עירובין 78:1 — Soncino English Talmud

If on a moulding of an area of four handbreadths by four handbreadths that projected from a wall a ladder of the smallest size was rested a valid reduction is thereby effected. This, however, applies only where the ladder was resting on it, but if it was placed at the side of its the latter is thereby merely extended. R. Nahman further stated in the name of Rabbah b. Abbuha: A wall that was nineteen handbreadths high requires only one projection to enable it to be used as a means of access, but a wall twenty handbreadths high requires for the purpose two projections. R. Hisda observed: This, however, applies only where they are not situated exactly one above the other. R. Huna ruled: If in a public domain there was a post ten handbreadths high and four handbreadths wide and a peg of the smallest size had been inserted on it, a valid reduction is thereby effected. R. Adda b. Ahabah observed: Provided the peg was three handbreadths high. Both Abaye and Raba, however, maintain: Even if it was not three handbreadths high. What is their reason? — Because it is no longer suitable for use. R. Ashi ruled: Even if it was three handbreadths high. What is the reason?- It is possible to suspend some object from it. R. Aha son of Raba asked R. Ashi, ‘What is the ruling where it was completely covered with pegs?’ — ‘Did you not hear’, the other replied: ‘the following ruling of R. Johanan: A pit and the bank around it combine to constitute a depth of ten handbreadths? Now seeing that [the bank] cannot be used why [should it be regarded as a private domain]? What then can you say in reply? That some object might be placed over it and thereby it is made available for use. Well then, here also some object might be placed [over them] and thereby it is made available for use’. Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled: A wall ten handbreadths high requires a ladder of fourteen handbreadths in length to render it permissible for use R. Joseph ruled: Even [a ladder] of thirteen handbreadths and a fraction [is sufficient]. Abaye ruled: Even one of eleven handbreadths and a fraction suffices. R. Huna son of R. Joshua ruled: Even one of seven handbreadths and a fraction suffices. Rab stated: That a ladder in a vertical position effects a reduction is a tradition but I do not know the reason for it. ‘Does not Abba’, Samuel said to him, ‘know the reason for this ruling? The case is in fact similar to that of a balcony above a balcony’. Rabbah citing R. Hiyya said: The palm-trees of Babylon need not be fixed to the ground. What is the reason? Their heaviness imparts permanency of position to them. R. Joseph, however, citing R. Oshaia, ruled: The ladders in Babylon need not be fixed in position. What is the reason? Their heaviness imparts permanency of position to them. He who spoke of ladders would a fortiori apply the same ruling to palm-trees. He, however, who spoke of palm-trees does not apply the same ruling to ladders. R. Joseph enquired of Rabbah: What is the ruling where two ladders were held together by straw links between them? The sole of the foot, the other replied, cannot ascend upon them. What is your ruling if the ladder was in the middle and the straw links were on each side? — Behold, the other replied, the sole of the foot does ascend upon them.58^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^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ

^ᵃnote:Between two courtyards.
^ᵇnote:Sc. even one whose width was less than four handbreadths, but whose rungs were fixed within three handbreadths from one another, and the lowest one was within three handbreadths from tºe ground.
^ᶜnote:So that the moulding formed a kind of platform which the ladder resting on it joined with the courtyard floor below.
^ᵈnote:Because the platform above is of the prescribed size and, together with the ladder, constitutes a valid means of access between the courtyards.
^ᵉnote:The moulding.
^ᶠnote:The top of the ladder resting on the wall itself’.
^ᵍnote:But as the ladder now forms no connection between it and the ground it is, on account of the distance of the latter from it, no valid reduction.
^ʰnote:Between two courtyards.
^ⁱnote:In the middle of its height on which the top of a ladder may be supported.
^ʲnote:Between the courtyards. Lit., ‘to make it permitted’. A projection in the middle point of a height of nineteen handbreadths leaves a distance of less than ten handbreadths both below and above it.
^ᵏnote:One below the lower ten handbreadths of the height of the wall and the other within ten handbreadths from the top.
^ˡnote:That the two projections form, valid reduction.
^ᵐnote:So that it is possible to connect the two to each other by means of a second ladder.
^ⁿnote:Sc. four by four. A post of such dimensions constitutes a private domain from which into the public domain and from the public domain into which the movement of objects on the Sabbath is forbidden.
^ᵒnote:In its surface on the top so that uppermost area was reduced to one of less than four handbreadths.
^ᵖnote:The post loses the status of a private domain.
^ᵠnote:if it was smaller it is regarded as part of the surface of the top of the post.
^ʳnote:The peg.
^ˢnote:The top of the post.
^ᵗnote:Since the peg, however low it may be, breaks up the top's surface.
^ᵘnote:The post is still regarded as a private domain.
^ᵛnote:And since the post can still be used as a private domain for this purpose, the peg cannot effect any valid reduction in the surface of its top which, consequently, remains a private domain.
