Eruvin 121

ואין אנשי עיר קטנה מהלכין את כל עיר גדולה

but the people of the small town may not walk through the whole of a large town.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As if it were no bigger than four cubits. They may walk so far only as the termination of their Sabbath limit in whatever part of the town that may happen to be, in agreement with the first ruling of R. Joshua b. Levi.');">¹</span> Now what is the reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the difference between the rights of the inhabitants of the large and those of the smaller town respectively.');">²</span> Obviously<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'not?'');">³</span> because the measure of the latter terminated in the middle of the former town,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In agreement with the rulings of R. Joshua b. Levi (cf. supra nn. 10f) .');">⁴</span>

מאי טעמא לאו משום דהני כלתה מדתן בחצי העיר והני כלתה מדתן בסוף העיר

while that of the former terminated at the end of the latter town.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In agreement with the rulings of R. Joshua b. Levi (cf. supra nn. 10f) .');">⁴</span> And R'Idi?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How, in view of the rulings in the Mishnah just cited, could he maintain that R. Joshua b. Levi's rulings are sheer imagination.');">⁵</span> - He read in both cases<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first and second clause of the Mishnah cited.');">⁶</span> 'The people may'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'people, people', sc. instead of reading 'The people of the large town may . . but the people of the small town may not' etc. he reads: 'The people . . may' in both clauses.');">⁷</span>

ורבי אידי אנשי אנשי תני ומוקים לה בנותן אבל מודד לא תנן

and expounded [the Mishnah cited] as referring to an 'erub that one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the inhabitants of the large town.');">⁸</span> deposited;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the small town. As the man's 'erub lay within the town the whole of it, as far as he is concerned, is rightly regarded as no bigger than four cubits.');">⁹</span> but of the case of one who was measuring,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That spoken of by R. Joshua b. Levi.');">¹⁰</span> we have there learnt nothing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence R. Idi's exclamation.');">¹¹</span>

ולא והתנן ולמודד שאמרו נותנין לו אלפים אמה שאפילו סוף מדתו כלה במערה

Have we not indeed? Did we not as a matter of fact learn: And to the measure<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A man who measures the two thousand cubits distance from the place which he acquired as his Sabbath abode or in which he deposited his 'erub.');">¹²</span> of whom the Rabbis have spoken a distance of two thousand cubits only is allowed even if the end of his permitted measure terminated within a cave?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 52b, Mishnah infra ad fin. The interior of a cave being presumably subject to the same law as the interior of a town, R. Joshua b. Levi's ruling in respect of the latter is obviously covered by the one relating to the former. An objection against R. Idi. Aliter: Why should R. Joshua R. Levi merely repeat a Mishnah?');">¹³</span> - His<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Joshua b. Levis.');">¹⁴</span>

סוף העיר איצטריכא ליה דלא תנן

ruling was required in respect of a Sabbath limit that terminated at the far end of a town, a case of which we did not learn.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the MISHNAH: Hence also the justification of R. Idi's exclamation. (Cf. supra n. 8 ad fin) .');">¹⁵</span> R'Nahman stated: He who learns<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the final clause of the Mishnah just discussed.');">¹⁶</span> 'The people may'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra n. 2.');">¹⁷</span> is not in error, and he who learns 'the people may not'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra n. 2.');">¹⁷</span>

אמר רב נחמן מאן דתני אנשי לא משתבש ומאן דתני אין אנשי לא משתבש

not in error.' He who learns "the people may" is not in error since he might explain it to refer to an 'erub that one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. where no 'erub had been deposited within either town, where in consequence the whole town cannot be regarded as four cubits in respect of the Sabbath limit, and where, as a result actual distances must be measured.');">¹⁸</span> had deposited;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the latter was situated entirely within the Sabbath limit of the former. If, for instance, the distance between the two towns was one thousand cubits and the smaller did not cover more than one thousand cubits the people of the larger town may walk through the whole of the smaller (which being within their Sabbath limit, is regarded as no bigger than four cubits) and another thousand cubits or more beyond it to complete their two thousand cubits Sabbath limit.');">¹⁹</span> while 'he who learns "the people may not is not in error' since he might explain that it refers to a case where the Sabbath limit was being measured,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. where no 'erub had been deposited within either town, where in consequence the whole town cannot be regarded as four cubits in respect of the Sabbath limit, and where, as a result actual distances must be measured.');">¹⁸</span>

