Pi. מדד same, to stretch. Gen. R. s. 3; Midr. Till. to Ps. XXIV, a. e. ממדד, v. מתה. -[Cant. R. to VIII, 11 ממדדין, v. דדה.]
מדה, מידה f. (b. h.; preced.) 1) dimension, measure, proportion. Sabb. 150a (play on מדהבה, v. preced.) מאד מ׳ בלא הבא מאד bring much, very much, without meas- ure. Peah VIII, 6 זו מ׳ this proportion. Gen. R. s. 64; Esth. R. introd. (ref. to מנדה, Ezra IV, 13) הארץ מדת זו that is the tax from the land as measured, ii e. the (Roman) land-tax. B. Bath. VII, 3 וכ׳ בחבל מ׳ Isell tthee exact land- measure by the rope. Ib. 128a ארכו מדת the length-measure of the cloak. Ib. משקלותיו מדת the measure of its (the gold-bar's) weights, i. e. an estimate as to how many coins of a certain weight can be obtained from it. Hag. p2a לילה ומ׳ יום מדת the combined length of day and night. Yeb. 76b (ref. to ISam. XVII, 38) כמדתו מדיו his (Saul's) garments such as fitted his stature. Mikv. X, 5; Hull. 73a המ׳) מקום עד as far as the designed length of the handle (excluding the portion which it is intended to cut off). -- Kidd. 42b; B. Mets. 56b, a. e. וכ׳ ושבמשקל שבמ׳ דבר ohjects which are sold by measure, by weight or by the piece. B. Bath. 89b וכ׳ חסירה מ׳ לעולם one must never keep in one's house too small or too large a measure (smaller or larger than the legal size); a. fr. -- Pl. מדות, מידות. Ib. 88b מ׳ של עונשן the divine punishment for fraudu-- lent measures. Tosef. B. Mets. VI, 14 . . . ממונין היו לא המ׳ על אלא . they (the agoranomoi in Jerusalem) were appointed not for the regulation of market prices but for the superintendence of the measures; B. Bath. 89a, v. אנרדמיס; a. fr. - Men. 18a מידותי למצות, v. מצה. --hence Middoth (measurements of the Temple), name of a treat- ise of the Mishnah, of the order of Kodashim. - 2) deal-- ing reward or punishment dispensation. --מ׳־ כנגד מ׳ re-- taliation, adeguate puniishmmentt or remard. Sot. I, , v. preced. Ib. 9a לכמ׳ the verse is to intimate that God dise penses adequate punishments. Ib. 8b (ref. tto ib. I, 7) אאע״ג בטיל לא במ׳ בטילה דמ׳ although retribution (by the Jewish court) has ceased, the adequate divine punishment has not ceased. Lam. R. introd. (R. Alex. 2) (expl. וביען יען, Lev. XXVI, 43) מ׳ כנגד מ׳ punishment corresponding to deed. Ned. 32a. Snh. 90a מ׳ כנגד מ׳ הקב״ה של מידותיו כל all retributions of the Lord are in correspondence with man's doings. Ber. 48b 'whatever the Lord thy God has given thee פורענות מדת ובין טובה מ׳ בין. . . בכל דיינך (not מדה) he is thy judge in whatever sentence he decrees upon thee, whether it be a good or an evil dispensation. Ib. IX, 5, v. מאד. Sabb. 97a. Ib. 151b זו מ׳ על . . . . לעולם at all times let one pray to be spared this fate (poverty); a. fr. ---- Pl. as ab. Snh. 90a, v. supra. Yoma 87b המעביר וכ׳ מדותיו על he who passes over his retaliations (who for- bears to retaliate), his failings will be passed over (be forgiven); Meg. 28a. Ib. מידותי על עמדתי לא I never in- sisted on retaliation; Kidd. 71aמדותי על מעמד ואינוRashi מעמיד); a. fr. -- 3) manner, ways, eharacter, nature, con- dition. Ber. 40a וכ׳ הקב״ה כמדת לא the nature oof divine (intellectual) affairs is not like the nature of human (ma- terial) afairs. Ib. 11b וכ׳ יום מדת להזכיר to mention the nature of the day (light) at night. Tanh. Balak3 מדתו מה what is the nature of his power. B. Mets. 33a ואינה