Eruvin 154

שמקצת עלין מגולין אינו חושש לא משום כלאים ולא משום מעשר ולא משום שביעית וניטלין בשבת

some of the leaves uncovered,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If they had been covered the vegetables would not have been allowed to be moved on the Sabbath (cf. infra) .');">¹</span> he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the vegetables did not take root in the ground.');">²</span> need not fear the possible transgression of the laws of kil'ayim<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos., if they were buried in a vineyard.');">³</span>

לא צריכא דבעי מרא וחצינא:

or of tithe or of the Sabbatical year,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If this happened in the course of such a year.');">⁴</span> and they may be removed on the Sabbath?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kil. 1, 9: Shab. 50a. Now, as the vegetables mentioned may be removed on the Sabbath, though they were buried in the ground, so would the bowl spoken of by R. Yehiel be allowed to be removed on the Sabbath. How then could the bowl be regarded as an effective reduction.');">⁵</span> - This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Yehiel's ruling.');">⁶</span>

סולם המצרי אינו ממעט והצורי ממעט: היכי דמי סולם המצרי אמרי דבי רבי ינאי כל שאין לו ארבעה חווקים

was required in that case only where a hoe or pickaxe is necessary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the removal of the bowl. As removal in such circumstances would involve work that is definitely forbidden on the Sabbath the bowl would have to remain in its position throughout the Sabbath day, and consequently may also be regarded as 'a valid reduction'.');">⁷</span> An Egyptian ladder<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is very small. Aliter: 'A ladder of rushes or twigs'.');">⁸</span> effects no reduction<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On account of the smallness of its size or the frailty of its structure which makes it easily portable.');">⁹</span>

אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי מאי טעמא דסולם המצרי דלא ממעט אמר ליה לא שמיע לך הא דאמר רב אחא בר אדא אמר רב המנונא אמר רב משום דהוה ליה דבר שניטל בשבת וכל דבר שניטל בשבת אינו ממעט

but a Tyrian ladder<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is heavier and not easily movable.');">¹⁰</span> does. What is to be understood by an 'Egyptian ladder'? - At the school of R'Jannai it was explained: One that has less than four rungs.

אי הכי אפי' צורי נמי התם כובדו קובעו

R'Aha son of Raba asked R'Ashi: What is the reason why an Egyptian ladder<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is very small. Aliter: 'A ladder of rushes or twigs'.');">⁸</span> effects no reduction? - Did you not hear, the other replied, what R'Aha B'Adda stated in the name of R'Hamnuna who had it from Rab: Because it is an object that may be moved about on the Sabbath and which, like all such objects,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and anything that may be taken on the Sabbath'.');">¹¹</span> causes no reduction? - If so, should not the same ruling apply to a Tyrian ladder also?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the latter too may be moved on the Sabbath.');">¹²</span>

אמר אביי כותל שבין שתי חצירות גבוה עשרה טפחים והניח סולם רחב ארבעה מכאן וסולם רחב ארבעה מכאן ואין בין זה לזה שלשה טפחים ממעט שלשה אינו ממעט

- In the latter case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'there'.');">¹³</span> it is its weight that imparts to it a permanency of position.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though it is permitted to be moved it may be expected to remain in position throughout the Sabbath on account of its weight.');">¹⁴</span> Abaye ruled: If a wall between two courtyards was ten handbreadths high, and one ladder four handbreadths wide was placed on the one side<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the wall, in one of the courtyards. Lit., 'from here'.');">¹⁵</span>

ולא אמרן אלא דלא הוי כותל ארבעה אבל הוי כותל ארבעה אפילו מופלג טובא נמי

and another of the same width was placed on the other side,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the other courtyard.');">¹⁶</span> and there is less than a distance of three handbreadths between them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and (there was) not between this and that'.');">¹⁷</span> a valid reduction is effected,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since, despite the fact that the ladders are not exactly facing each other, it is fairly easy to ascend to the top of the wall by means of the one ladder, to stride over the top and to descend into the next courtyard by means of the other ladder. The two ladders may, therefore, be regarded as a valid opening between the courtyards.');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רב ביבי בר אביי בנה איצטבא על גב איצטבא אם יש באיצטבא התחתונה ארבעה ממעט אי נמי אין בתחתונה ארבעה ויש בעליונה ארבעה ואין בין זה לזה שלשה ממעט

but if there was a distance of three handbreadths between them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. that it would not be very easy to gain access from one courtyard into the other.');">¹⁹</span> no valid reduction is effected. This, however, applies only where the wall was less than four handbreadths thick but if it was four handbreadths thick<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In consequence of which it is quite convenient to walk along the top of the wall.');">²⁰</span>

ואמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה סולם ששליבותיו פורחות אם יש בשליבה התחתונה ארבעה ממעט אי נמי אין בשליבה התחתונ' ארבע' ויש בשליבה העליונה ארבעה ואין בין זה לזה שלשה ממעט

the reduction is valid<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is possible to ascend to the top of the wall by means of the one ladder and to walk along the thickness of the wall to the other ladder.');">²¹</span> even if the ladders were far removed from one another.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'separated more'.');">²²</span> R'Bebai B'Abaye ruled: If<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to reduce the length of a wall between two courtyards.');">²³</span>

ואמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה

one balcony was built<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Into the side of the wall.');">²⁴</span> above another balcony a valid reduction is thereby effected if either the lower one had an area<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So according to Tosaf. Aliter: A length along the wall (Rashi) .');">²⁵</span> of four handbreadths [by four handbreadths]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And was built within three handbreadths from the ground and within ten handbreadths from the top of the wall. In this case the upper balcony may be completely disregarded.');">²⁶</span> or, where it was smaller,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'also there is lot in the lower one four'.');">²⁷</span> if the upper one had an area of four handbreadths and there was no space of three handbreadths between them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the two may be regarded as supplementary to each other and as a single unit effect the required reduction. If a greater distance than three handbreadths, however, separated them from each other they cannot be regarded as one unit and the reduction is invalid.');">²⁸</span> Similarly<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and'.');">²⁹</span> R'Nahman citing Rabbah B'Abbuha ruled: A step-ladder<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a ladder whose rungs fly', opposite to the steps of a staircase that are solidly built upon one another.');">³⁰</span> effects<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For notes on this paragraph cf. notes on the case of balconies in the prev. one mut. mut.');">³¹</span> a reduction if the length of the lower rung was four handbreadths or, where it was shorter, if the upper one was four handbreadths long and there was no space of three handbreadths between them. R'Nahman further stated in the name of Rabbah B'Abbuha: