4. Whoever brings out straw—a heifer’s mouthful; hay—a camel’s mouthful;
chaff—a lamb’s mouthful; herbs—a kid’s mouthful; garlic leaves and onion
leaves—if fresh, the size of a dried fig—if dry, a kid’s mouthful; but
they must not add one with the other, for they are not equal in their
measures. Whoever carries out food the size of a dried fig, is guilty of
death. And victuals, they may add one to another as they are equal in
their measures, excepting their peels and their kernels, and their stalks
and the fine and coarse bran. Rabbi Judah says, “excepting the peels of
lentils, as they may cook them with them.”
Chapter VIII
1. One may bring out wine sufficient for the cup,(121) milk sufficient for
a gulp, honey sufficient for a bruise, oil sufficient to anoint a small
member, water sufficient to moisten the eye-salve, and the rest of all
beverages a quarter of a log, and whatever can be poured out(122) a
quarter of a log. Rabbi Simeon says, “all of them by the quarter log.” And
they did not mention these measures save for those who reserve them.
2. “Whoever brings out cord sufficient to make an ear for a tub, bulrush
sufficient to hang the sieve and the riddle?” Rabbi Judah said,
“sufficient to take from it the measure of a child’s shoe; paper
sufficient to write on it the signature of the taxgatherers; erased paper
sufficient to wrap round a small bottle of balm—is guilty” (of death).
3. Leather sufficient for an amulet; parchment polished on both sides,
sufficient to write a sign for a door-post; vellum sufficient to write on
it a small portion, which is in phylacteries, that is, “Hear, O Israel;”
ink sufficient to write two letters; kohl(123) sufficient to paint one
eye.
4. Bird-lime sufficient to put on the top of a perch; pitch or sulphur to
fill a hole; wax sufficient to fill the mouth of a small hole; brick-clay
sufficient to make a mouth of a crucible bellows for goldsmiths—Rabbi
Judah says, “sufficient to make a crucible stand;” bran sufficient to put
on the mouth of a crucible blow-pipe for goldsmiths; ointment sufficient
to anoint the little finger of girls—Rabbi Judah says, “sufficient to make
the hair grow;” Rabbi Nehemiah says, “to freshen the temple.”
5. Red earth “as the seal of merchants”—the words of R. Akiba; but the
Sages say, “as the seal of letters;” dung and fine sand, “sufficient to
manure a cabbage stalk,”—the words of Rabbi Akiba; but the Sages say,
“sufficient to manure a leek;” coarse sand sufficient to put on a full
lime-hod; a reed sufficient to make a pen. “But if it be thick or split?”
“sufficient to boil with it a hen’s egg easy (to be cooked) among eggs,
mixed with oil and put in a pan.”
6. A bone sufficient to make a spoon,—Rabbi Judah said, “sufficient to
make the ward of a key;” glass sufficient to scrape the top of a shuttle;
a lump of earth or a stone sufficient to fling at a bird; Rabbi Eliezer
said, “sufficient to fling at a beast.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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