Commentary for Eruvin 4:14
אלא מעתה לא תיהני ליה צורת הפתח דהא היכל צורת הפתח הויא לו אפילו הכי עשר אמות הוא דרויח אלמה תנן אם יש לו צורת הפתח אע"פ שרחב מעשר אמות אינו צריך למעט
what hyperbole [could be postulated]? [As regards that of] forty<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' of cur. edd. is to be deleted with MS.M. and Bah.');"><sup>36</sup></span> one might well explain that he derives it from [the height of] the door of the Ulam;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was forty cubits high.');"><sup>37</sup></span>
Tosafot on Eruvin
The Tosafot's Question:
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"But now, wouldn't the 'form of a doorway' not benefit him?" - If having a specific type of opening is enough to make the Eruv valid (as implied by the Gemara), then why wouldn't simply shaping the opening like a doorway always work?
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Tosafot on Eruvin
The Tosafot's Answer:
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"But he doesn't ask, 'Wouldn't doors benefit him?'" - The Gemara doesn't even bother asking the more obvious question: Why aren't doors enough to create a valid Eruv?
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"Because it's obvious, since it has doors and they are locked, it's like an upper partition." - Having doors that can be locked is clearly sufficient, as it functions as a wall and effectively encloses the space.
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"It's also not relevant to ask, 'Doesn't it require the form of a doorway?'" - There's no need to even bring up the question of whether a doorway shape is necessary.
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"Because the form of a doorway is only for aesthetic purposes." - The shape of a doorway is merely decorative; it has no inherent halachic (Jewish legal) significance in creating an enclosed space.
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"But this question is well-placed, 'Wouldn't the form of a doorway benefit him?'" - The Tosafot clarifies that the original question about the doorway shape is valid in this specific case.
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Tosafot on Eruvin
"Because if it was considered a doorway even when very large, by means of the form of a doorway, he could make it equal to a hall." - Here's the crux of the issue: If any large opening could be considered a valid "doorway" just by shaping it like one, people could make huge openings and still claim it's a valid Eruv, which is not allowed. The Eruv rules have size limits for openings.
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