Shabbat 16

נתכוון לשבות ברה"ר והניח עירובו בבור למעלה מי' טפחים עירובו עירוב למטה מי' טפחים אין עירובו עירוב

If one intends to take up his Sabbath abode in a public ground, and places his 'erub<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">¹</span>

היכי דמי אילימא בבור דאית ביה עשרה ולמעלה דדלאי ואותביה ולמטה דתתאי ואותביה מה לי למעלה ומה לי למטה הוא במקום אחד ועירובו במקום אחר הוא

in a pit above ten handbreadths, it is a valid 'erub; if below ten handbreadths, it is not a valid 'erub.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his 'erub is an 'erub … his 'erub is not an 'erub.' On the Sabbath one may not go more than two thousand cubits out of the town. This, however, may be extended by placing some food (called an 'erub) at any spot within the two thousand cubits on Friday; by a legal fiction that spot becomes the Sabbath abode, since he can now eat his meal there, and from there he is permitted to walk a further two thousand cubits in any direction. This food must so be placed that it is permissible to take it on the Sabbath. ');">²</span>

אלא לאו בבור דלית ביה עשרה וקתני עירובו עירוב אלמא תשמיש על ידי הדחק שמיה תשמיש

How is this meant? Shall we say, [he placed it] in a pit ten [handbreadths] in depth, and 'above' means that he raised [the bottom] and set it [the 'erub] there;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., he placed a small board on the bottom and the food upon it. ');">³</span>

זמנין משני ליה הוא ועירובו בכרמלית ואמאי קרי לה רה"ר לפי שאינה רשות היחיד

and 'below' means that he lowered it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., by removing some of the earth at the bottom. ');">⁴</span>

וזמנין משני ליה הוא ברה"ר ועירובו בכרמלית ורבי היא דאמר כל דבר שהוא משום שבות לא גזרו עליו בין השמשות

and set it there: what is the difference between above and below? He is in one place and his erub in another!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The whole of that pit being ten deep, it is private ground (supra 6a), and no object in it, even if raised to the very edge, may be taken out into the thoroughfare. Hence the 'erub is inaccessible, and therefore invalid.-'He is in one place' — sc. in public ground, 'and his 'erub in another,'-in private ground. ');">⁵</span>

ולא תימא דחויי קא מדחינא לך אלא דוקא קאמינא לך דתנן אם היה רקק מים ורשות הרבים מהלכת בו הזורק לתוכה ד' אמות חייב וכמה הוא רקק מים פחות מי' טפחים ורקק מים שרה"ר מהלכת בו הזורק לתוכו ד' אמות חייב

Hence it must surely refer to a pit not ten deep,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Above' and 'below' referring to the bottom of the pit. ');">⁶</span>

בשלמא רקק רקק תרי זימני חד בימות החמה וחד בימות הגשמים וצריכא דאי אשמעינן בימות החמה דעבידי אינשי לקרורי נפשיהו אבל בימות הגשמים אימא לא ואי אשמעינן בימות הגשמים אגב דמטניף מקרי ונחית אבל בימות החמה לא צריכא

and it is taught, it is a valid 'erub, which proves that use with difficulty is regarded as use?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For otherwise it would not be regarded as public ground. ');">⁷</span>

אלא הילוך תרי זימני למה לי אלא לאו ש"מ הילוך על ידי הדחק שמיה הילוך תשמיש על ידי הדחק לא שמיה תשמיש ש"מ

Sometimes he answered him: Both he and his 'erub were in a <i>karmelith</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., the pit was in a plain; supra fol. 6a. ');">⁸</span>

אמר רב יהודה האי זירזא דקני רמא וזקפיה רמא וזקפיה לא מיחייב עד דעקר ליה

and why is it called public ground? Because it is not private ground.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra 6b. ');">⁹</span>

אמר מר אדם עומד על האסקופה נוטל מבעה"ב ונותן לו נוטל מעני ונותן לו האי אסקופה מאי

And sometimes he answered him: He was on public ground while his 'erub was in a <i>karmelith</i>, this agreeing with Rabbi, who maintained: Whatever is [interdicted] as a shebuth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. This includes carrying between public ground and a karmelith. ');">¹⁰</span>