מאן דתני אנשי לא משתבש דמוקים לה בנותן ומאן דתני אין אנשי לא משתבש דמוקים לה במודד

and that a clause is missing [from the Mishnah] which should properly read thus: The people of a large town may walk through the whole of a small town<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the latter was situated entirely within the Sabbath limit of the former. If, for instance, the distance between the two towns was one thousand cubits and the smaller did not cover more than one thousand cubits the people of the larger town may walk through the whole of the smaller (which being within their Sabbath limit, is regarded as no bigger than four cubits) and another thousand cubits or more beyond it to complete their two thousand cubits Sabbath limit.');">¹⁹</span> but the people of the small town may not walk through the whole of the large town.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the larger town (cf. prev. n.) is not entirely situated within their Sabbath limit. They may, therefore, walk the distance of a thousand cubits between the two towns and another thousand cubits, to complete their Sabbath limit, within the larger town itself, but no further.');">²⁰</span> This, however, applies only to a case where the Sabbath limit was being measured, but if a man stayed in a larger town and deposited his 'erub in a smaller town<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That was situated within the Sabbath limit of his own town.');">²¹</span> or if he stayed in a small town and deposited his 'erub in a large town<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That was situated within the Sabbath limit of his own town.');">²¹</span>

וחסורי מחסרא והכי קתני אנשי עיר גדולה מהלכין את כל עיר קטנה ואין אנשי עיר קטנה מהלכין את כל עיר גדולה במה דברים אמורים במודד אבל מי שהיה בעיר גדולה והניח את עירובו בעיר קטנה היה בעיר קטנה והניח את עירובו בעיר גדולה מהלך את כולה וחוצה לה אלפים אמה

he may walk through the whole of the town<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which his 'erub had been deposited.');">²²</span> and a distance of two thousand cubits beyond it. R'Joseph citing Rami B'Abba who had it from R'Huna ruled: If a town was situated on the edge of a ravine, and<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'if'.');">²³</span> there was a barrier four cubits<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. Cur. edd. omit 'cubits'.');">²⁴</span>

אמר רב יוסף אמר רמי בר אבא אמר רב הונא עיר שיושבת על שפת הנחל אם יש לפניה דקה ארבעה מודדים לה משפת הנחל ואם לאו אין מודדין לה אלא מפתח ביתו

in height in front of it, its Sabbath limit is measured from the edge of the ravine,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is regarded as the boundary of the town.');">²⁵</span> otherwise<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and if not', i.e., if no such partition was provided.');">²⁶</span> measuring<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the Sabbath limit of the town.');">²⁷</span> must begin from the door of every inhabitant's house.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All the town, in the absence of the partition, being regarded, for the reason to be given presently, as an occasional and irregular settlement which, in respect of Sabbath limits, cannot be treated as one unit of four cubits. Every house must be considered as a separate unit and the Sabbath limit of its tenants begins from that house.');">²⁸</span>

אמר ליה אביי דקה ארבע אמות אמרת לן עלה מאי שנא מכל דקי דעלמא דארבעה

Said Abaye to him:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Joseph.');">²⁹</span> You told us in connection with this that the barrier must be four cubits in height; but why should this one be different from all other barriers whose prescribed height is only four handbreadths?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 60b.');">³⁰</span> - There,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In cases where a height of four handbreadths is enough.');">³¹</span> the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Joseph.');">²⁹</span>

א"ל התם לא בעיתא תשמישתא הכא בעיתא תשמישתא

replied, the use of the place involves no fear, but the use of the place here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Owing to the steepness of the ravine.');">³²</span> does involve fear.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A higher barrier is consequently required.');">³³</span> Said R'Joseph, whence do I derive this ruling? From what was taught: Rabbi permitted the inhabitants of Gader to go down<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Sabbath.');">³⁴</span>

אמר רב יוסף מנא אמינא לה דתניא התיר ר' שיהו בני גדר יורדין לחמתן ואין בני חמתן עולין לגדר מאי טעמא לאו משום דהני עבוד דקה והני לא עבוד דקה

to Hamethan but did not allow the inhabitants of Hamethan to go up to Gader.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. 'Er. IV.');">³⁵</span> Now what could have been the reason? Obviously, that the former<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being situated on the slope higher than Hamethan.');">³⁶</span> did put lip a barrier<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which connected all their houses into one town and thus enabled them to begin their Sabbath limit from the town boundary.');">³⁷</span>

