עירובין 50:2 — Soncino English Talmud

while the other Master holds the view that the donor's intention was to provide a generous offering. Abaye stated: This was learnt only in respect of a tree the diameter underneath which was [no less than] twelve cubits but in the case of a tree the diameter underneath which was less than twelve cubits, behold a part at least of the man's house is well marked out. R. Huna son of R. Joshua demurred: Whence is it proved that he has at all intended the middle four cubits? Is it not possible that he intended either the four cubits on the one side or the four on the other side? Rather, said R. Huna son of R. Joshua: This was learnt only in respect of a tree the diameter underneath which was [no less than] eight cubits, but in the case of a tree the diameter underneath which was only seven cubits, behold a part at least of his house is well marked out. It was taught in agreement with Rab and it was also taught in agreement with Samuel. ‘It was taught in agreement with Rab’: If a man who was on a journey [homeward] was overtaken by dusk, and he knew of a tree or a wall and said: ‘Let my Sabbath base be under it’, his statement is of no avail, but if he said: ‘Let my Sabbath base be in such and such a place’ he may continue his journey until he arrives at that place. Having arrived there he may walk throughout its interior and along a distance of two thousand cubits beyond it. This, however, applies only to a well defined spot as, for instance, a mound that was ten handbreadths high and from four cubits to two beth se'ah in area, or a valley that was ten handbreadths deep and from four cubits to two beth se'ah in area, but where the place is not well defined he is not allowed to move more than four cubits. If two were [travelling together] and one of them knows [of a well defined place] and the other does not know of it, the latter transfers his right to choose a place to the former who then declares, ‘My Sabbath base shall be in such and such a place’. This only applies where the man had indicated the four cubits he selected by a mark, but if he did not indicate the four cubits he had selected by any mark he must not stir from his place. Must it be said that this presents an objection against Samuel? Samuel can answer you: Here we are dealing with a case where from the place on which the man stood to the root of the tree there were two thousand and four cubits, so that if you were to put him on the further side of the tree he would be standing outside his permitted limit; hence, if he indicated four cubits [on the near side of the tree] he may proceed thither, otherwise he may not. ‘It was taught in agreement with Samuel’: If a man made a mistake and prepared ‘erubs in two opposite directions, believing that it is permitted to provide ‘erubs in two opposite directions, or if he said to his servants, ‘Go and prepare an ‘erub for me’ and one prepared for him an ‘erub in a northerly direction and the other prepared one for him in a southerly direction, he may proceed northwards as far as the limit of his southern ‘erub and southwards as far as the limit of his northern ‘erub. But if they measured each limit exactly he may not stir from his place. Must it be said that this presents an objection against Rab? — No; Rab is a Tanna and is privileged to differ. IF, HOWEVER, HE SAID LET MY SABBATH BASE BE AT ITS ROOT’, HE MAY WALK FROM THE PLACE WHERE HE STANDS TO ITS ROOT A DISTANCE OF TWO THOUSAND CUBITS, AND FROM ITS ROOT TO HIS HOUSE ANOTHER TWO THOUSAND CUBITS. THUS HE CAN WALK FOUR THOUSAND CUBITS AFTER DUSK.^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ

^ᵃnote:R. Johanan.
^ᵇnote:Which of course, is not permissible; hence R. Johanan's ruling that none of the loaves are consecrated. Thus it has been shown that only where the donor's expression, explicit or implicit, was ‘forty out of eighty’ does Hezekiah maintain that the prescribed forty are consecrated. This, therefore, in no way contradicts Rabbah's ruling, since in the case of ‘erub also a man may acquire his Sabbath base under a tree if he used the expression, ‘Let me acquire an area of four cubits out of the eight’ (supra 50a ab init.).
^ᶜnote:The ruling in our Mishnah according to Rab's interpretation that ‘HIS STATEMENT is OF NO AVAil, whatsoever’.
^ᵈnote:The length thus comprising no less than three sections of four cubits each, it is impossible to ascertain whether it was the middle section or one of the outer ones that the man desired to acquire as his Sabbath base.
^ᵉnote:Sc. his base for that Sabbath under the tree in question.
^ᶠnote:If the diameter, for instance, was only eleven cubits, each four cubits at either of the extremities must inevitably overlap half a cubit with the middle four cubits. If then the man chose the middle section, all his Sabbath base is obviously well defined; but even if he intended one of the outer sections to be his Sabbath base each of them is at least partially defined in that part where it overlaps with the middle sections. His base may, therefore, be regarded as located in full or in part in that section.
