Parallel
עירובין 45:1
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
but, surely, we learned: R. Eliezer ruled: If a man walked two cubits beyond his Sabbath limit he may re-enter, and if he walked three cubits he may not re-enter; [from which it is evident] is it not, that R. Eliezer follows his principle on the basis of which he ruled: ‘The man is deemed to be in their center’, so that the four cubits which the Rabbis have allowed him are regarded as overlapping [with that man's former Sabbath limit], and [it is because of this overlapping] that he ruled: ‘He may re-enter’. Does not this then clearly prove that the overlapping of Sabbath limits is of significance? — Said Rabbah b. Bar Hana to Abaye: Do you raise an objection against the Master from a ruling of R. Eliezer? ‘Yes’, the other replied: ‘because I heard from the Master himself that the Rabbis differed from R. Eliezer only in respect of a secular errand but that in respect of a religious one they agree with him’. AND ALL WHO GO OUT TO SAVE LIFE MAY RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL PLACES. Even apparently where the distance was more [than four thousand cubits]. But was it not stated in the first clause, TWO THOUSAND CUBITS, and presumably no more? — Rab Judah replied in the name of Rab: The meaning is that they MAY RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL PLACES with their weapons. But what [indeed] was the difficulty seeing that it is possible that the case of those who go to save lives is different? If a difficulty did at all exist it must have been the following. We learned: At first they did not stir from there all day but R. Gamaliel the Elder enacted that they shall be entitled to move within two thousand cubits in any direction. The enactment, moreover, was not applied to these only, but even a midwife who came to assist at a childbirth, or a man who came to rescue from an invading gang, from a river, from a ruin or from a fire is to be regarded as one of the people of the town and is entitled to move within two thousand cubits in any direction. Now [this evidently implies:] No more; but has it not been said: ALL WHO GO OUT TO SAVE LIFE MAY RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL PLACES even impliedly a larger distance? — Rab Judah replied in the name of Rab: The meaning Is that they MAY RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL PLACES with their weapons; as it was taught: At first they used to leave their weapons in a house that was nearest to the town wall. Once it happened that the enemies recognized them and pursued them, and as these entered the house to take up their weapons the enemies followed them. There was a stampede and the men who killed one another were more than those whom the enemies killed. At that time it was ordained that men in such circumstances shall return to their places with their weapons. R. Nahman b. Isaac replied: There is really no contradiction: The latter deals with a case where the Israelites overpowered the heathens while the former deals with one where the heathens overpowered themselves. Rab Judah stated in the name of Rab: If foreigners besieged Israelite towns it is not permitted to sally forth against them or to desecrate the Sabbath in any other way on their account. So it was also taught: If foreigners besieged etc. This, however, applies only where they came for the sake of money matters, but if they came with the intention of taking lives the people are permitted to sally forth against them with their weapons and to desecrate the Sabbath on their account. Where the attack, however, was made on a town that was close to a frontier, even though they did not come with any intention of taking lives but merely to plunder straw or stubble, the people are permitted to sally forth against them with their weapons and to desecrate the Sabbath on their account. Said R. Joseph b. Manyumi in the name of R. Nahman: Babylon is regarded as a frontier town and by this he meant Nehardea. R. Dostai of Biri made the following exposition: What is the significance of the Scriptural text: And they told David saying: ‘Behold the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors’? A Tanna taught: Keilah was a frontier town and they only came for the sake of plundering straw or stubble, for it is written: ‘And they rob the threshingfloors’ and yet it is written: Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying: ‘Shall I go and smite these Philistines?’ And the Lord said unto David: ‘Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah’. What was it that he inquired about? If it be suggested: ‘Whether it was permitted or forbidden to repulse the attack’, surely, it could be retorted, the Beth din of Samuel the Ramathite was then in existence. Rather, he inquired whether he would be successful or not. The inference from the wording of the text also supports this view. For it says: ‘Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah’. This is conclusive. MISHNAH. IF A MAN SAT DOWN BY THE WAY AND WHEN HE ROSE UP HE OBSERVER THAT HE WAS NEAR A TOWN HE MAY NOT ENTER IT, SINCE IT HAD NOT BEEN HIS INTENTION TO DO SO; SO R. MEIR. R. JUDAH RULED: HE MAY ENTER IT. SAID R. JUDAH, IT ONCE ACTUALLY HAPPENED THAT R. TARFON ENTERED A TOWN THOUGH THIS WAS NOT HIS INTENTION [WHEN THE SABBATH HAD BEGUN]. GEMARA. It was taught: R. Judah related: It once happened that R. Tarfon was on a journey when dusk fell and he spent the night on the outskirts of a town. In the morning he was discovered by some herdsmen who said to him, ‘Master, behold the town is just in front of you; come in. He, thereupon, entered and sat down in the house of study, and delivered discourses all that day. Said R. Akiba to him: Is that incident any proof? Is it not possible that he had the town in his mind or that the house of study was actually within his Sabbath limit? MISHNAH. IF A MAN SLEPT BY THE WAY AND WAS UNAWARE THAT NIGHT HAD FALLEN, HE IS ENTITLED TO MOVE WITHIN TWO THOUSAND CUBITS IN ANY DIRECTION; SO R. JOHANAN B. NURI. THE SAGES, HOWEVER, RULED: HE HAS ONLY FOUR CUBITS WITHIN WHICH TO MOVE. R. ELIEZER RULED: AND THE MAN IS DEEMED TO BE IN THEIR CENTER. R. JUDAH RULED: HE MAY MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION HE DESIRES. R. JUDAH, HOWEVER, AGREES THAT IF HE HAS ONCE CHOSEN HIS DIRECTION HE MAY NOT GO BACK ON IT. IF THERE WERE TWO MEN AND A PART OF THE PRESCRIBED NUMBER OF CUBITS OF THE ONE OVERLAPPED WITH THAT OF THE OTHER, THEY MAY BRING THEIR MEALS AND EAT THEM IN THE MIDDLE,
—