Biblical / Talmudic Units of Measure

Biblical and Talmudic Unit Converter

Contents

Length

  • Etzbah / Agudal (Hebrew: אצבע / אגודל, pl. Etzbaos): Fingerbreadths, the width of an average thumb.
    • Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh[1]:
      [Standard] 0.787 in (2 cm)
      [Stringent] 0.804 in (2.042 cm)
    • Aruch Hashulchan / Mishna Brurah[2]:
      0.875 in (2.223 cm)
    • Rabbi Moshe Feinstein[3]:
      [Standard] 0.885 in (2.249 cm)
      [Stringent] 0.958 in (2.434 cm)
    • Chazon Ish[4]:
      [Standard] 0.947 in (2.405 cm)
      [Stringent] 0.967 in (2.455 cm)
  • Tefach (Hebrew: טפח, pl. Tefachim): Handbreadths, a fist measured from the widest part of the thumb. = 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, pl. Kanim): Reed = 6 Amos.
  • Ris (Hebrew: ריס, pl. Risim): Greek stadium. = 44.4444 Kaneh.
  • Mil (Hebrew: מיל, pl. Milim): 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

  • Se'arah (Hebrew: שערות, pl. Se'aros): Hairbreadths (space between two adjacent hairs).
    • Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh[1]:
      [Standard] 0.014 in2 (9 mm2)
      [Stringent] 0.015 in2 (9.379 mm2)
    • Aruch Hashulchan / Mishna Brurah[2]:
      0.017 in2 (11.114 mm2)
    • Rabbi Moshe Feinstein[3]:
      [Standard] 0.018 in2 (11.380 mm2)
      [Stringent] 0.021 in2 (13.332 mm2)
    • Chazon Ish[4]:
      [Standard] 0.020 in2 (13.014 mm2)
      [Stringent] 0.021 in2 (13.561 mm2)
  • Adashah (Hebrew: עדשה, pl. Adashos): Area of a lentil. = 4 sq. Se'aros.
  • Gris (Hebrew: גריס, pl. Grisim): 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

  • Kortov (Hebrew: קורטוב): Equal to 1/64 Log.
    • Minimum for Mitzvos De'oraisa:
      • Rabbi Mordechai Willig:[5]
        0.143 fl oz. (4.219 ml)
      • Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh:[6]
        0.171 fl oz. (5.063 ml)
      • Rabbi Moshe Feinstein:[7]
        0.198 fl oz. (5.85 ml)
      • Chazon Ish:[8]
        0.211 fl oz. (6.25 ml)
    • Sinai Desert Measurements (מידות מדבריות):[9]
      • Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh:
        0.183 fl oz. (5.4 ml)
      • Chazon Ish:
        0.314 fl oz. (9.3 ml)
    • Jerusalem Measurements (מידות ירושלמיות): (⅕ larger than Desert measurements)[9]
      • Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh:
        0.220 fl oz. (6.5 ml)
      • Chazon Ish:
        0.379 fl oz. (11.2 ml)
    • Tzipori Measurements (מידות ציפוריות): (⅕ larger than Jerusalem measurements)[9]
      • Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh:
        0.264 fl oz. (7.8 ml)
      • Chazon Ish:
        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.[10] = 1.8 Mesuros.
  • Kezayis (Hebrew: כזית, pl. Kezaysim): An olive's bulk. 1/2 of a Beitzah[11] (1/3 of a Beitzah according to others [20]) = 5/3 Grogeres.
  • (Koseves HaGasah (Hebrew: כותבת הגסה): A large date's bulk. Slightly less than a Beitzah.[12])
  • 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.[13])
  • Rova / Log (Hebrew: רובע / לוג, pl. Lugin): A quarter of a Kav. = 2 Tomen.
  • Kav (Hebrew: קב, pl. Kabim): Equal to 1/6 Se'ah. = 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 Se'ah, 1/60 Kor. = 1 2/3 Issaron / Omer.
  • Se'ah (Hebrew: סאה, pl. Se'in): Equal to 1/30 Kor. = 2 Tarkav / Hin.
  • Ephah / Bat (Hebrew: איפה / בת, pl. Ephos): Equal to 1/10 Kor. = 3 Se'ah.
  • Lesech / Adriv (Hebrew: לתך / אדריב): Equal to 1/2 Kor. = 5 Ephah / Bat.
  • Kor / Chomer (Hebrew: כור / חומר): Equal to 30 Se'ah, 10 Ephah. = 2 Lesech / 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.
  • Tarteimar (Hebrew: תרטימר): Half a Maneh. = 6 1/4 Unkeya.
  • Maneh (Italki) / Litra (Hebrew: מנה (איטלקי) / ליטרא): Weight of an Italian Maneh. Equal to 1/60 Kikar. = 2 Tarteimar.
  • Kikar (Hebrew: כיכר): Weight of a silver Kikar. = 60 Maneh.

