If one fell asleep on the road and was not aware of its having become dark, he has two thousand cubits on all sides. These are the words of R. Yochanan b. Nuri. [R. Yochanan b. Nuri holds that articles of hefker (renounced property), absent from the owner's mind, acquire habitation in their place and have two thousand cubits on every side. And one who sleeps, whose mind is "absent" at the time of acquisition of habitation, is like an article of hefker and he has two thousand cubits on every side.] The sages say: He has only four cubits. [The rabbis hold that articles of hefker do not acquire habitation in their place, but the one who acquires them may take them as far as he may walk. Here, too, the one who sleeps does not acquire habitation and he has only four cubits alone. The halachah is in accordance with R. Yochanan b. Nuri that one who sleeps acquires habitation in his place and has two thousand cubits on every side. But with articles of hefker the halachah is in accordance with the sages, that they are as the "feet of all men" and do not acquire habitation in their place, but the one who acquires them takes them as far as he may go. ("He has only four cubits":) Since, when "the day was sanctified" (i.e., at nightfall), he was sleeping, he did not acquire acquisition, and he has only the four cubits accorded him by the Torah, viz. (Exodus 16:29): "Let every man sit in his place." The average man's height is three cubits and one cubit for stretching his hands and feet.] R. Eliezer says: And he, in the middle. [The sages hold that he is given four cubits on every side, and R. Eliezer holds that he is given two cubits on each side.] R. Yehudah says: [He may take four cubits] in whichever direction he chooses to go. And R. Yehudah concedes that once he has chosen one direction he cannot retract [and choose another].
Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
יש לו אלפים אמה לכל רוח – for Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri holds that ownerless things which lack the knowledge of its owners acquire their appointed place of Sabbath movements in their place and they have two thousand cubits in every direction and a person who sleeps who has no knowledge at the time when he acquires his appointed place of Sabbath movements, his law is like ownerless things and he has two thousand cubits in all directions, but the Rabbis hold that ownerless objects do not acquire their appointed place of Sabbath movements in their place but he who acquires title to them brings them to the place where he is able to go. Similarly, a person sleeping does not acquire his appointed place of Sabbath movement and he has nothing other than four cubits [of movement] alone. But the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri for the person who is sleeping acquires his appointed place of Sabbath movements in his place and he has two thousand cubits in all directions but regarding ownerless property, the Halakha is according to the Sages for they are like the feet of all people and they do not acquire their appointed place of Sabbath movements in their place but the person who acquires them walks them to a place where he is able to go.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Introduction
This mishnah deals with someone who fell asleep on the road on Friday afternoon and then woke up after nightfall. This traveller did not intend to spend Shabbat in the place where he was when Shabbat began and therefore we will see that the sages disagree over whether or not he may move 2000 cubits in all directions.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
וחכמים אומרים אין לו אלא ד' אמות – since at the time that he sanctified the [Sabbath] day, he did not acquire his appointed place of Sabbath movements and he only has four cubits that the Torah provided him, as it is written (Exodus 16:29): “Let everyone remain where he is,” and the height of each average individual is three cubits and one [additional] cubit to stretch his hands and his feet.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
If one slept on the road and was unaware that night had fallen, he may move two thousand cubits in any direction, the words of Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri holds that even though he didn’t intend to spend Shabbat in the place where he was when Shabbat began, he still may move 2000 cubits in any direction.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
ר' אליעזר אומר והוא באמצען – The Sages hold that we give him four cubits in each direction but Rabbi Eliezer states we give him four cubits which is two cubits to each side of him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
But the sages say: he has only four cubits within which to move. The sages say that one must have intention in order to set one’s “place” when Shabbat begins. Since this person was asleep, he certainly cannot have such intention.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
לאיזה רוח שירצה – he takes four cubits and after ascertaining one side, he cannot go back and ascertain another side.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Rabbi Eliezer says: and the man is deemed to be in the middle of them. Rabbi Eliezer explains what the sages mean when they say that he has four cubits in which to move. In actuality he may move only two cubits in each direction, forming a circle around himself with a diameter of four cubits. According to the Talmud, the “sages” mentioned in section two, refers to Rabbi Meir, who holds that he may move 4 cubits in each direction, forming a circle with a diameter of eight cubits.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Rabbi Judah says: he may move in any direction he desires. And Rabbi Judah agrees that once chosen his direction he may not go back on it. Rabbi Judah is slightly more lenient than Rabbi Eliezer and allows the person to move four cubits in one direction, at least at the outset. However, once he moves four cubits, he has now set his circle and he may not move four cubits to the opposite direction of where he was at the outset. Put in other words, according to Rabbi Eliezer the position of his body at the outset is what defines his circle, whereas Rabbi Judah says that the person himself may define his circle. However, both agree that the circle has a diameter of only 4 cubits.
