Eruvin — Daf 63b

וכתיב (דברי הימים א ז, כז) נון בנו יהושע בנו

ופליגא דר' אבא בר פפא דאמר ר' אבא בר פפא לא נענש יהושע אלא בשביל שביטל את ישראל לילה אחת מפריה ורביה

שנאמר (יהושע ה, יג) ויהי בהיות יהושע ביריחו וישא עיניו וירא וגו' וכתיב ויאמר (לו) כי אני שר צבא ה' עתה באתי וגו'

אמר לו אמש ביטלתם תמיד של בין הערבים ועכשיו ביטלתם תלמוד תורה על איזה מהן באת אמר לו עתה באתי

מיד (יהושע ח, יג) וילך יהושע בלילה ההוא בתוך העמק ואמר רבי יוחנן מלמד שהלך בעומקה של הלכה

וגמירי דכל זמן שארון ושכינה שרויין שלא במקומן אסורין בתשמיש המטה

א"ר שמואל בר איניא משמיה דרב גדול תלמוד תורה יותר מהקרבת תמידין דאמר ליה עתה באתי

אמר רב ברונא אמר רב כל הישן בקילעא שאיש ואשתו שרויין בה עליו הכתוב אומר (מיכה ב, ט) נשי עמי תגרשון מבית תענוגיה

ואמר רב יוסף אפי' באשתו נדה

רבא אמר אם אשתו נדה היא תבא עליו ברכה ולא היא דעד האידנא מאן נטריה

ההוא מבואה דהוה דייר בה לחמן בר ריסתק אמרו ליה אוגר לן רשותך לא אוגר להו

אתו אמרו ליה לאביי אמר להו זילו בטילו רשותייכו לגבי חד הוה ליה יחיד במקום נכרי ויחיד במקום נכרי לא אסר

אמרו ליה מידי הוא טעמא אלא דלא שכיח דדיירי והכא הא קדיירי

אמר להו כל בטולי רשותייהו גבי חד מילתא דלא שכיחא היא ומילתא דלא שכיחא לא גזרו בה רבנן

אזל רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע אמרה לשמעתא קמיה דרבא אמר ליה

and elsewhere it is written: Nun his son, Joshua his son.1 This exposition, however, differs from that of R. Abba b. Papa, for R. Abba b. Papa2 stated: Joshua was punished3 for no other sin than that of preventing Israel or one night from the duty of propagation; for it is said in Scripture: And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked etc.4 and this is followed by the text: And he said: ‘Nay,5 but I am captain of the host of the Lord,’ I am now come’.6 ‘Last evening’,7 he said to him [in effect]. ‘you omitted to offer up the continual evening sacrifice8 and now you are neglecting the study of the Torah’.9 ‘On account of which offence’, the other asked,10 ‘did you come’? — ‘Now’,11 he replied. ‘am I come’. Joshua, we read forthwith, went that night into the midst of the vale,12 a text which, R. Johanan explained, teaches that he entered into the profundities of the halachah.13 And we have a tradition that so long as the Ark and the Shechinah are not settled in their appointed place 14 connubial intercourse is forbidden.15 R. Samuel b. Inia16 stated in the name of Rab: The study of the Torah is more important than the offering of the daily continual sacrifices,17 since he said to him,18 ‘now am I come’.19 R. Berona stated in the name of Rab: Concerning the man who sleeps in a room20 in which husband and wife rest Scripture says: The women of My people ye cast out from their pleasant houses.21 This, R. Joseph said, applies even to the time when one's wife is menstruant. Raba said: If one's wife is menstruant may a blessing come upon him.22 This,23 however, is not very logical, for who watched him24 until that time?25 There was a certain alley in which Lahman26 b. Ristak27 lived. ‘Will you let us28 your domain?29 said the other residents to him; but he would not let it to them. So they went to Abaye and reported the matter to him. ‘Renounce’, he advised them, ‘your respective domains30 in favour of one resident so that he would be in the position of one individual living in the same place with a heathen, and wherever one individual lives in the same place with a heathen the latter imposes no restrictions upon the former’.31 ‘Is not the only reason’,32 he was asked,33 ‘that it is not usual for one Israelite and one heathen to live together? And is it not a fact that these did live together?’ — ‘The renunciation of’ private domains in favour of one resident’, he replied: ‘is an unusual occurrence, and the Rabbis enacted no prohibitory measures against any occurrence that is unusual’.34 R. Huna son of R. Joshua proceeded to report this ruling35 to Raba when the latter remarked:36 sacrifice or for the study of the Torah which the people were expected to pursue in the evening when they were free from their labours. The critical attitude of the ‘captain’ is inferred (v. Rashi) from his appearance with his sword drawn’ (Josh. V. 13); and the emphasis he laid on ‘now’ (v. infra n. 12) implies that previously also some offence had been committed. derived from the same Heb. roots. For other readings of the passage v. Bah a.l. and Sanh., Sonc. ed., p. 289, n. 12. competent to look after their moral Interests, there could not be much advantage in having an occasional intruder. it at the time the Sabbath had set in and (b) objects from the house of the individual, in favour of whom they had renounced their rights, into the alley and from the alley into his house. In the absence of the arrangement they would have been deprived even of these limited privileges (cf. Shah. 130b). The prohibition, however, to move objects from their own houses into the alley and vice versa would still remain in force (cf. infra 69b).