daf bit: Bava Metzia 33

[cellio]

The torah teaches: if you meet your enemy's donkey gone astray you must return it to him, and if you see the donkey of one who hates you overwhelmed by its load you must help unload it. The g'mara discusses the latter and asks what distance "see" represents -- how far must you go to help the animal? The rabbis juxtapose these verses and say "see" is like "meet", and (through reasoning not explained here) conclude that the distance in question is two-fifteenths of a mil, which in modern terms is 200 feet. If you're at least that close, you must go and help. A tanna teaches that one must then accompany it a short distance (a parsang, whatever that is) lest it fall again. (33a)

Comments

[baron-steffan.livejournal.com]

I've understood a parasang (note spelling) to be a Persian measure equaling about "a league" -- i.e. three miles. Various googlages confirm that. One says "equal to the distance walked in 1 hour or 30 Greek stadia or 5540 metres".

[cellio]

Thanks! (Footnote says Persian but doesn't elaborate.)

Chag sameach.