Commentary for Eruvin 15:20

אי מהתם הוה אמינא הני מילי זה שלא כנגד זה

by means of nets,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The river, or canal bank was not regarded by him as a proper partition.');">²⁷</span> because, he said, the possibility must be considered that the sea might throw up alluvium.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And people might not be aware of the difference and would continue to use the alleys on the Sabbath day as before.');">²⁸</span> A certain crooked alley<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra 6a.');">²⁹</span> once existed at Sura [and the residents of one of its arms] folded up some matting and fixed it in its bend.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While a side-post was fixed at their entrance, the residents of the other arm providing no such post to their entrance.');">³⁰</span> This [arrangement], said R'Hisda, is neither in agreement with the view of Rab nor with that of Samuel. According to Rab, who ruled that the law of such [an alley] is the same as that of one that is open at both ends, [a structure in] the shape of a doorway is required; and [even] according to Samuel who ruled that it is subject to the law of a closed one [it must be understood that] his ruling applied only where a proper side-post [had been fixed],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the entrance to each arm (Rashi) . The view of Rashi's teacher is that a third side-post also must be fixed at the bend.');">³¹</span> but such [matting], since the wind blows on it and throws it about, is useless. If a pin, however, was inserted therein and it was thus fastened [to the wall] it may be regarded as a proper partition.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he fastened it'.');">³²</span> [Reverting to] the main text: R'Jeremiah B'Abba laid down on the authority of Rab that if an alley was broken along its full [width] into a courtyard, and a breach was made in the courtyard [wall] over against it, the courtyard is ritually fit but the alley is forbidden.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 7b ab init. q.v. notes, where it was explained that this was a case where no joint 'erub was made between the residents of the alley and those of the courtyard and that the prohibition of the use of the former was due to the right of passage through it of the residents of the latter.');">³³</span> Said Rabbah B''Ulla to R'Bebai B'Abaye, 'Master, is not this ruling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. previous note.');">³⁴</span> [one that already appeared in] a Mishnah of ours:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 92a.');">³⁵</span> [If the full width of a wall of] a small courtyard was broken down [so that the yard now fully opens out] into a large courtyard, [movement of objects on the Sabbath] is permitted in the large courtyard but forbidden in the small one because the gap is regarded as an entrance to the former'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the gap, when viewed from the large court, is flanked on either side by the remaining portions of the fallen wall, which may be viewed as side-posts. It cannot be treated as an entrance of the small courtyard because the side portions of the wall cannot be seen from its interior where the opening has the appearance of a wide gap extending from wall to wall. Now, since it is obvious that the conditions of the alley and courtyard spoken of by Rab are analogous to those of the large and small courtyards dealt with in the Mishnah quoted, what need was there for Rab to issue a ruling that was a mere repetition of a Mishnah?');">³⁶</span> - The other replied: If [our information had been derived] from there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Mishnah quoted.');">³⁷</span> it might have been assumed that the ruling applied only where not many people tread,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in the case dealt with in the Mishnah where the breach occurred between two courtyards and the larger one remained closed on the side of the public domain.');">³⁸</span> but that where many people tread<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The case spoken of by Rab, where the courtyard was broken both on the side of the alley and on that of the public domain. People in the public domain would naturally use the courtyard as a short cut and might thus turn it into a sort of public thoroughfare.');">³⁹</span> even the courtyard also [is forbidden].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the necessity for Rab's ruling.');">⁴⁰</span> But did we not learn this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the use of a courtyard by the public does not affect its status as a private domain in respect of the Sabbath laws.');">⁴¹</span> also: A courtyard into which many people enter from one side and go out from the other [is deemed to be] a public domain in respect of levitical defilement<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. any uncertainty of defilement is to be regarded as clean.');">⁴²</span> and a private domain in respect of the Sabbath?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Toh. VII; cf. infra 22b.');">⁴³</span> - If [the ruling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra note 7.');">⁴⁴</span> were to be derived] from there it might have been assumed to apply only where the gaps were not facing one another<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'these words, when this is not opposite this'.');">⁴⁵</span>

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