Zevachim 62B

״בני קטורה״. בני אחתיה דרבי טרפון הוו יתבי קמיה דרבי טרפון, פתח ואמר: ״ויוסף אברהם ויקח אשה ושמה יוחני״. אמרי ליה: ״קטורה״ כתיב! קרי (עליהם) [עליהו] ״בני קטורה״.

“The children of Keturah” (Genesis 25:4). Although Keturah’s children were children of Abraham, they were not of the same caliber as Isaac. Similarly, Rav Yosef was saying that his other students were not of the caliber of Abaye. Having mentioned this term, the Talmud relates: The sons of R' Tarfon’s sister were sitting silently before R' Tarfon. In an attempt to encourage them to say something, he began and said: The verse states: And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Yoḥani. They said to R' Tarfon: It is written: “Keturah” (Genesis 25:1), not Yoḥani. R' Tarfon read, i.e., said, about them the phrase “the children of Keturah” as they were able to contribute only this small piece of information.

אמר אביי בר הונא אמר רב חמא בר גוריא: גזירין שעשה משה ⁠– אורכן אמה, ורוחבן אמה, ועוביין כמחק גודש סאה.

§ Abaye bar Huna says that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya says: With regard to the logs that Moses prepared for the mitzva of burning wood upon the altar, their length was a cubit and their width was a cubit, and their thickness was like that of a leveler, a kind of flat stick used to remove the excess grain heaped on top of a container that holds one se’a.

אמר רבי ירמיה: באמה גדומה. אמר רב יוסף, ולאו היינו דתניא: ״על העצים אשר על האש אשר על המזבח״⁠ – שלא יהו עצים יוצאין מן המזבח כלום?!

R' Yirmeya says: The length and width of the logs mentioned were measured with a shortened cubit. Rav Yosef said: Is this not as it is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “Upon the wood that is on the fire that is upon the altar” (Leviticus 1:8). The seemingly superfluous phrase “that is upon the altar” teaches that the wood should not extend at all beyond the area of the altar designated for the arrangement of wood. Since this area was one square cubit, the logs were exactly 1 cubit as well.