[Avodah] Quantum of Halachic Time

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Jan 21, 2024 at 09:48:38PM +0200, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> First you describe a "tokh kedei dibbur" as being the smallest unit of time
> when it comes to intent and speech. Then you describe "the time it takes to
> walk 4 amos" as being the smallest unit of time when it comes to action.
> That makes two different smallests.

> And then you say that these two things ways of approximating "the cheileq",
> which is the smallest unit of time when calculating time. So which is your
> quantum? The two practical measurements, or the cheileq?

The cheileq -- with tokh kedei dibbur and walking 4 amos being two ways
for a person to mentally estimate the cheileq. It's not like they had
wristwatches with cheileq hands...

> IN ANY CASE, we also have a unit of time called a "rega", defined by Rambam
> Kiddush Hachodesh 10:1 as 1/76 of a chelek, which makes it MUCH smaller
> than any of the above.

Except that I don't know of a din that relies on a rega. It may be useful
for the Rambam's math, but our calendar is uses the molad, which was
the average time between lunations at around 400 - 500 CE *as measured to
the nearest cheileq*.

> 1 mil = 2000 amos = 18 minutes = 1080 seconds
> 4 amos (1/500 mil) is therefore 2.16 seconds

Assuming people walk in shul at the same speed they walk to get places.
Similarly for tokh kedei dibbur to be a cheileq, we would need to be
speaking very formally and slowly when greeting our rabbeim.
Both are not only possible, they're likely.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 For a mitzvah is a lamp,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   And the Torah, its light.
Author: Widen Your Tent                      - based on Mishlei 6:2
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF