[Avodah] The Real Shiurim -- They're Smaller Than You Think

[Saul Guberman]

On Mon, May 14, 2018 at 3:19 PM, Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:

> But does that prevent their pesaqim from being binding? In other words,
> the vast majority of the observant community accept that a kezayis
> is somewhere between the Rambam's estimate and the Chazon Ish's. Does
> that mean that regardless of what an archeologist might prove an actual
> olive's volume was, lehalakhah a shitah outside that range would be
> invalid anyway?
>
> We know the ammah changed in size over the centuries between Sinai
> and Churban Bayis Sheini. Is this due to a change in height of people
> causing a change in shiur, or is it that pesaqim in shiurim are more
> binding than historical reality?
>

I would say there would be a change.  It seems to me that everyone wants to
be empirically correct on this calculation. The big problems are trying to
area measurement(etzbah), or weight measurements (diram)  to equal volume
measurements (kzayis).  It would seem that none were precise, unless they
were using a particular persons' thumb and forearm.
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