כי אתא רב דימי אמר טטרוגי מטטרגי להו בני גדר לבני חמתן ומאי התיר התקין

while the latter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Having been situated on a lower part of the slope.');">³⁸</span> did not put up a barrier.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the base of their slope, in consequence of which (cf. supra p. 426, n. 9) only the tenants of the few houses that were within the Sabbath limit of Gader could be permitted to go up to that town, but the tenants of all the other houses that were without that limit could not.');">³⁹</span> When R'Dimi came<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From Palestine to Babylon.');">⁴⁰</span> he explained: The people of Gader used to molest the people of Hamethan, and 'permitted'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Rabbi permitted' etc. v. supra.');">⁴¹</span>

ומאי שנא שבת דשכיחא בה שכרות

meant ordained'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. It was an ordinance laid down by Rabbi that, while the people of Gader were allowed to visit Hamethan, the people of the latter town, for their own safety, shall not visit the former.');">⁴²</span> Then<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the ordinance had no bearing on the laws of Sabbath limits.');">⁴³</span> why should Sabbath be different from other days? - Because intoxication is not uncommon on such a day. Would they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The people of Gader.');">⁴⁴</span>

כי אזלי להתם נמי מטטרגי להו כלבא בלא מתיה שב שנין לא נבח

not molest them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Hamethan people.');">⁴⁵</span> when they come there?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To Hamethan.');">⁴⁶</span> - No; a dog in a strange town does not bark for seven years.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Proverb. As visitors the Gaderites would not venture on a quarrel.');">⁴⁷</span> Now then,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the Gaderites were at a disadvantage when at Hamethan.');">⁴⁸</span>

השתא נמי מטטרגי בני חמתן לבני גדר כולי האי לא כייפי להו

might not the people of Hamethan molest those of Gader? - No; they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The people of Gader.');">⁴⁹</span> were not so submissive as all that.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though the Gaderites, as visitors, would seek no quarrels at Hamethan, they would nevertheless defend themselves if attacked. rhg');">⁵⁰</span> R'Safra explained: Gader<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So with R. Han., contra Rashi (cf. Tosaf. s.v. a.l.) .');">⁵¹</span> was a town that was built in the shape of a bow.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whose ends were four thousand cubits apart. In such a case (cf. supra 55a) the Sabbath limit is measured from the imaginary chord of the bow. The limit of Gader consequently included Hamethan which was no more than two thousand cubits distant from the chord. The position of the latter town, however, whose limit terminated at the Gader chord which was more than two thousand cubits distant from the center of its arc, prevented its inhabitants from walking to Gader which thus lay beyond their Sabbath limit.');">⁵²</span>

רב ספרא אמר עיר העשויה כקשת הואי

R'Dimi B'Hinena explained: The former<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The people of Gader.');">⁵³</span> were the inhabitants of a large town while the latter were inhabitants of a small town.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sabbath limit of Gader terminated at the far end of Hamethan (the smaller town) while the Sabbath limit of Hamethan terminated in the middle of the large town of Gader. As all Hamethan lay within the Sabbath limit of Gader the people of the latter town were permitted to traverse its whole area (as if all the town were no bigger than four cubits) and distances completing the permitted two thousand cubits beyond it. As part of Gader, on the other hand, was without the Sabbath limit of Hamethan the people of the latter town could walk only to the end of their Sabbath limit.');">⁵⁴</span> Thus<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Specifying the authorship of each of the two last mentioned explanations.');">⁵⁵</span> taught R'Kahana.

רב דימי בר חיננא אמר אנשי עיר גדולה ואנשי עיר קטנה הואי

R'Tabyomi, however, taught as follows: R'Safra and R'Dimi B'Hinena differ, one explaining that Gader<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 427, n. 18.');">⁵⁶</span> was a town built in the shape of a bow<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 427, n. 19.');">⁵⁷</span> while the other explains that the latter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The people of Hamethan.');">⁵⁸</span> were the inhabitants of a small town while the former were inhabitants of a large town.

