Eruvin

HE LOSES1 WHAT HE GAINS.2 GEMARA. Assuming that EAST3 means the east side of his house and that WEST3 means the west of his house,4 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 could5 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 EAST3 means east of his house and WEST3 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.6 Raba son of R. Shila7 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. 8 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?9 — Rather read: Outside the Sabbatic extension.10 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 cubit11 and loses all the town12 because the extent of the town is included in the extent of the Sabbath limit?13 — This is no difficulty, since the latter refers to a case where his measure14 terminated within the town,15 while the former deals with one where his measure terminated at the far end of the town;16 this being in agreement with a ruling of R. Idi who laid down in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: If a man17 was measuring [the two thousand cubits distance from his acquired Sabbath abode] and advancing towards a town, and his measure18 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,19 all the town, as far as he is concerned, is regarded as four cubits and the remainder of the Sabbath limit20 may be made up for him.21 These,22 exclaimed R. Idi, are nought but prophetic utterances;23 for what is the difference whether the measure terminated in the middle of the town or at the end?24 — Said Raba: We have learnt25 both these cases: The people of a large town may walk through the whole of a small town,26 direction of the town the man, since the ‘erub entitles him to walk distances of two thousand cubits from it in all directions, is entitled to walk a total distance of (1000 + 2000 = ) 3000 cubits from the town in an easterly direction but only one thousand cubits in the westerly direction. The entire area of the town itself, as mentioned supra is, in this respect regarded as no bigger than four cubits by four and, in consequence, is not to be deducted from the extent of the permitted limits. is included in tile extent of the Sabbath limit]. is the town included in the extent of the Sabbath limit and the man is forbidden to move beyond the far side of the town. beyond the town to a distance of two thousand cubits minus the distance between the ‘erub and the side of the town near it. abode at the spot where he happened to be at the time the Sabbath had set in (cf. supra 45a); (and the same law applies to a man who deposited an ‘erub outside his own town). bigger than four cubits and that the remainder of the Sabbath limit may be made up by extending the limit beyond the far side of the small town, in agreement with R. Joshua b. Levi's second ruling.