daf bit: Makkot 20
Jun. 24th, 2010 09:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioThe mishna teaches: one who makes a baldness on his head or cuts the
corners of his beard is liable to flogging. It goes on to discuss
multiple penalties (if you make several bald spots you are flogged
for them separately). The g'mara, in typical fashion, asks: how big
is "a baldness"? There are several opinions: R. Huna says enough to
show the bare scalp. R. Yehudah says in the name of R. Eleazar b. Shimon:
the size of a bean. Tanna'im [mishna-era teachers] are cited for both
positions, and a third tanna says removing two hairs counts (or, some say,
the size of a lentil). (20a mishna, 20b g'mara)
The lentils in my pantry are bigger than the space occupied by two adjacent hairs on my head, by the way. Not that I'm planning to remove any of the latter.
When I shared this at minyan this morning, somebody asked me what kind of lentil. I suggested a research path for him but I don't think he'll bite.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-28 04:22 am (UTC)