A mavui (an alleyway) which is higher than twenty cubits — he diminishes. [A mavui which is not wider than sixteen cubits, even though it is open on its two ends to the public domain; or else, sixteen cubits wide, but not mefulash (open on both ends), but one end open to the public domain and the other closed — By Torah law it is permitted to carry therein without any tikun (act of amendment). But the rabbis decreed against it lest he come to carry in the public domain, and they permitted it with a lechi (a stake fastened in the ground) or a korah (a beam, laid crosswise) to serve as a sign. If he placed the korah higher than twenty he "diminishes." That is, he lowers the korah below twenty. For above twenty the eye does not notice it. But if there are amaltera, i.e., designs and carvings, even above twenty cubits, it does not require lowering; for the amaltera cause it to be noticed.] R. Yehudah says: It is not necessary. [For the purpose of the korah is not to serve as a sign but to act as a partition. For we say: "The mouth of the ceiling descends and closes up." This being so, what difference does it make whether it is within twenty cubits or higher? The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yehudah.] And if it is wider than ten cubits, he diminishes. [For if it is wider than ten cubits, it is not called an "opening," but a "breach," and we require an opening. Therefore, he diminishes the width of the entrance until it is ten or less.] But if it has a tzurath hapetach ("the appearance of an entrance"), even if it is wider than ten cubits, he need not diminish. [Wherever the sages say "tzurath hapetach," there suffices even a stick on one side and a stick on the other, twenty cubits or higher, and a stick above them, even if it does not touch them, and even if it is more than three cubits above them. All of the "cubits" (amoth) mentioned in this Mishnah and in all of Eruvin, Succah, and Kilayim, are an amah of six tefachim (handbreadths); each tefach, four fingers and the thumb. It is just that sometimes the measurement must be made with "tefach atzev," i.e., not leaving any space between the two thumbs, but having them touch; and, sometimes, with space between the two thumbs, not having them touch, this being called "tefach sochek." How so? When the measurement with tefach atzev is for stringency (of ruling), as with a mavui higher than twenty cubits, in which instance he must diminish, and with a succah higher than twenty cubits, which is pasul (unfit), he measures with tefach atzev. And when the measurement with tefach sochek is for stringency, as with a mavui, which may not be lower than ten tefachim, and with a succah lower than ten tefachim, he measures with a tefach sochek; and so, in all instances.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
מבוי – which is not wide sixteen cubits, even though it is open from its two points into the public domain; alternatively, it is sixteen cubits wide but it is not open, but one head is open to the public domain and the other head is closed, but from the Torah, it is permitted to carry in it without any repair, but the Rabbis made a decree against it, lest they come to carry in full public domain and they permitted with an establishment of a stake fastened in the ground (by the side of a wall, serving as a mark or as a fictitious partition for the purpose of enabling those who live in an ally to move objects on the Sabbath) or a beam/post so that it will have recognition/a sign. But if he placed the beam above twenty cubits high, he should lower it, meaning to say, he should lower the beam so that it will be lower than twenty cubits high, for higher than twenty cubits, it is not discernible to the eye/the eye is attracted, and if [his] beam has a ceiling (see Talmud Eruvin 3a – for different opinions of the meaning of his word), which means drawings/embroidery and is open even higher than twenty cubits, he does not have to lower it, for through these drawings/embroidery, it is discernible to the eye/the eye is attracted.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Introduction
The first mishnah in Eruvin deals with the entrance to a closed alley. As we mentioned in the introduction, Torah law allows one to carry within this alley. However, the sages forbade this unless there is either a side-post or a cross-beam on top of the entrance. The purpose of either the side-post or the cross-beam was so that people would recognize that the alley was not a public domain and they would realize that while it is permitted to carry in the alley, it is forbidden to carry in the public domain.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
רבי יהודה אומר א"צ – for the reason of the beam is not because of recognition but because of a partition since we said, the mouth of the ceiling goes down and closes up, and since his is the case, what difference does it make within twenty [cubits] and/or higher than twenty [cubits], but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
[The crossbeam] of an alley [whose entrance] is more than twenty cubits high should be lowered. Rabbi Judah says: this is unnecessary. The crossbeam cannot be more than twenty cubits high, otherwise people will not notice it. This is the same rule as the sukkah the sukkah’s roof (skhakh) cannot be more than twenty cubits high because people should notice that they are sitting in a sukkah. In both cases, that of the crossbeam and the sukkah, Rabbi Judah rules that they may be more than twenty cubits high.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
והרחב מעשר אמות ימעט – for more than ten cubits, it is not called an opening, but rather a breach, and we require an opening. Therefore, he should reduce the width of the entrance and reduce it to ten [cubits] or less.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
And [any entrance] that is wider than ten cubits should be reduced [in width]. An entrance to an alley may not be more than ten cubits wide for it to be allowed to carry within the alley. If it is more than ten cubits, then it’s not truly an entranceway but a gap in the walls of the alley. If it is more than ten cubits wide he can reduce it in order to carry in the alley.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
ואם יש לו צורת פתח – in every place where the Sages stated “a form of a doorway” (in width), even if his a reed from here and a reed from there ten handbreadths high or more, and a reed on top of them, even though it doesn’t touch them and even though it is higher than them more than three handbreadths. And all of the cubits that are taught in this Mishnah and in all of [Tractates] Eruvin, and Sukkah and Kilayim, a cubit is six handbreadths and each handbreadth is four fingers with the thumb, but sometimes one needs to measure a “sorrowful” (pressed together) handbreadth (i.e., four fingers closely joined), meaning to say, that one should not make a space in the fingers with the thumb between one to the other, but rather, they would be pressed against each other and touching each other, and sometimes, one must make a space between each digit so that they do not touch each other and this is called the liberal (or smiling) handbreadth. How is this the case? At the time when the measurement Is with the “sorrowful” (pressed together) handbreadth, it is stringent such as an alley entrance which is higher than twenty cubits, he should lower it, and a Sukkah which higher than twenty cubits is invalid, we measure with a “sorrowful” handbreadth, but at the time when the measurement is with a liberal (or “smiling”) handbreadth which is stringent, such as an alleyway entrance, its height cannot be less than ten handbreadths; a Sukkah which is higher than ten handbreadths, we measure with the liberal handbreadth.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
But if it has the shape of a doorway there is no need to reduce it even though it is wider than ten cubits. If the opening has the shape of a doorway, meaning there are poles on both sides and a beam on top of it, then it looks like an entrance and it may be wider than ten cubits. According to the Rambam, if it has such an opening, the beam may even be more than twenty cubits high.
