Eruvin 176

Chapter 176

א פחות מד' שופכן אי דעביד עוקה שרי אי לא אסור

1 but in one that is less than four cubits1 he merely pours it out. Hence it is Only if he made a trough2

ב ר' זירא אמר ד' אמות תיימי פחות מד' אמות לא תיימי

2 that he is permitted to pour out the water but not otherwise.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'if not he is forbidden', since the water would be running almost directly into the public domain and his desire to pour it out would be fulfilled. Were this to be permitted people might form the erroneous conclusion that it is also permitted to throw anything directly from a private into a public domain.');">3 R'Zera replied: In an area of four cubits the water4 may be absorbed;5

ג מאי בינייהו אמר אביי אריך וקטין איכא בינייהו

3 but in one that is less than four cubits they cannot be absorbed.6 What is the practical difference between them?7 - Abaye replied: The practical difference between them is a courtyard that was long and narrow.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eight cubits by two, for instance. According to R. Zera's explanation it is permitted to pour water into it, since an area of 8 X 2 = 4 X 4, and the water would be absorbed in the courtyard itself before any of it reached the public domain. According to Rabbah, however, this is forbidden, since a narrow courtyard is an unsuitable place for spraying.');">8

ד תנן חצר ואכסדרה מצטרפין לד' אמות בשלמא לרבי זירא ניחא אלא לרבה קשיא

4 We learned: THE COURTYARD AND THE EXEDRA9 MAY BE COMBINED TO MAKE UP THE PRESCRIBED FOUR CUBITS. According to R'Zera this is quite acceptable;10

ה תרגמא רבי זירא אליבא דרבה באכסדרה מהלכת על פני כל החצר כולה

5 but, according to Rabbah,11 does not a difficulty arise?12 - R'Zera, on the lines of Rabbah's11

ו ת"ש חצר שאין בה ד' אמות על ד' אמות אין שופכין לתוכה מים בשבת בשלמא לרבה ניחא אלא לר' זירא קשיא

6 view, explained: This refers to an exedra that ran along all the courtyard.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If, for instance, the courtyard area was four cubits by two the exedra also was four by two, its length being parallel to that of the courtyard and thus extending the area of the latter to four cubits by four.');">13 Come and hear: If the area of a courtyard was less than four cubits by four cubits no water may be poured out into it on the Sabbath. Now according to Rabbah this ruling is quite satisfactory;14

ז אמר לך ר' זירא הא מני רבנן היא ומתני' ר"א בן יעקב היא

7 but, according to R'Zera, does not a difficulty arise?15 - R'Zera can answer you: This ruling represents the view of16 the Rabbis,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the SAGES who forbade the pouring of water into a drain even when the COURTYARD WAS A HUNDRED CUBITS IN AREA, thus rejecting the principle of capacity for absorption and upholding only that of suitability for spraying.');">17

ח ומאי דוחקיה דר' זירא לאוקמה למתני' כר"א בן יעקב אמר רבא מתניתין קשיתיה מאי איריא דתני חצר שהיא פחותה ליתני חצר שאין בה ד' אמות על ד' אמות

8 whereas our Mishnah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which forbade the pouring of water only where the area WAS LESS THAN FOUR CUBITS and, inferentially, permitted it where it was four cubits or bigger irrespective of the relative lengths of its sides.');">18 is that of R'Eliezer B'Jacob.19 What, however, was it that urged R'Zera to attribute our Mishnah20

ט אלא לאו ש"מ דר"א בן יעקב היא ש"מ

9 to R'Eliezer B'Jacob?21 - Raba replied: Our Mishnah presented to him a difficulty: What was the object of stating, IF THE AREA OF A COURTYARD WAS less22 THAN FOUR CUBITS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which implies that if the total area was four cubits by four it matters little whether each side was four cubits long or whether the courtyard was long and narrow, two of its sides being shorter, and two longer than four cubits.');">23

י והא מדסיפא ר' אליעזר בן יעקב רישא לאו ר"א בן יעקב

10 seeing that it could have been stated:24 'If the area of a courtyard was less than four cubits25 by four cubits'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An expression which would have indicated that even if only one of the sides of a courtyard is less than four cubits in length (though the total area was four cubits by four) no water may be poured out into it.');">26

יא כולה ר"א בן יעקב היא וחסורי מיחסרא והכי קתני חצר שהיא פחותה מד' אמות אין שופכין לתוכה מים בשבת הא ד' אמות שופכין שר"א בן יעקב אומר ביב הקמור ד' אמות ברה"ר שופכין לתוכו מים בשבת:

11 Consequently,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the former expression was used, from which it follows (cf. supra p. 615, n. 14) that it is not the shape but the actual area that matters or, in other words, that the determining factor is not suitability for spraying but capacity for absorption.');">27 he concluded28 it must represent the view of29

יב ר"א בן יעקב אומר ביב הקמור:

12 R'Eliezer B'Jacob.30 This is conclusive. But since a succeeding clause31

יג מתני' דלא כחנניא דתניא חנניא אומר אפילו גג מאה אמה לא ישפוך לפי שאין הגג עשוי לבלוע אלא לקלח

13 represents the view of R'Eliezer B'Jacob32 how could the first clause33 also represent his view?34

יד תנא במה דברים אמורים בימות החמה אבל בימות הגשמים שופך ושונה ואינו נמנע מ"ט אמר רבא אדם רוצה שיבלעו מים במקומן

14 - All the Mishnah represents the view of35 R'Eliezer B'Jacob, but some words are wanting in it, the correct reading being as follows:36 IF [THE AREA OF] A COURTYARD WAS LESS THAN FOUR CUBITS NO WATER MAY BE POURED OUT INTO IT ON THE SABBATH, but if the area was four cubits water may be poured into it because R'ELIEZER B. JACOB RULED: IF FOUR CUBITS OF A DRAIN WERE COVERED OVER IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN IT IS PERMITTED TO POUR WATER INTO IT ON THE SABBATH.