רב כהנא מתני הכי רב טביומי מתני הכי רב ספרא ורב דימי בר חיננא חד אמר עיר העשויה כקשת הואי וחד אמר אנשי עיר קטנה ואנשי עיר גדולה הואי:

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>THE PEOPLE OF A LARGE TOWN MAY WALK<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In addition to the distances of two thousand cubits in all directions.');">⁵⁹</span> THROUGH THE WHOLE OF A SMALL TOWN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That was situated within its Sabbath limit.');">⁶⁰</span> AND THE PEOPLE OF A SMALL TOWN MAY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' J.T., Alfasi and cur. edd. supra 60b read: 'but the people . . may not'. Cf. also R. Nahman's justification of the alternative readings of our MISHNAH:');">⁶¹</span> WALK<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In addition to the distances of two thousand cubits in all directions.');">⁶²</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> אנשי עיר גדולה מהלכין את כל עיר קטנה ואנשי עיר קטנה מהלכין את כל עיר גדולה כיצד מי שהיה בעיר גדולה ונתן את עירובו בעיר קטנה בעיר קטנה ונתן את עירובו בעיר גדולה מהלך את כולה וחוצה לה אלפים אמה

THROUGH THE WHOLE OF A LARGE TOWN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That was situated within its Sabbath limit.');">⁶⁰</span> HOW IS THIS [To BE UNDERSTOOD]? IF A MAN STAYED IN A LARGE TOWN AND DEPOSITED HIS 'ERUB IN A SMALl TOWN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That was situated within its Sabbath limit.');">⁶⁰</span> OR IF HE STAYED IN A SMALL TOWN AND DEPOSITED HIS 'ERUB IN A LARGE TOWN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That was situated within its Sabbath limit.');">⁶⁰</span>

רבי עקיבא אומר אין לו אלא ממקום עירובו אלפים אמה אמר להן ר"ע אי אתם מודים לי בנותן עירובו במערה שאין לו אלא ממקום עירובו אלפים אמה

HE MAY WALK THROUGH ALL THE TOWN AND TWO THOUSAND CUBITS BEYOND IT. R'AKIBA RULED: HE IS ALLOWED TO WALK NO FURTHER THAN TWO THOUSAND CUBITS FROM THE PLACE OF HIS 'ERUB. SAID R'AKIBA TO THEM:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis who differed from his view.');">⁶³</span> DO YOU NOT AGREE WITH ME THAT IF A MAN DEPOSITED HIS 'ERUB IN A CAVE HE MAY WALK NO FURTHER THAN TWO THOUSAND CUBITS FROM THE PLACE OF HIS 'ERUB?

אמרו לו אימתי בזמן שאין בה דיורין אבל יש בה דיורין מהלך את כולה וחוצה לה אלפים אמה נמצא קל תוכה מעל גבה

THEY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis who differed from his view.');">⁶³</span> REPLIED: WHEN IS THIS THE CASE? ONLY WHERE NO PEOPLE DWELL THEREIN BUT WHERE PEOPLE DWELL THEREIN ONE MAY WALK THROUGH THE WHOLE OF IT AND TWO THOUSAND CUBITS BEYOND IT. THUS IT FOLLOWS THAT [WHERE AN 'ERUB IS DEPOSITED] WITHIN IT THE LAW IS MORE LENIENT THAN [WHERE ONE IS DEPOSITED] ON THE TOP OF IT.

ולמודד שאמרו נותנין אלפים אמה שאפילו סוף מדתו כלה במערה:

AND TO THE MEASURER,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. a person who did not deposit his 'erub in the town in question but was measuring his way and advancing towards it from his home town or from a place where he had deposited his 'erub.');">⁶⁴</span> OF WHOM [THE RABBIS] HAVE SPOKEN A DISTANCE OF TWO THOUSAND CUBITS IS ALLOWED<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But no more.');">⁶⁵</span> EVEN IF THE END OF HIS [PERMITTED] MEASURE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of two thousand cubits.');">⁶⁶</span> TERMINATED WITHIN A CAVE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And even if that cave was inhabited. Only in the previous case where the 'erub lay within the town or within the cave did the Rabbis regard the entire area of the town and cave respectively as no bigger than four cubits.');">⁶⁷</span>