Pisqa’ 294⁴⁸⁹

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

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

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.

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.

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].

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].

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].

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.

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.

Elazar b. Hanania b. Hezekiah b. Garon says: “A measure⁴⁹⁵; 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.