טו אמר ליה אביי והרי שופכין דאדם רוצה שיבלעו וקתני לא ישפוך

15 R'ELIEZER B. JACOB RULED: IF FOUR CUBITS OF A DRAIN WERE COVERED OVER'Our Mishnah37 cannot represent the opinion of Hananya,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he permitted this only in a courtyard but not on a roof The roofs spoken of were flat and had drains in the form of gutters into which rain water flowed and water was poured.');">38 for it was taught: Hananya ruled: Even if [the area of] a roof was a hundred cubits no water may be poured upon it since a roof is not made to absorb water but to cause it to run down.

טז א"ל התם למאי ניחוש לה אי משום קלקול חצירו הא מיקלקלא וקיימא ואי משום גזירה שמא יאמרו צנורו של פלוני מקלח מים סתם צנורות מקלחים הם

16 One taught: This39 applies only to the hot season, but during the rainy season a person may pour his water again and again without any limit.40 What is the reason? - Raba replied: A person is quite satisfied41

יז אמר רב נחמן בימות הגשמים עוקה מחזיק סאתים נותנין לו סאתים מחזיק סאה נותנין לו סאה בימות החמה מחזיק סאתים נותנין לו סאתים סאה אין נותנין לו כל עיקר

17 that the water should be absorbed on the spot.42 Said Abaye to him: Is there not the case of43 waste water with the absorption of which on the spot a person is quite satisfied41

יח בימות החמה נמי מחזיק סאה ניתיב ליה סאה גזרה דלמא אתי ליתן ליה סאתים א"ה בימות הגשמים נמי ליגזור

18 and yet it was ruled: NO WATER MAY BE POURED?44 - What, the other replied, is it that provision should be made against in that case?45 If it b suggested: Against the man's objection to the spoiling of his courtyard,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. that the pouring out of the water should be forbidden as a preventive measure against the possibility of his desire to dispatch it without delay into the public domain for the reason given.');">46

יט התם מאי ניחוש לה אי משום קילקול הא מיקלקלא וקיימא אי משום גזירה שמא יאמרו צנורו של פלוני מקלח מים סתם צנורות מקלחין הן

19 surely, [it may be retorted,] it is any case spoilt;47 and if against the possibility of the assumption that So-and-so's gutter was spouting water,48 all gutters, as a rule, spout water.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On a rainy day. People would assume the water to be rather the accumulated rain water than the lesser quantity of waste water. In the case of a drain in the dry season, however, people observing the flow front a private into a public domain and knowing full well that it was the result of human action, might well come to the conclusion that the carrying of objects from the one domain into the other is also permitted. Hence the preventive measure.');">49

כ אמר אביי הלכך אפילו כור ואפילו כוריים:

20 R'Nahman ruled: In the rainy season, if a trough50 is capable of holding two se'ah it is permitted to pour two se'ah of water into it, and it if call hold one se'ah only one se'ah of water is permitted; in the hot seaso however, if the trough can hold two se'ah one is allowed two se'ah but if it can hold one se'ah one is not allowed to pour into it any water at all. Why should it not be allowed in the hot season also to pour into it a se'ah if it can hold a se'ah? - A preventive measure has been enacted against the possibility of one's pouring two se'ah into it.

כא וכן שתי דיוטאות זו כנגד זו: אמר רבא אפילו עירבו

21 If so, why should not a preventive measure be enacted for the rainy season also? What is it that provision should be made against in that case? If it be suggested: Against the man's objection to the spoiling of his courtyard,51

כב אמר (ליה) אביי מאי טעמא אילימא משום נפישא דמיא והתניא אחת לי עוקה ואחת לי גיסטרא בריכה ועריבה אף על פי שנתמלאו מים מערב שבת שופכין לתוכן מים בשבת

22 surely, [it could be retorted,] it is in any case spoilt;52 if against the assumption that So-and-so's gutter spouts water53 all gutters, as a rule, spout water.54

כג אלא אי איתמר הכי איתמר אמר רבא

23 Hence,55 said Abaye, even a kor,56 even two kor are permitted.57 SO ALSO IN THE CASE OF TWO UPPER STOREYS OPPOSITE EACH OTHER'Raba ruled: Even though they prepared a joint 'erub. What, asked Abaye,57 is the reason? If it be suggested: On account of the large quantity of the water,58 was it not taught, [it may be objected,] 'The same law applies to a trough,55 a damaged vessel,59 a pond or a tub, viz. that, though they were filled with water on the Sabbath eve, waste water may be poured into them on the Sabbath?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though it overflows into the public domain. Why then should the increased volume of water be a bar to the use of the trough by the tenants of both upper storeys?');">60 Rather, if the statement was at all made it must have been made in the following terms:61 Raba ruled:

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