^ᵍnote:Lit., ‘marked’.
^ʰnote:And none in the middle. As the two outer sections do not overlap at any point, how could the man's ‘house’ be said to be ‘well marked out’?
^ⁱnote:V. supra n. 1.
^ʲnote:Where it is uncertain which section was intended.
^ᵏnote:In the middle cubit which must inevitably form a part of any section of four cubits that the man may have intended.
^ˡnote:The limits of which (as presently explained) were properly defined.
^ᵐnote:That the man is permitted to walk two thousand cubits beyond the place in addition to his freedom of movement throughout its interior.
^ⁿnote:Lit., ‘that he rested (sc. appointed as his place for the Sabbath) in a mound’.
^ᵒnote:The sides forming a kind of wall around it.
^ᵖnote:V. Glos.
^ᵠnote:Lit., ‘and so’.
^ʳnote:The sides thus forming a kind of wall around it.
^ˢnote:If, e.g.,it had no walls or was bigger than two beth se'ah.
^ᵗnote:In its interior, in addition to the two thousand cubits he is allowed in all directions.
^ᵘnote:Lit., ‘his (intended place of) rest’.
^ᵛnote:And both are thereby entitled to free movement throughout its interior and along a distance of two thousand cubits beyond.
^ʷnote:That in an undefined place one acquires at least the right of movement within an area of four cubits and along two thousand cubits in all its directions.
^ˣnote:Such as a tree or a stone.
^ʸnote:Beyond the permitted four cubits.
^ᶻnote:Because he cannot acquire the place he had selected on account of his omission to indicate any mark in it; and he cannot acquire the place on which he stands on account of his declaration that he desired to acquire another one. This ruling being in complete agreement with that of Rab (v. supra 49b and notes) the Baraitha may well be cited in his support.
^ᵃᵃnote:The Baraitha just cited in support of Rab (cf. prev. n.).
^ᵃᵇnote:Who (v. supra 49b) allows the man to walk to the tree though he did not indicate which four cubits under that tree he had selected.
^ᵃᶜnote:In ruling that ‘he must not stir from his place’.
^ᵃᵈnote:The permitted Sabbath limit.
^ᵃᵉnote:The area allowed as one's resting place for the Sabbath.
^ᵃᶠnote:Sc. if the man's Sabbath base were said to be on that side, which is outside the two thousand and four cubits within which he is permitted to walk.
^ᵃᵍnote:At the time the Sabbath began.
^ᵃʰnote:Cf. supra note 1.
^ᵃⁱnote:The tree spoken of in our Mishnah, however, proceeding to which is according to Samuel permitted, is one whose root and branches were within the two thousand and four cubits from the place where the man stood when the Sabbath had set in.
^ᵃʲnote:If the two ‘erubs, for instance, were deposited respectively at distances of a thousand cubits from the man's home, the northern one alone should have enabled him to proceed two thousand cubits in all directions including two thousand cubits in the direction of his home terminating at a distance of a thousand cubits from its southern side. The southern ‘erub alone should have entitled him to similar privileges including two thousand in a northerly direction terminating at a distance of a thousand from the northern side of his house. As it is uncertain which of his ‘erubs is more effective than the other the restriction resulting from both are imposed upon him and he may not move beyond a thousand cubits from his house either in a northerly or in a southerly direction.
^ᵃᵏnote:Sc. if each ‘erub was deposited at the very end of the Sabbath limits in both the mentioned directions i.e., at distances of two thousand cubits from his home.
^ᵃˡnote:Having lost his right to his home as his abode for that Sabbath, on account of the ‘erubs whereby he intimated his desire to acquire other abodes for that day.
^ᵃᵐnote:Since the northern ‘erub prevents him from moving even one step to the south of his house while the southern one similarly prevents him from moving a single step to the north of his house. Now this Baraitha shows that in a case of uncertainty in connection with two ‘erubs the restrictions of both are imposed but the man is nevertheless free to move with, the permitted margin though he did not indicate which of the two ‘erubs he preferred. This is in agreement with the view of Samuel (v. supra 49b and notes) who also imposed double restrictions but allowed the man to move within the permitted margin between the tree and his house though it was uncertain which particular four cubits under the tree he selected.
^ᵃⁿnote:The ruling that within a certain permitted margin the man may move despite the uncertainty.
^ᵃᵒnote:Who, on account of uncertainty, forbids the man to stir from his place.
^ᵃᵖnote:He was of the last generation of the Tannas and of the first of the Amoras.
^ᵃᵠnote:From a Baraitha. Only an Amora is denied this right.