Coins

  • Perutah (Hebrew: פרוטה)
    • Shulchan Aruch / Rambam[14][15]:
      0.024 g of silver (0.00077 troy oz.)
    • Rashi[16]:
      0.02 g of silver (0.00064 troy oz.)
    • Some other authorities:
      0.027 g of silver (0.00087 troy oz.)
  • Kontrank (Hebrew: קונטרנק) Equals 2 Perutos.
  • Mesimas (Hebrew: מסימס) Equals 4 Perutos.
  • Issar (Hebrew: איסר) Equals 8 Perutos.
  • Pundyon (Hebrew: פונדיון) Equals 2 Issar.
  • Me'ah (Hebrew: מעה, pl. Ma'os) Equals 2 Pundyon.[14]
  • Istera / Tarpik (Hebrew: אסתרא / טרפעיק) Equals 3 Me'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, pl. Regaim): "Moment." 1/76 of Chelek.
    = 0.04386 seconds
  • Chelek (Hebrew חלק, pl. Chalakim): "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.
  • K'dei Achilas Pras (Hebrew כדי אכילת פרס): Time to eat 3/4 of a loaf of bread. Opinions range from 2 minutes to 11 minutes and 9 seconds.
  • Hiluch Mil (Hebrew הלוך מיל): Time to walk 1 Mil. Opinions range from 18 minutes to 24 minutes.
  • 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. Yovelos): Jubilee. = 50 lunar years.

Sources

  • 1 Naeh, Rabbi Avraham Chaim, 1947. Shiurei Torah 3:25 pp. 249-250 writes that the etzba is 2 cm, making an amah equal 48 cm and when measuring an upper or lower bound, it is best to be stringent and use 47 cm or 49 cm per amah, depending on which direction you are measuring. Since an etzbah is 2 cm, this makes an etzbah meruba'as (square etzbah) equal to 4 cm2.
  • 2 The Aruch Hashulchan YD 286:21 sets 4 amot as one Russian sazhen (7 feet). Dr. Gideon Freedman proves Aruch Hashulchan YD 201:3 and Mishna Brurah 358:7 hold that the amah is 21 inches. The Aruch Hashulchan defines the amah as three-quarters of a 71.12 cm arshin, while Mishna Brurah correlates 53 Russian arshins with 70.83 amot. Source.
  • 3 Feinstein, Rabbi Moshe. Iggerot Moshe, 1964. OC 1:136 p. 228 writes that the amah is 21.25 inches and one can be stringent and use 23 inches.
  • 4 Kanievsky, Rabbi Yaakov Y. quoting Chazon Ish (Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz). Shiurin Shel Torah. p. 3.
  • 5 Rabbi Mordechai I. Willig, 2011. Pesach To-Go, How Much Matzah Do You Need to Eat?, p. 60, writes that the kezayis is 22.5 cm3. His calculations are primarily based on Rabbi Hadar Margolin. Source.
  • 6 Naeh, Rabbi Avraham Chaim, 1947. Shiurei Torah 3:11 pp. 193 writes that a kezayis for mitvos de'oraisa is 28.8 cm3, however, in Shiurei Tzion, 1949. p. 70 he writes that it is 27 cm3. Vezos HaBracha (Birur Halacha 1) explains that he retracted from his original ruling. Source.
  • 7 Vezot HaBracha (Birur Halacha 1) quotes Haggadat Kol Dodi which quotes Rav Moshe Feinstein as saying that a Kezayit is 31.2 cm3. Source.
  • 8 Kanievsky, Rabbi Yaakov Y. quoting Chazon Ish (Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz). Shiurin Shel Torah. second ed, pp. 65-66. He writes that the kezayis is 2/3 of a modern egg which today measures 45-50 grams. The kezayis would therefore be 30-33.333 grams. Vezot HaBracha (Birur Halacha 1:3) records this opinion of the Chazon Ish as 33.3 cm3. Source.
  • 9 Biblical and Talmudic Units of Measurement by Ronnie Figdor, 2012.
  • 10 Karo, Yosef. Shulchan Aruch. OC 368 states the opinions that 18 grogeros equals 6 or 8 beitzim.
  • 11 Karo, Yosef. Shulchan Aruch. OC 486:1 states that 2 kezaysim is like 1 beitzah.
  • 12 Karo, Yosef. Shulchan Aruch. OC 612:1 states that a Koseves HaGasah (large date) is a little less than a beitzah.
  • 13 Karo, Yosef. Shulchan Aruch. OC 612:4 states that some say a pras is 4 beitzim, while others say it is 3 beitzim.
  • 14 Karo, Yosef. Shulchan Aruch. CM 88:1 states that the calculation of a perutah is the weight of half a barley of clean silver and the calculation of two ma'ah is the weight of 32 barleys of clean silver.
  • 15 "Rambam" on Mishnah Bechoros 88:46.
  • 16 "Rashi" on Shemos 21:32 states the shekel is weighed as four gold dinar coins, which is half an ounce according to the correct weight of Cologne.
  • 17 Feinstein, Rabbi Moshe. Iggerot Moshe, 1964. YD 1:107 p. 198; YD 1:190 pp. 380-381; YD 3:46:2 p. 281; YD 3:66:1 p. 314.
  • 18 Steinsaltz, Adin. "Talmudic Weights and Measures." The Talmud, the Steinsaltz Edition. Random House, 1989. pp. 279-93.
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  • 19 Frank, Yitzḥak. "Appendix II" The Practical Talmud Dictionary. Ariel, 1991-1994. pp. 297-301.
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  • 20 Bergman, Rabbi Meir Zvi. "Chapter Twelve: Weights, Measures and Currency." The Gateway to Talmud. Mesorah Publications, 1985. pp. 117-119.
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