[Avodah] Shiur for Kesem today

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 12:51:47AM +0300, Ilana Elzufon wrote:
: See Pit'chei Teshuvah 190:10, towards the end, quoting the Chatam Sofer.
: Basically, he points out that ketamim are deRabbanan - and what's more, the
: reason the Rabbis made the gezerah in the first place was because of the
: severity of the laws of taharot...

So the CS holds that kegeris is the limit of the gezeirah, and not just
part of the general "you can be toleh kesamim on anything plausible".
Pishpishin and the shiur of a keturmos (the size of a bean called a
"lupine"?) *is* considered part of that general rule. To the extent
that the Rambam doesn't give it special mention.

Which brings me to the next question... How does the CS know that kegeris
and blaming a ma'akholes is different in kind than the rest of the sugya?
We could deduce from the Rambam, but that just shifts my question up some
centuries.

For example, the Yereim says that the shiur is based on the lice of your
region, and not the same kegeris (about a nickle) of chazal.

Of course (given the above), the CS does say the shiur is a geris,
not tied to the size of engourged lice.

And does that mean that the Yereim (and the mi'ut of contemporary posqim
who hold like him) would say there is no shiur today?

BTW, the PT, #12 says besheim the Raavad that there is no shiur if the
kesem is black, since a ma'akheles stain would always be rad.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 24th day, which is
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