How large is a date-bulk? TB Yoma 79

 Refraining from eating is one of the five afflictions we observe on Yom Kippur. We are looking for the minimum amount of food that will settle our minds, but not be satiating. Just yesterday I didn’t eat a very large lunch and by 4 o’clock in the afternoon I was really hungry. I wanted a snack that would stop the hunger pains, but not ruin my appetite for supper. I ate a protein bar and that did the trick. The Mishnah back on TB Yoma 73b gives us the measurement of food that will settle our minds, but not satiate us. “One who eats (on Yom Kippur-gg) a large date-bulk of food, equivalent to a date and its pit” (Sefaria.org translation) is liable.

There are three different measures, and olive-bulk, a large date-bulk, and an egg- bulk. Today’s daf TB Yoma 79 presents the disagreement between Rabba and Rav Zevid whether the large date-bulk is larger or smaller than an egg-bulk.

“Rava (Rabba is the better version-gg) said that Rav Yehuda said: The volume of a large date that they said is larger than an egg-bulk. The Sages have an accepted tradition that with this amount of food, the mind of the one who eats is settled, and he is not afflicted. Less than this amount, the mind is not settled.” (Sefaria.org translation)

“Rav Zevid disagreed with what was mentioned earlier and said: This is not so. Rather, the volume of a large date that they spoke of is less than an egg-bulk” (Sefaria.org translation)

Obviously these measurements were easily understood during Talmudic times as we understand our own measurements like a teaspoon, tablespoon, and a cup. To help you understand these Talmudic measurements I looked them up online.

An olive-bulk “In the Mishnah it is said: "Like an olive they said: neither large nor small, but medium - it is aguri . " Aguri olive is a particular variety of olives, identified by Dr. Mordechai Kislev with the Syrian olive, which has a volume of about 3 cc” (https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=iw&u=https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%25D7%259B%25D7%2596%25D7%2599%25D7%25AA&prev=search&pto=aue)

An egg-bulk “Today, it is accepted by Rabbi Avraham Chaim Na'a that the rate as an egg is 57.6 cc.” (https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/ כביצה)

 

A date-bulk measurement is only used in conjunction with Yom Kippur. Perhaps that is why I could not find online how much a date-bulk corresponds to. Hopefully on tomorrow’s daf will learn who is correct Rabba or Rav Zevid. Stay tuned.