^ʷnote:In consequence of which it cannot be use‘ at all. Is its size in this case deemed to be reduced and the post, therefore, loses its status as a private domain or is the law in the case of many pegs the same as in that of one peg?
^ˣnote:Lit., ‘that which . . . said’.
^ʸnote:Lit., ‘and its segment’, Sc. a segment of the earth excavated from the pit and placed around its rim.
^ᶻnote:The prescribed minimum of depth constituting a private domain. The thickness of the bank similarly combines with the hole of the pit to constitute the prescribed minimum of four handbreadths by four (cf. Shab, 99a).
^ᵃᵃnote:Since a part of the prescribed minimum is the hole (cf. prev. n.).
^ᵃᵇnote:A board or a flat stone.
^ᵃᶜnote:Where the top of a post is covered with pegs.
^ᵃᵈnote:Having a surface of four handbreadths by four.
^ᵃᵉnote:Over the Pegs.
^ᵃᶠnote:The post the top of which is completely covered with pegs is, therefore, regarded as a private domain.
^ᵃᵍnote:Between two courtyards.
^ᵃʰnote:Placed in a slanting positHon at a distance of ten handbreadths from the wall with its top resting on the top edge of the wall (v. foll. n.).
^ᵃⁱnote:Sc. to allow free movement of objects between the courtyards. As the ladder, the wall, and the part of the courtyard floor between the latter and the foot of the former represent respectively the hypotenuse and the two sides of an isosceles right-angled triangle, and since the wall is ten handbreadths high and the distance between the foot of the ladder and the wall is also (cf. prev. n.) ten handbreadths, the length, or height of the ladder must be (10 + 10 X 2/5 approx. = 10 + 4 =) 14 handbreadths approx. (cf. Tosaf. a.l.).
^ᵃʲnote:A handbreadth less than the length required by Rab Judah.
^ᵃᵏnote:In his opinion it is either not necessary (cf. Supra n. 5) to remove the foot of the ladder as much as ten handbreadths from the wall, or it suffices if its top reaches only to within one handbreadth from the top of the wall (cf. R. Han.).
^ᵃˡnote:Three handbreadths less than the length required by Rab Judah.
^ᵃᵐnote:Since a distance of three handbreadths may be disregarded in accordance with the principle of labud, it suffices for the ladder to reach the wall at a height of seven handbreadths and a fraction (cf. supra n. 7 mut. mut.).
^ᵃⁿnote:He maintains that a ladder in a vertical position effects the same permissibility as one in a slanting position. By putting the ladder close to the wall in a vertical position its top reaching a point within three handbreadths from the top of the wall, on the principle of labud (cf. prev. n.) this point may be regarded as the top of the wall.
^ᵃᵒnote:Sc. why should a ladder in such a position, in which one can hardly climb upon it, effect a reduction?
^ᵃᵖnote:Sc. Rab. His proper name was Abba while Rab (‘Master’) was a title of distinction he earned as the foremost Master of his time.
^ᵃᵠnote:Samuel was merely explaining the tradition. He himself, as stated supra by Rab Judah, requires a standing ladder of fourteen handbreadths.
^ᵃʳnote:Supra 77b, where reduction is effected though the balconies are exactly one above the other and one can hardly climb from the one into the other.
^ᵃˢnote:If their cut trunks were placed beside a wall that intervened between two courtyards.
^ᵃᵗnote:Sc. they effect reduction, though, being suitable as seats, they have the status of articles that may be moved from their places on the Sabbath.
^ᵃᵘnote:Since no one would be likely to shift them from their place during the Sabbath.
^ᵃᵛnote:Cf. Supra n. 2 mut. mut.
^ᵃʷnote:R. Oshaia.
^ᵃˣnote:If ladders that are not so heavy as the palm-trees effect reduction how much more so the latter.
^ᵃʸnote:R. Hiyya.
^ᵃᶻnote:Cf. supra n. 7 mut. mut.
^ᵇᵃnote:Each less than two handbreadths wide.
^ᵇᵇnote:That formed rungs similar to those of the ladders and supplemented their width to the prescribed minimum of four handbreadths. Lit., ‘a ladder from here and a ladder from here and straws in the middle’.
^ᵇᶜnote:The straw links. Since it is the middle of the ladder, on which one's foot is usually put when ascending, and since that middle part consists of straw links that are unsuitable for the purpose, the ladder cannot effect any reduction.
^ᵇᵈnote:Whose width was less than the prescribed minimum of four handbreadths.
^ᵇᵉnote:Lit., ‘straws from here and straws from here and a ladder in the middle’.
^ᵇᶠnote:The rungs of the ladder. When ascending on these which are in the middle, one uses the straw links on either side as supports for one's hands. The entire structure may, therefore, be regarded as a unit of the prescribed size and reduction may thereby be effected.