ממ׳ מ׳ it is a (meritorious) way (of studying) and is not, i. e. you might do better; Y. Hor. III, 48a top מ׳ שאינה מ; a. fr. -- Pl. as ab. Ab. V, 10 באדם מ׳ ארבע there are four different dispositions of men (as to treating one's fellow- man); ib. 11 בדעות מ׳ ארבע four characters (tempera- ments); ib. 12 בתלמידים מ׳ ארבע four natures of students (with regard to receptive and retentive faculties). Y. Snh. XI, 30a bot. וכ׳ מ׳ שבע כל all the seven characteristic features of righteous men which the scholars have de- fined have been realized in Rabbi. Ned. 20b מ׳ תשע בני children conceived under nine (abnormal mental) con- ditions. R. Hash. 17b, a. fr. מ׳ עשרה שלש the thirteen divine attributes (Ex. XXXIV, 6, sq.). Ned. 32a, v. סרז; a. fr. הדין־ מדת a) yustice. Tosef. Yeb. IX, 3, a. e., v. לקה. -- Esp. the divine attribute of justice, opp. הרחמים מ׳, v. דין II. -- b) common sense, loogical argument. Yoma 43b נותנת הדין מ׳ (היא) כך common sense dictates this; Shebu. 14a. Y. Maas. Sh. II, 53c top הדין למ׳ (כמ׳) עשו תחומין they regulated the laws of Sabbath limits according to common sense (not by textual interpretation). -- ) de- cision n money matters, civil law (contrad. tto ritual law). Y. Gitt. V, 46c bot. הכן הדין למ׳ אף tthe same principle holds good for civil law (collection of claims, v. עפרנות); Y. Shebi. X, 39c bot. Ib. (last liine) וכ׳ הדין מ׳ ולמידין do we apply the rules of Prosbol (v. פרוזבול) to ordinary claims Y. B. Kam. V, beg. 4d הרוב אחר הדין במ׳ הילכו לא (strike out בממון) in civil law we are not guided by pro- babilities (v. רוב; cmp. Bab. ib. 27b). Y. Ber. II, 5a bot. הד׳ ולמ׳but in civil law (questions of possession). -- 4) prin- ciple, standard, consistency. Men. III, 4 וכ׳ ר׳ כמדת follow- ing the principle of R. &c.; Pes. 77b; Y. ib. VII, 34c top. Shek. IV, 6 המ׳ היא אינה (comment. המ׳ מן אינה) this is not consistent (with a previous rule). Ib. 7 את השוה מדתו (Y. ed. מדותיו) he makes his standards even (is con- sistent). Pes. I, 7 המ׳ היא אינה this is not the right ar- gument. Ib. 15b היא ומ׳ מ׳ המ׳ היא אינה אמאי why do yotג say, it is no argumment? it is surely a correct argument. Y. Hag. III, 77a ׳Menahem went out means יצא למ׳ ממ׳ he went over from one principle to another (oined the opposition; Bab. ib. 16b רעה לתרבות יצא). -- Esp. מדות rules of iinterpretation. Sifra introd., ch. I, end וכ׳ מ׳ שבע. .. הלל Hillel the Elder explained seven rules &c.; Ab. d'R. N. ch. XXXVII; Tosef. Snh..VII, 11. Sifra introd., beg. (Rt. Yishm. said) וכ׳ מ׳ עשרה בשלש the Torah is interpreted by means of thirteen rules. [Appendix to treat. B'rakhoth. מ׳ ל״ב וכ׳ יוסו ו׳ של the thirty two rules of R. Jose the Galilean.] -- Lev. R. s. 3, beg. ומ׳ הלכות decisions and interpretations (by which the decisions were reached), v. מכילתא. -Gitt. 67a וכ׳ מידותיו מתרומות תרומה מידותי my rules of inter- pretation are the selection from selections of rules by R, Akiba. -- Ber. 33b וכ׳ רחמים הקב״ה של מדותיו שעושה he makes compassion the standard (or reason) of the divine laws, while they are decrees (the reasons for which it behooves not man to discuss); Y. ib. V, 9c על תיגר כקורא וכ׳ מ׳ because it sounds as if he were finding fault with the ways of the Lord (as if the Lord were partial); כנותן וכ׳ למ׳ קיצבה as though he were setting limits to the at- tributes of the Lord.
