## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 294

###### Sifrei Devarim 294:1
[Sifrei Devarim 294:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:1)

(דברים כה יג) **לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן**, יָכוֹל לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה לִיטְרָא וַחֲצִי לִיטְרָא וּרְבִיעַ לִיטְרָא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה**, גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהִיא מַכְחֶשֶׁת אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נוֹטֵל בַּגְּדוֹלָה וּמַחֲזִיר בַּקְּטַנָּה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 294**⁴⁸⁹
1. “You shall not have in your pouch stone-weights,
one *heavy stone* and one *light stone* (Dt. 25:13).
Is it possible to say that
he should not keep together
a *litra*-weight,⁴⁹⁰ is equivalent to a pound.a half *litra*-weight and a quarter *litra*-weight?
The Teaching states:
“*Heavy* and *light*” (Dt. 25:13)—
[but *no more than two* different weights].
Moreover, a large [hollow stone-weight]
casts suspicion on the small [dense stone-weight]—
that he might purchase with the heavier weight
or make change with the lighter weight.

footnotes:
⁴⁸⁹ H:284-286:JN2:260-262.
⁴⁹⁰ The litra


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:2
[Sifrei Devarim 294:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:2)

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים סֶלַע פָּחוּת מִשֶּׁקֶל וְלֹא דִּינָר פָּחוּת מִטַּרְפָּעִיקָא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
R. Akiva says:
How do I know that
**a *sel`a* should not weigh less than a *sheqel,***
**nor a *dinar* less than a *quinarius?***⁴⁹¹ (so Jastrow). See M.Kel.12:7, T.BM.3:17 and T.BM. 5:10 for discussions of the exact amount of wear tolerable in commercial weights.
The Teaching states:
“You shall not have” (Dt. 25:13)—
[two unequal weights].

footnotes:
⁴⁹¹ A half dinar, rendered in Aramaic as tarp`iq


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:3
[Sifrei Devarim 294:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:3)

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אִם קִיַּמְתָּ, הֲרֵי הוּא בְּ**לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
R. Yose b. R. Judah says:
even if you keep it
[without using it as a weight],
it stands under the rule of
*you shall not have*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:4
[Sifrei Devarim 294:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:4)

(דברים כה יד) **לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה**, יָכוֹל לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה תַּרְקָב וַחֲצִי תַּרְקָב וּרְבִיעַ תַּרְקָב? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה**, גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהִיא מַכְחֶשֶׁת אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נוֹטֵל בַּגְּדוֹלָה וּמַחֲזִיר בַּקְּטַנָּה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “You shall not have in your house, two measuring cups,
one large and one small” (Dt. 25:14).
Is it possible to say that
he should not keep together
a cup measuring a *tarqav,*⁴⁹²one at a *tarqav* and a half, and one at a *tarqav* and a quarter?
The Teaching states:
“One large and one small” (Dt. 25:14)—
[more than two different measures is permissible].
Moreover, the large [measure]
casts suspicion upon the small [measure]—
that he might purchase with the large measure
and disburse with the lighter measure.

footnotes:
⁴⁹² Two qavs.


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:5
[Sifrei Devarim 294:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:5)

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם מִדָּה בַּת אַרְבַּעַת קַבִּים לִהְיוֹת מוֹדֵד בָּהּ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. R. Eliezer says:
How do I know that
one doesn’t use a four *qav*-measure to measure in the home?
The Teaching states:
“You shall not have *in your house*” (Dt. 25:14)—
[domestic measures should be by approximation].


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:6
[Sifrei Devarim 294:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:6)

מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין מְעַיְּנִים בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמַּכְרִיעִים וְאֵין מַכְרִיעִים בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמְּעַיְּנִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה**. יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר הֲרֵינִי מְעַיֵּן בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמַּכְרִיעִים לִפְחוֹת לוֹ מִן הַדָּמִים אוֹ לְהַכְרִיעַ בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁמְּעַיְּנִים לְהוֹסִיף לוֹ עַל הַדָּמִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
How do I know that
where people weigh out with precision,
one may not weigh out by eye;
nor may one weigh out with precision
where people weigh out by eye?
The Teaching states:
“An *honest and fair stone-weight* shall you have” (Dt. 25:15)—
[all in accord with prevailing standards].
Is it possible to say that:
Even if one announced
—in a market where precise measuring is the norm—
Be aware that I measure by eye
in order to offer reduced prices!
[this departure from prevailing standards is permissible];
Or, where measuring by eye is the norm,
[the merchant announced]:
I measure precisely,
in order to give the customer more for his money!
[this is permitted, for the departure from standards benefits the customer]?
The Teaching states:
“An *honest and fair measure* shall you use” (Dt. 25:15)—
[in the market, prevailing standards must apply].


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:7
[Sifrei Devarim 294:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:7)

מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יִגְדּוֹשׁ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמּוֹחֲקִים וְלֹא יִמְחוֹק בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁגּוֹדְשִׁים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה**. יָכוֹל אִם אָמַר הֲרֵינִי מוֹחֵק בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁגּוֹדְשִׁים עַל מְנָת לִפְחוֹת לוֹ מִן הַדָּמִים, אוֹ הֲרֵינִי גּוֹדֵשׁ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁמּוֹחֲקִים עַל מְנָת לְהוֹסִיף לוֹ עַל הַדָּמִים, שֶׁאֵין שׁוֹמְעִים לוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
How do I know that
one doesn’t heap up the measure where people level it off,
nor may one level it off where people heap it up?
The Teaching states:
“An *honest* . . . stone-weight” (Dt. 25:15)—
[according to prevailing market standards].
Is it possible to say that
if one announced
—in a market where people heap the measure—
Be aware that I level the measure,
in order to offer reduced prices!
Or, where leveling-off is the norm,[he announced]:
I heap it up, in order to give the customer more for his money—
we pay no attention to him?
The Teaching states:
“*Honest and fair*” (Dt. 25:15)—
[in accord with prevailing standards].


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:8
[Sifrei Devarim 294:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:8)

**יִהְיֶה לָּךְ**, מַנֵּה אַגְרוֹנוֹמוֹס עַל כָּךְ, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: הַסִּיטוֹן מְקַנֵּחַ מִדּוֹתָיו אַחַת לִשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת אַחַת לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ וְכוּ׳ מַתְנִי׳

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
4. **“Measures shall you have” (Dt. 25:15)—**
**appoint a market administrator for this purpose**.⁴⁹³ per. 8:8.
On this basis they taught:
**A wholesaler must wipe off his**
**measures once every thirty days,**
**and a householder once every twelve months.**
**{Rabban Shimon b. Gamliel says:**
**matters are just the opposite!**
**The storekeeper must wipe off his**
**measures twice a week,**
**and clean his weights once a week.**
**And he must wipe off his scale pans**
**after each and every use.}**⁴⁹⁴

footnotes:
⁴⁹³ =Sifra, qadoshim,
⁴⁹⁴ = M. BB.5:10. The bracketed text is omitted from Sifre, appears in Sifra’s parallel, and is restored here on the basis of the Mishnah.


###### Sifrei Devarim 294:9
[Sifrei Devarim 294:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/294:9)

אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן חִזְקִיָּה בֶּן גָּרוֹן אוֹמֵר: הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל מו יא): ״אֵיפָה לַפָּר וְאֵיפָה לָאַיִל וְאֵיפָה לַכֶּבֶשׂ״, וְכִי מִדַּת פָּרִים וְאֵילִים וּכְבָשִׂים אַחַת הִיא? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר (במדבר כט ג): ״שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר וּשְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל וְעִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ״! אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וְאֵיפָה קְטַנָּה קְרוּיָה אֵיפָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Elazar b. Hanania b. Hezekiah b. Garon says:
“A *measure*⁴⁹⁵; a dry measure approximating a bushel. for a bull, and a *measure* for the ram, and a *measure* for the lamb” (Ezek. 46:11)—
now, are the *measures* of flour
for bulls, rams, and lambs
indeed the same for each animal?
Hasn’t it already been stated:
“Three tenth measures for the bull, and two tenth-measures for the ram,
and one tenth-measure⁴⁹⁶ A dry measure of one-tenth of an *‘eifah.* Pl: *‘esronim.* for the lamb” (Nu. 29:3)?
Actually, this teaches that
the large measure and the small measure
are both called “measure.”

footnotes:
⁴⁹⁵ Heb: ‘eifah
⁴⁹⁶ Heb: ‘issaron.