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The Shulchan Aruch · Orach Chayim

אורח חיים שצ״חOrach Chayim 398

Siman 398 of 697 in Orach Chayim — 11 se'ifim

הלכות תחומיןLaws of Techumin· siman 398

Se’if 1א׳

הַבָּא לִמְדֹּד אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה שֶׁל תְּחוּם הָעִיר, אִם הָיְתָה הָעִיר אֲרִיכָא וּקְטִינָא, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מְרֻבַּעַת לֹא לְרִבּוּעַ הָעוֹלָם, הוֹאִיל וְיֵשׁ לָהּ אַרְבַּע זָוִיּוֹת שָׁווֹת, מַנִּיחִים אוֹתָהּ כַּמּוּת שֶׁהִיא, וּמוֹדְדִים לָהּ אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹתֶיהָ.

When one comes to measure the 2000 amot teḥum of a city, if the city was long and narrow, or if it was square but not aligned with the square of the earth [i.e. the cardinal directions], but it has four square corners, we leave the size of the city as it is and measure 2000 amot in every direction from its four sides.

Se’if 2ב׳

הָיְתָה עֲגֻלָּה, עוֹשִׂין לָהּ זָוִיּוֹת וְרוֹאִין אוֹתָהּ כְּאִלּוּ הִיא בְּתוֹךְ הַמְּרֻבָּע, וּמוֹדְדִין חוּץ מִצַּלְעוֹת אוֹתוֹ מְרֻבָּע אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ שֶׁנִּמְצָא מִשְׂתַּכֵּר הַזָּוִיּוֹת; וְכֵן אִם הָיְתָה הָעִיר מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת אוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ צְלָעוֹת רַבּוֹת, מְרַבְּעִים אוֹתָהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מוֹצִיאִין חוּץ לַמְּרֻבָּע אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ.

If the city was round, we make corners for it and view it as if it was inscribed in a rectangle, and measure 2000 amot in every direction from the sides of the rectangle. It is thus found that the corners [of the circumscribed rectangle] increase the size of the city. So too, if the city was triangular or if it had many sides, we circumscribe a rectangle around it and afterwards extend 2000 amot in every direction from outside the rectangle.

Se’if 3ג׳

כְּשֶׁהוּא מְרַבְּעָהּ, מְרַבְּעָהּ בְּרִבּוּעַ הָעוֹלָם, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא כָּל רוּחַ מִמֶּנּוּ מְשׁוּכָה כְּנֶגֶד רוּחַ מֵרוּחוֹת הָעוֹלָם וּמְכֻוֶּנֶת כְּנֶגְדָּהּ.

When one circumscribes a rectangle [around a city], one circumscribes it according to the cardinal directions, so that each of its sides extends according to one of the cardinal directions and is parallel to it.

…and 6 more se'ifim in this siman.

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Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim — Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0