Commentary for Eruvin 209:10

שלא התירו לך אלא משום שבות: היכא קאי התם קאי דקאמר תנא קמא קושרה ואמר ליה רבי שמעון

hence it was explicitly stated: 'Only' i.e., draw a distinction:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The expression 'only' (ak or rub) in a Scriptural text always signifies some exclusion, viz., it is in this case only that entry for the purposes mentioned is not invariably forbidden.');">²²</span> Thus the commandment is that those who are without blemish are qualified, but if men without a blemish are unavailable those with blemishes may enter; the commandment is that those who are levitically clean may enter, but if no men who are levitically clean are available those who are levitically unclean may enter; but in all these cases<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and these and those'.');">²³</span> priests only may enter but no Israelites.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shows that R. Kahana gives preference to disfigured or levitically unclean priests over sound and clean Israelites.');">²⁴</span>

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