Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim · Siman 396

Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim 396 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1"Each man has under him" (_Exodus 16:29_), from this phrase we learn that each person has four amot (cubits) in every place, even if he went outside of the barrier and we measure for each person his "amah", and if he has short limbs, we give him four average-length amot, each of which is six handbreaths. Rema: And these four amot are measured wide with him in the center (Tur). And there are those who say that he is permitted to walk four amot on each side but carrying, he only has four amot at the diagonal, as was explained before in Siman 349 (Tur in the name of the Raza''h and the Maggid Ch. 12 in the name of the Rashbah.)
2. 2In any place that he finds himself when Shabbat begins, if he is in an enclosed space for dwelling, even if there are no inhabitants, all of it is considered like four amot, and if it is not an enclosed space for dwelling, until it contains two seahs, all of it is considered like four amot, and even he is on a tall hill, an harvested area with stalks and barley surrounding it, it is considered like four amot until it contains two seahs.

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