612 - תריב שיעור אכילה ביום הכיפורים ושיעור כמותה ובו ט"ז סעיפים

612 - The Measure of Eating on Yom Kippur and Its Quantity - 16 Subsections

1 Eating — how so?

One who eats on Yom Kippur a measure such that when he is hungry his mind is settled by this eating — is liable to kares.

For it is said: "For any soul that is not afflicted," etc. (Vayikra 23:29). And when he eats like this measure — behold, he is not afflicted.

And the Sages received, as a halacha of Moshe from Sinai, that this measure is like a large date. And it is a little less than the volume of an egg.

And this measure is equal for every person, whether for a dwarf or for Og king of Bashan. Because every person, when he is hungry, his mind is settled by an eating of this measure. Except that Og king of Bashan — his mind is settled a little, and all other people — their minds are settled greatly.

2 All foods combine one with another to complete this measure.

But foods and liquids, where he ate half a measure and drank half a measure — they do not combine. Because his mind is not settled by this.

But one who eats a vegetable together with the brine that is upon it, and likewise meat together with the salt that is upon it — behold, the brine and the salt combine to complete the measure. Because every liquid that comes to make the food fit — behold, it is like the food.

3 Two eatings combine. Such as where he ate a little and stopped, and went back and ate a little, until he completed the measure — they combine.

And that is provided that he did not delay from the beginning of the first eating until the end of the last eating more than the time of eating a peras. (Meaning: half a loaf of bread.)

But if he delayed more than the time of eating a peras — they do not combine. Because his mind is not settled by such an interrupted eating.

4 The measure of eating a peras that they stated regarding Yom Kippur and regarding all the prohibitions of the Torah, whether they are from the Torah or whether they are from the words of the Scribes:

There are those who say that it is like four eggs.

And there are those who say that it is like three generous eggs. That is to say, in fullness and with room to spare, and not sparingly.

And regarding the law: anything that is of the Torah — follow the one who is stringent. And anything that is of their words — follow the one who is lenient.

5 One who eats on Yom Kippur a gluttonous eating. Such as where, after he ate much on erev Yom Kippur, he ate immediately on Yom Kippur at the beginning of the night while he was still sated and full from the eating of erev Yom Kippur, and he derives no pleasure at all from this gluttonous eating, and it is harmful to his body. Therefore he is exempt from kares.

For it is said: "that is not afflicted" — to exclude one who harms his body by eating, for he is afflicted.

6 In what case is this said? Where he ate foods that are fit only for one who is hungry.

But if he ate foods that are fit even for one who is sated, such as foods that are spiced and perfumed, in which there is pleasure for the body even for one who is sated — he is liable, even though he ate them upon satiety — for room for a delicacy is commonly found.

And that is provided that he did not eat so much on erev Yom Kippur that he is disgusted by every kind of food. But if he was disgusted by his food, even though he ate a perfumed food — he is exempt.

And this matter depends only upon what he senses within himself, whether he has pleasure in this gluttonous eating.

7 The pleasure of eating and drinking — is forbidden on Yom Kippur, even though he does not eat it and drink it, such as where he tastes with his palate and spits out.

And even things that are not fit for eating, such as spice woods and sweet wood — it is forbidden to taste them in order to moisten his throat and spit out. As is written in siman 567.

But it is permitted to smell all kinds of fragrance on Yom Kippur — because fragrance is a thing from which the body derives no pleasure at all, but rather the soul alone derives pleasure from it. Therefore it was not forbidden on Yom Kippur. And on the contrary — it is good to smell, in order to complete the count of one hundred blessings.

8 If he ate foods that are not fit for human eating, even though he ate much of them — he is exempt from kares. But they strike him makkas mardus.

9 If he ate leaves of reeds — he is exempt. Because they are not human food.

10 If he ate shoots of vines that sprouted before Rosh Hashanah — he is exempt. For they are mere wood.

But if they sprouted after Rosh Hashanah — they are still tender on Yom Kippur and fit for human eating. And therefore if he ate them on Yom Kippur, he is liable.

11 If he ate dry peppers and dry ginger — he is exempt. Because they are not fit for eating.

If he ate them when they are moist, for then they are fit for eating — he is liable.

12 One who drinks on Yom Kippur a mouthful — is liable.

And we measure by the mouthful of the drinker himself, each person according to what he is, the large one according to his largeness and the small one according to his smallness.

And not a literal mouthful, but rather anything that, were he to move it to one side of his mouth, it would appear as a mouthful. And that is less than a revi'is of a log in an average person.

13 All liquids combine one with another to complete a mouthful.

14 (One who drank liquids that are not fit for drinking: such as brine or muries (meaning: brine of fish), or raw vinegar (meaning: that it is not mixed with water), which is so strong that if they were to throw it upon the ground it would bubble. Even though he drank much of them — he is exempt from kares.

But they strike him makkos mardus.

But if he drank vinegar mixed with water, even if he drank only a mouthful — he is liable.)

15 Drinkings combine one with another. Such as where he drank a little and stopped a little and went back and drank a little, and between the two of them there is a mouthful — he is liable.

In what case is this said? Where he did not delay from the beginning of the first drinking until the end of the last drinking more than the time of drinking a revi'is of a log.

But if he delayed more than the time of drinking a revi'is — they do not combine.

And there are those who say that they always combine, unless he delayed from the beginning of the first drinking until the end of the last drinking more than the time of eating a peras, just as with the combining of two eatings.

And regarding the law, one should be stringent at the outset and rule like the latter opinion. As will be explained in siman 618 (se'if 14). See there.

16 All these measures that have been explained in this siman, whether the measure of eating or the measure of drinking — were stated only regarding liability for a chatas.

(And for us too there is a practical difference. Regarding a sick person who is in danger. As will be explained there.)

But regarding the prohibition — even if he ate any amount and drank any amount — behold, he has done a prohibition from the Torah.

And so is the law regarding all the prohibitions in the Torah in which measures were stated — that even with the slightest amount of them there is a prohibition from the Torah.