadikim
And in the chapter entitled "Man Takes Unto Him a Wife" they said that when Rabbi Meir died, Rabbi Judah said, "Let not the pupils of Rabbi Meir enter here for they are argumentative" (Kiddushin 52b). All this he said because he did not want to pause in his studying. For Rabbi Meir was very sharp and his companions could not successfully debate with him (Erubin 13b and 53a). Moreover, R. Johanan said, "The hearts of the ancients were like the door of the Ulam, but those of the last generations were like the door of the Hekhal, but ours are like the eye of a fine needle." ** The Ulam and the Hekhal were two of the chambers in the Temple. The door of the Ulam was 20 cubits wide while that of the Hekhal was only ten. And Abaye said, "We are like a peg in a wall in respect of Gemara." And Raba said, "We are like a finger in wax as regards logical argument." "We," said R. Ashi, "are like a finger in a pit as regards forgetfulness" (Erubin 53a).
