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Biblical / Talmudic Units of Measure

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Contents:
1 Length
2 Area
3 Volume
4 Mass (Weight)
5 Coins
6 Time
7 Sources

Length

Opinions: A: Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh; B: Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky; C: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein; D: Chazon Ish.

• Etzbah (Hebrew: אצבע, pl. Etzbaos): Fingerbreadths.
  A: 0.788 in (2.000 cm);
  B: 0.875 in (2.223 cm);
  C: [Standard] 0.885 in (2.249 cm);
      [Stringent] 0.958 in (2.434 cm);
  D: [Standard] 0.947 in (2.405 cm)
      [Stringent] 0.984 in (2.500 cm);
• Tefach (Hebrew: טפח, pl. Tefachim): Handbreadths. = 4 Etzbaos.
• Zeres (Hebrew: זרת, pl. Zaros): Spans. = 3 Tefachim.
• Amah (Hebrew: אמה, pl. Amos): Cubits, Arm-lengths, Ells = 2 Zaros.
• Short Amah (Hebrew: אמה בת חמשה): Short cubit of five handbreadths instead of six. = 5/6 Amah.
• Kaneh (Hebrew: קנה): Reed = 6 Amos.
• Ris (Hebrew: ריס): Greek stadium. = 44.4444 Kaneh.
• Mil (Hebrew: מיל): Talmudic miles. = 7 ½ Ris.
• Parsah (Hebrew: פרסה, pl. Parsaos): Parasangs, Persian miles. = 4 Mil.
• Derech Yom / Mahalach Yom (Hebrew: דרך יום \ מהלך יום): A day's journey. = 10 Parsaos.

Area

Opinions: A: Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh; B: Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky; C: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein; D: Chazon Ish.

• Se'aros (Hebrew: שערות): Hairbreadths (space between two adjacent hairs).
  A: 0.014 in² (0.090 cm²);
  B: 0.017 in² (0.111 cm²);
  C: [Standard] 0.018 in² (0.114 cm²);
      [Stringent] 0.021 in² (0.133 cm²);
  D: [Standard] 0.020 in² (0.130 cm²)
      [Stringent] 0.022 in² (0.141 cm²);
• Adashah (Hebrew: עדשה, pl. Adashos): Area of a lentil. = 4 sq. Se'aros.
• Gris (Hebrew: גריס): Area of a split bean. = 9 Adashos.
• Etzbah Meruba'as (Hebrew: אצבע מרובעת): Square Fingerbreadths. = 1 19/81 Gris.
• Tefach Merubah (Hebrew: טפח מרובע): Square Handbreadths. = 16 Etzbaos Meruba'as.
• Amah Meruba'as (Hebrew: אמה מרובעת): Square Cubits. = 36 Tefachim Merubah.
• Beit Rova (Hebrew: בית רובע): Area needed to sow ¼ Kav of produce. = 104 ⅙ Amos Meruba'as.
• Beit Kav (Hebrew: בית קב): Area needed to sow 1 Kav of produce. = 4 Beit Rova.
• Beit Se'ah (Hebrew: בית סאה): Area needed to sow 1 Se'ah of produce. = 6 Beit Kav.
• Beit Se'asayim (Hebrew: בית סאתים): Area needed to sow 2 Se'ah of produce. = 12 Beit Kav.
• Beit Kor (Hebrew: בית כור): Area needed to sow 1 Kor of produce. = 30 Beit Seah.

Volume

Opinions: A: Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh; B: Chazon Ish.

• Kortov (Hebrew: קורטוב): Equal to 1/64 Log.
  

  Desert/Wilderness (מידות מדבריות):	A: 0.183 fl oz. (5.4 ml);  B: 0.314 fl oz. (9.3 ml)
  Jerusalem (מידות ירושלמיות):	A: 0.220 fl oz. (6.5 ml);  B: 0.379 fl oz. (11.2 ml)
  Tzipori (מידות ציפוריות):	A: 0.264 fl oz. (7.8 ml);  B: 0.453 fl oz. (13.4 ml)

• Mesurah (Hebrew: משורה): Equal to 1/32 Log. = 1 7/9 Kortov.
• Grogeres (Hebrew: גרוגרת, pl. grogaros): A dried fig's bulk. 3/10 of a Beitzah. = 1.8 Mesuros.
• Kezayis (Hebrew: כזית, pl. kezaysim): An olive's bulk. 1/2 of a Beitzah (S"A) = 5/3 Grogeres.
• (Koseves Gasah (Hebrew: כותבת הגסה): A large date's bulk. Slightly less than a Beitzah. (OC 612:1))
• Beitzah (Hebrew: ביצה, pl. Beitzim): An egg's bulk. = 2 Kezaysim.
• Uchlah / K'lah (Hebrew: עוכלא \ כלה): Equal to 1/20 Kav. = 1 1/5 Beitzim.
• Revi'is (Hebrew: רביעית): A quarter of a Log. = 1 1/4 Uchlah / K'lah.
• Tomen (Hebrew: תומן): Equal to 1/8 Kav. = 2 Revi'is.
• (Pras (Hebrew: פרס): Rashi: 4 Beitzim. Rambam: 3 Beitzim.)
• Rova / Log (Hebrew: רובע \ לוג): A quarter of a Kav. = 2 Tomen.
• Kav (Hebrew: קב): Equal to 1/6 Seah. = 4 Rova / Log.
• Issaron / Omer (Hebrew: עשרון \ עומר): Equal to 1/10 Ephah. = 1 4/5 Kav.
• Tarkav / Hin (Hebrew: תרקב \ הין): Equal to 1/2 Seah, 1/60 Kor. = 1 2/3 Issaron / Omer.
• Se'ah (Hebrew: סאה): Equal to 1/30 Kor. = 2 Tarkav / Hin.
• Ephah / Bat (Hebrew: איפה \ בת): Equal to 1/10 Kor. = 3 Seah.
• Letech / Adriv (Hebrew: לתך \ אדריב): Equal to 1/2 Kor. = 5 Ephah / Bat.
• Kor / Chomer (Hebrew: כור \ חומר): Equal to 30 Seah, 10 Ephah. = 2 Letech / Adriv.