אילימא אסקופת רה"ר נוטל מבעל הבית הא מפיק מרה"י לרה"ר

was not forbidden at twilight.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On Friday, because it is doubtful whether twilight belongs to the day (Friday) or night (the Sabbath), while a shebuth itself is not a stringent prohibition. Hence be could have taken out his food at twilight, which is just the time when the 'erub acquires that spot for him as his resting place for the Sabbath, ');">¹¹</span>

ואלא אסקופת רה"י נוטל מן העני הא קא מעייל מרה"ר לרה"י

And do not think that I am merely putting you off, but I say it to you with exactitude.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., that service with difficulty is not regarded as public use. ');">¹²</span>

אלא אסקופת כרמלית נוטל ונותן לכתחלה סוף סוף איסורא מיהא איתא

For we learnt: If there is a water pool and a public road traverses it, if one throws [an object] four cubits therein, he is liable. And what depth constitutes a pool? Less than ten handbreadths. And if there is a pool of water traversed by a public road, and one throws [an object] four cubits therein,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it travels four cubits before it alights. ');">¹³</span>

אלא אסקופה מקום פטור בעלמא הוא כגון דלית ביה ד' על ד' וכי הא דכי אתא רב דימי אמר רבי יוחנן מקום שאין בו ד' על ד' טפחים מותר לבני רשות היחיד ולבני רשות הרבים לכתף עליו ובלבד שלא יחליפו

he is liable. Now, as for mentioning this pool twice, it is well; one refers to summer and the other to winter, and both are necessary. For if we were informed [this about] summer, [it might be said the reason] is because it is the practice. of people to cool themselves;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it is open for public use. ');">¹⁴</span>

אמר מר ובלבד שלא יטול מבעל הבית ונותן לעני מעני ונותן לבעל הבית ואם נטל ונתן שלשתן פטורין לימא תיהוי תיובתא דרבא דאמר רבא המעביר חפץ מתחילת ד' לסוף ד' ברשות הרבים אע"פ שהעבירו

but in winter I would say [that it is] not [so]. And if we were informed this of winter, [it might be id the reason] is because becoming mud-stained<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Through travelling. ');">¹⁵</span> it may happen that he goes down [into the water]; but in summer [I would say that it is] not [so]; thus both are necessary. But why mention traversing, twice? Hence. it must surely follow that a passage under difficulties<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As when the public road traverses a pool. ');">¹⁶</span> is regarded as a [public] passage, whereas use under difficulties is not regarded as [public] use.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is deduced from the emphasis on 'traversing'. ');">¹⁷</span> This proves it. Rab Judah said: In the case of a bundle of canes: if one repeatedly throws it down and raises it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus moving it: yet he does not actually lift it entirely from the ground at any moment. ');">¹⁸</span> he is not liable unless he lifts it up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'removes it' completely from the ground. ');">¹⁹</span> The Master said: 'A man standing on a threshold may take [an object] from or give [it] to the master of the house, and may take an object] from or give [it] to the poor man.' What is this threshold? Shall we say, a threshold of a public road?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: e.g., one leading to an alley. ');">²⁰</span> [How state that] he 'may take [an object] from the master of the house'? Surely he [thereby] carries [it] from private to public ground! Again, if it is a threshold of a private domain-[how state that] 'he may take [an object] from the poor man'? Surely he [thereby] carries [it] from public to private ground? Or again if it is a threshold of a <i>karmelith</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being four handbreadths square but less than ten high, so that it does not rank as private ground. ');">²¹</span> — [how state that] 'he may take or give' [implying] even at the very outset? But after all, the prohibition does exist.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of carrying between a karmelith and public or private ground, though its infringement is not punishable. ');">²²</span> Rather it must mean a threshold which is merely a place of non-liability, e.g., if it is not four [handbreadths] square. And [it is] even as what R. Dimi, when he came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 12, n. 9. ');">²³</span> said in the name of R. Johanan: A place which is less than four square, the denizens both of public and private ground may rearrange their burdens upon it, provided that they do not exchange.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Using it as a means of transport between public and private ground. ');">²⁴</span> The Master said: 'Providing that he does not take from the. master of the house and give to the poor man or the reverse, and if he does take and give [from one to the other], the three are exempt.' Shall we say that this refutes Raba? For Raba said: if one carries an object full four cubits<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from the beginning of four to the end of four.' ');">²⁵</span> in the street, even if he carries it