Yoma 157

ככותבת שאמרו בגרעינתה או בלא גרעינתה בעי רב אשי עצם כשעורה בקליפתה או בלא קליפתה בלחה או ביבשה רב אשי לא מבעיא ליה הא דרב פפא גסה איתמר כל כמה דגסה רב פפא לא מבעיא ליה הא דרב אשי לחה שבולת מיקרי שלא בקליפתה אושלא מיקרי

Does the [size of] the date spoken of include the kernel or does it not?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Mishnaic text 'kamoha u-kegarinatha' may mean either, date and its kernel; or, date or its kernel (Rashi) . Cf. Ex. XXI, 6 where the word 'o' also means 'either' and/or 'or'. V. Mecklenburg, ha-kethab we-hakabbalah a.l. [The question is nevertheless not clear. Var. lec., however, read: Does the size of the date (spoken of) with its kernel (refer to) a dry or moist one, v. D. S. a. l. Cf. the next question].');">¹</span> R'Ashi asked: Does 'a bone as big as a barley-corn' include the husk or does it not?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ber. 41a. The reference is to a bone as small as a barley-corn, of a corpse which renders him who touches it ritually unclean.');">²</span> [Is the reference to] a moist one or to a dry one? - R'Ashi did not ask the question posed by R'Papa: For 'a big date' was said, which means a date in its complete size.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., including the kernel.');">³</span>

אמר (רבא) אמר רב יהודה כותבת הגסה שאמרו יתירה מכביצה וקים להו לרבנן דבהכי מיתבא דעתיה בציר מהכי לא מיתבא דעתיה מיתיבי מעשה והביאו לרבן יוחנן בן זכאי לטעום את התבשיל ולרבן גמליאל שתי כותבות ודלי של מים ואמרו העלום לסוכה ותני עלה לא מפני שהלכה כך אלא שרצו להחמיר על עצמן

R'Papa did not ask the question propounded by R'Ashi, because a moist one would be called 'shiboleth' and one without its husk 'ushla'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And not 'se'orah'.');">⁴</span> Rabbah said in the name of Rab Judah: The big date spoken of is bigger than an egg, and our Rabbis had established the fact that with such a quantity [a hungry person] becomes satisfied,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Comes to himself.');">⁵</span> but with less than that he does not become satisfied.

וכשנתנו לו לר' צדוק אוכל פחות מכביצה נטלו במפה ואכלו חוץ לסוכה ולא בירך אחריו

An objection was raised: Once they brought to R'Johanan B'Zakkai a dish to taste and to Rabban Gamaliel two dates and a bucket of water, whereupon they said: Take them up to the Sukkah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This happened on a Sukkoth day, when meals are to be taken in the booth (sukkah) .');">⁶</span> <span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The bracketed portion is omitted in some texts.');">⁷</span> [They ordered so], not because that was the legal decision, but because they desired to take a severer view for themselves. And<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hul. 107a.');">⁸</span> when someone gave R'Zadok a piece of food smaller than an egg, he would take it with a towel, eat it outside the Sukkah, and pronounce no blessing after it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Zadok showed a less severe attitude in three things: (a) He did not wash his hands but would take the food with a towel - only because of his fastidiousness. (b) He ate it outside the Sukkah. (c) He did not pronounce the customary blessing after it (Rashi) .');">⁹</span>