Mass (Weight)

• Dinar / Zuz / Zin (Hebrew: דינר \ זוז \ זין): Equal to 1/100 Litra.
  = 0.158733 oz. (4500 mg)
• Shekel (Hebrew: שקל): Half a Sela. = 2 Dinar.
• Sela (Hebrew: סלע): Half an Unkeya. = 2 Shekel.
• Unkeya (Hebrew: אונקיא): Equal to 8/10 Maneh. = 2 Sela.
• Tartimar (Hebrew: תרטימר): Half a Maneh. = 6 1/4 Unkeya.
• Maneh (Italki) / Litra (Hebrew: מנה (איטלקי) \ ליטרא): Equal to 1/60 Kikar. = 2 Tartimar.
• Kikar (Hebrew: כיכר): Weight of a silver Kikar. = 60 Maneh.

Coins

Opinions: A: Shulchan Aruch / Rambam; B: Rashi; C: Some other authorities.
• Perutah (Hebrew: פרוטה)
  A: value of 0.024 grams of silver. (0.00077 troy oz.) (Currently approx. $0.0124 USD)
  B: 0.02 g of silver (0.00064 troy oz.) (Currently approx. $0.0104 USD)
  C: 0.027 g of silver (0.00087 troy oz.) (Currently approx. $0.0140 USD)
• Mesimas (Hebrew: מסימס) Equals 4 Perutos.
• Issar (Hebrew: איסר) Equals 8 Perutos.
• Pundyon (Hebrew: פונדיון) Equals 2 Issar.
• Ma'ah (Hebrew: מעה) Equals 2 Pundyon.
• Istera / Tarpik (Hebrew: אסתרא \ טרפעיק) Equals 3 Ma'ah.
• Dinar / Zuz (Hebrew: דינר \ זוז) Equals 2 Istera.
• Shekel (Hebrew: שקל) Equals 2 Dinar.
• Sela (Hebrew: סלע) Equals 2 Shekel.
• Dinar Zahav (Hebrew: דינר זהב) Equals 6 1/4 Sela.
• Maneh (Hebrew: מנה) Equals 4 Dinar Zahav.
• Maneh Shel Kodesh (Hebrew: מנה של קודש) Equals 2 Maneh.
• Kikar (Hebrew: כיכר) Equals 60 Maneh.
• Kikar Shel Kodesh (Hebrew: כיכר של קודש) Equals 2 Kikaros.

Time

• Rega (Hebrew רגע, Regaim): "Moment." 1/76 of Chelek.
  = 0.04386 seconds
• Chelek (Hebrew חלק): "Part." 1/1080 of Sha'ah. = 76 Rega.
• Et (Hebrew עת, pl. Etim): "Times." 1/24 Onah. = 1 7/8 Chelek.
• Small Onah (Hebrew עונה, pl. Onos): "Period" of 1/24 of Sha'ah. = 24 Etim.
• Sha'ah (Hebrew שעה, pl. Sha'os): An hour. = 24 Small Ona'os.
• Onah (Hebrew עונה, pl. Onos): "Period" of daytime or nightime. 1/2 of a day. About 12 Sha'os.
• Yom (Hebrew יום, pl. Yamim): A day. = 2 Ona'os
• Shavua (Hebrew שבוע, pl. Shavuos): A week. = 7 days.
• Chodesh (Hebrew חודש, pl. Chadashim): A month. 29 or 30 days. About 4.214 weeks.
• Tekufah (Hebrew תקופה, pl. Tekufos): A quarter / season. "Turn of the sun." About 3 months.
• Shanah (Hebrew שנה, pl. Shanim): A lunar year. = 4 Tekufos.
• Shmittah (Hebrew שמיטה, Shmittos): Sabbatical Cycle. = 7 lunar years.
• Yovel (Hebrew יובל, pl. Yovelim): Jubilee. = 50 lunar years.

Sources

• Steinsaltz, Adin. "Talmudic Weights and Measures." The Talmud, the Steinsaltz Edition. Random House, 1989. pp. 279-93.
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• Frank, Yitzḥak. "Appendix II" The Practical Talmud Dictionary. Ariel, 1991-1994. pp. 297-301.
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• Naeh, Rabbi Avraham Chaim. 3:25. Shiurei Torah. 1947. p. 249.
• Feinstein, Rabbi Moshe. Iggerot Moshe. OC 1:136; YD 1:107; YD 1:190; YD 3:46:2; YD 3:66:1.
• Kanievsky, Rabbi Yaakov Y. quoting Chazon Ish (Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz). Shiurin Shel Torah. p. 3.
• "Rashi" on Shemos 21:32.
• "Rambam" on Mishnah Bechoros 88:46.
• Karo, Yosef. Shulchan Aruch. OC 368, OC 486, OC 612:1, OC 612:3, CM 88:1. 1565.