Q&A: Measures and Quantitative Standards of the Sages in Our Time
Measures and Quantitative Standards of the Sages in Our Time
Question
Hello and blessings. A question that has been bothering me for quite a long time is the fact that measures given to us by the Sages, such as the volume of an egg or the time it takes to walk four mil, have been turned by the later authorities (Acharonim) into precise measurements, such as the dispute between the Chazon Ish and Rabbi Chaim Naeh about the size of a fingerbreadth, or exactly how many minutes the walking of a mil is. But the Sages certainly did not have the ability to measure time or size at that level of precision. So it would seem that the form of measurement that was valid in the days of the Sages should remain the same in our day as well—that is, a kind of general estimate. So why have these measurements in minutes and grams become binding, and why have there been so many polemics about them? Thank you.
Answer
This change in Jewish law reflects a cultural change. The Western world shifted to a more quantitative and precise mode of thinking, and it does not accept vague determinations—certainly not in a legal system or in Jewish law. From that came binding estimates for the original measures.
The question of whether this is truly binding is an interesting question in itself. There is room to argue that we should stick to the tradition of the Sages, but one can certainly also say that nowadays, since there is agreement among the halakhic decisors to fix specific measures—even if there is disagreement about what exactly those measures are—that is the way we should conduct ourselves in our world.