Eruvin

[and that, therefore, it is only for] a poor man1 that the Rabbis have relaxed the law,2 but not for a rich man; while R. Judah holds that the essence of an ‘erub is [the position of] one's feet, Irrespective of whether one is poor or rich; but where the expression used was ‘In such and such a place’3 all4 agree that5 Only a poor man6 is allowed such an ‘erub but not a rich man.7 And who was it that learned, ‘THIS IT IS OF WHICH [THE RABBIS] HAVE SAID [etc.]?’8 — R. Meir.9 And what does he refer to? — To the case of one WHO DOES NOT KNOW OF ANY TREE OR WALL OR ONE WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE HALACHAH.10 And who was it that learned, ‘THE RABBIS’ ENACTMENT THAT AN ‘ERUB IS TO BE PREPARED WITH BREAD HAVING THE ONLY PURPOSE OF MAKING IT EASIER’?11 — R. Judah. R. Hisda, however, said: They12 differ only where the expression used was, ‘In such and such a place’,13 R. Meir being of the opinion that the law was relaxed for the poor only14 but not for the rich, while R. Judah holds that it was relaxed for both poor and rich; but where the expression used was ‘In my place’ all15 agree that the law was relaxed for both poor and rich, since the essence of ‘erub is [the position of] one's feet [at the spot appointed].16 And who was it that learned, ‘THIS IT IS OF WHICH [THE RABBIS] HAVE SAID’?17 — R. Meir.18 And what does he refer to? — To the following: IF A MAN WHO WAS ON A JOURNEY HOMEWARD WAS OVERTAKEN BY DUSK.19 And who was it that learned, ‘THE RABBIS’ ENACTMENT THAT AN ‘ERUB IS TO BE PREPARED WITH BREAD HAVING THE ONLY PURPOSE OF MAKING IT EASIER’?20 — Both.21 It was taught in agreement with R. Nahman:22 Both poor and rich must prepare their ‘erub with bread. A rich man, furthermore, must not proceed beyond the Sabbath limit23 and make the declaration, ‘Let my Sabbath base be where I stand now because it is only for the benefit of one who was under way when it became dusk24 that the Rabbis have enacted that an ‘erub may be prepared with one's feet; so R. Meir.25 R. Judah ruled: Both poor and rich must prepare their ‘erub with their feet. A rich man should, therefore,26 proceed beyond the Sabbath limit and make the declaration, ‘Let my Sabbath base be where I stand now and this is the essence of an ‘erub;27 the Sages, however, allowed a householder to send his ‘erub by the hand of his servant or by the hand of his son or by the hand of any other agent in order to make it easier for him. R. Judah related: It once happened that the Memel and Gorion families at Aroma28 distributed dried figs and dried grapes to the poor in a time of dearth, and the poor men of Kefar Shihin and Kefar Hinaniah29 used to come and wait30 at their Sabbath limit31 until dusk32 and on the following day33 got up early and proceeded to their destination.34 R. Ashi said: An inference from the wording of a Mishnah also supports this view,35 for it was stated: If a man left [his home]36 to proceed to a town37 with which [his home town desired to be] connected by an ‘erub ,38 but a friend of his induced him to return home,39 he himself is allowed to proceed40 to the other town41 but all the other townspeople are forbidden;41 so R. Judah.42 And in discussing the point, ‘In what respect does he differ from them?’43 R. Huna replied: We are here dealing with the case of a man who had, for instance, two houses44 between which two Sabbath limits intervened.45 As far as he is concerned, since he had set out on his journey,46 he has the status of a poor man.47 They,48 however, have the status of rich men.49 Thus it is perfectly dear that only a poor man but not a rich man is allowed to prepare an ‘erub by the declaration, ‘Let my Sabbath base be at such and such a place’. This is conclusive. R. Hiyya b. Ashi taught Hiyya b. Rab in the presence of Rab [that the law50 applied] to both poor and rich. Said Rab to him: Conclude this also with the Statement, ‘The halachah is in agreement with R. Judah’.Rabbah b. R. Hanan was in the habit of going51 from Artibana to Pumbeditha52 base for the Sabbath. between rich and poor. it was ruled that the man acquires that place though he was not at the time standing on it. According to R. Meir this applies to a poor man only, while according to R. Judah it applies to a rich man also, though an ‘erub ab initio requires the person's presence at the place he appoints. concerned shall be on the spot which he appoints as is Sabbath base. the spot that he appointed as his Sabbath base; that, according to R. Meir, only to a poor man (i.e., one who has no bread) is such all ‘erub permitted, while according to R. Judah this is permitted even where bread is obtainable, and that if the person was not present at the appointed spot even R. Judah restricts the privilege to the poor or the man who has no bread. which he appointed as his Sabbath base, an ‘erub without bread is permitted to him only if he is poor. prepare an ‘erub without bread unless he is present at the spot he appointed. distance lies Asochis (Kefar Shihin). Kefar Hananiah (Kefar ‘Anan) is situated much further north, on the boundary between Lower and Upper Galilee and hardly fits into the context, and is in fact omitted in the parallel passage in J.T., v. Klein, Beitrage pp. 67ff]. prepared on the boundary between the two Sabbath limits that intervened between them. that sufficed for the two meals prescribed for an ‘erub . They were, in consequence, subject, as far as the preparation Of an ‘erub is concerned, to the same restrictions as those imposed upon a ‘rich man’. Yet it was not by a deposit of bread but by their personal attendance at the place they desired to appoint as their Sabbath base that their ‘erub was effected. Thus it follows that the ruling in practice is in agreement with R. Nahman's interpretation of R. Judah's view, viz. that a person's presence at the very spot he wishes to acquire as his Sabbath base is the essence of an ‘erub . is not personally in attendance at that base, and that his disagreement with R. Meir is restricted to such a case only where the person concerned was in attendance at the place he desired to acquire. out his mission, the place where the ‘erub would have been deposited would have served as a Sabbath base for all the townspeople who would have been allowed thereby to walk distances of two thousand cubits from that base in all directions and consequently to move freely between their own town and the other. own house in the other town. though he made no explicit declaration of his desire to acquire that base. food for an ‘erub . proceeding to the spot in person or by sending thither the prescribed quantity of food. ‘erub on the boundary line between the two limits.