If one went out [of the tchum] by sanction [e.g., to testify to (the appearance of) the New Moon or to save one from idolators or from a flood], and he were told: "The deed has already been done" [and there is no need to go], he has two thousand cubits on all sides [from the place where he was told]. If he were within the tchum, it is as if he had not left. [This is what is meant: If those two thousand cubits accorded him on every side from the place where he was told were within the two thousand cubit tchum of his house, it is as if he had not left his tchum, and he may walk to his house and be as before.] For all who leave (the tchum) to rescue, return to their places. [This is what is meant: For we find another lenient ruling vis-à-vis those who leave the tchum to rescue people from idolators of from cave-ins, viz.: Since they left by sanction, they were permitted to return with their arms to their places, and they were not constrained to leave them there. Here, too, they were lenient with those who had left.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
מי שיצא ברשות – such as for the testimony of the New Moon or to save someone from idolaters or from the river.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Introduction
A court may give someone permission to go beyond the Shabbat limit so that he can go to Jerusalem to testify that he saw the new moon, or so that he may go somewher to save property from marauders. Our mishnah deals with a person who was given permission to go out and then found out that what he set out to do was already accomplished.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
כבר נעשה מעשה – and you do not need to go.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
One who went beyond the Shabbat limit with permission and was then told that the act had already been performed, [he is allowed to move] within two thousand cubits in any direction. A person was given permission to go beyond the Shabbat limit either to testify concerning the new month or to save property. Once beyond the limit he heard from someone else that what he set out to do had already been done. The question is, what is he to do now? Is he stuck within his four cubits? The answer is that he retains his right to walk 2000 cubits in all directions. The rabbis did not want to penalize this person for if they did they might discourage people from setting out to testify concerning the new month.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
יש לו אלפים אמה לכל רוח – from the place where it had been told to him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
If he was within the Shabbat limit, it is as if he had not gone out. If those 2000 cubits which he is given once he finds out that he doesn’t need to go any further bring him back into his old Shabbat limit, which is within 2000 cubits of the town where he began Shabbat, it is now as if he never left. He may go throughout the town and a 2000 cubit perimeter around the town. Again, the rabbis wished to be lenient with this person because he left his Shabbat limit for a sanctioned purpose.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
כאילו לא יצא – this is how it should be said: If he had those two thousand cubits that were given to him in all directions from the place that he was told to him, they enter into the two-thousand [cubits] of the [Sabbath] limits of his house, it is considered as if he had not left from his [Sabbath] limits and he walks until his house and he is like at the beginning.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
All who go out to save life may return to their original places. Anybody who goes out to save a life may return to the place from where he comes. If they did not allow this, people might have refrained from traveling to save a life. The rabbis were lenient not just concerning traveling somewhere to save someone’s life, but also concerning traveling back.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
שכל היוצאין להציל חוזרין למקומן – this is how it should be said – for we have found another leniency for all who go out to save [someone] from idolaters or from debris because they went out with permission, they are allowed to return with their weapons to the places and they would not need to place down their weapons – this is also how they were lenient for one who went out with permission to be as if he had not gone out.
