Parallel
עירובין 60:2
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
HE LOSES WHAT HE GAINS. GEMARA. Assuming that EAST means the east side of his house and that WEST means the west of his house, one can well understand how it is possible that THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HIM AND HIS HOUSE WAS NO MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND CUBITS AND THAT BETWEEN HIM AND HIS ERUB WAS MORE THAN THIS, since he would reach his house before he could reach his ‘erub, but how is it possible that THE DISTANCE between him and HIS ‘ERUB should be NO MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND CUBITS AND THAT TO HIS HOUSE MORE THAN THIS? — R. Isaac replied: Do you think that EAST means east of his house and WEST the west of his house? The meaning in fact is not so; EAST denotes the east of the position of HIS SON and WEST denotes the west position of HIS SON. Raba son of R. Shila replied: One may even explain EAST as the east of his house and WEST as the west of his house where, for instance, his house stood in a diagonal direction. IF A MAN DEPOSITS HIS ‘ERUB WITHIN THE [SABBATIC] EXTENSION etc. How can you possibly assume that an ‘erub would be deposited BEYOND THE LIMIT? — Rather read: Outside the Sabbatic extension. HE LOSES WHAT HE GAINS. Only WHAT HE GAINS and no more? Was it not in fact taught: If a man deposits his ‘erub within the [Sabbatic] extension of a town, his act is of no consequence. If he deposited it even one cubit only beyond the [Sabbatic] extension of the town, he gains that cubit and loses all the town because the extent of the town is included in the extent of the Sabbath limit? — This is no difficulty, since the latter refers to a case where his measure terminated within the town, while the former deals with one where his measure terminated at the far end of the town; this being in agreement with a ruling of R. Idi who laid down in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: If a man was measuring [the two thousand cubits distance from his acquired Sabbath abode] and advancing towards a town, and his measure terminated in the middle of the town he is allowed to proceed no further than half the town, but if his measure terminated at the far end of the town, all the town, as far as he is concerned, is regarded as four cubits and the remainder of the Sabbath limit may be made up for him. These, exclaimed R. Idi, are nought but prophetic utterances; for what is the difference whether the measure terminated in the middle of the town or at the end? — Said Raba: We have learnt both these cases: The people of a large town may walk through the whole of a small town,
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