If one were on the road, and it began to get dark, and he recognized a tree or a fence [which he could have reached before it got dark, but he was fatigued and he wished to rest in his place], and he said: "My habitation is beneath it," he has said nothing. [Since he did not make explicit which four cubits he chose under the tree, this does not constitute (acquisition of) habitation, and he has only four cubits where he is. For he did not acquire habitation in his place, since he "uprooted" that intent. And he, likewise, did not acquire it under the tree. This is so only when there are eight cubits or more under the tree, in which instance it could be said that he chose one side or the other, so that there is no specific designation. But with seven cubits, perforce, "part of his house" (i.e., habitation) is distinguishable in the middle cubit. For if he chose four cubits in the middle of the tree, it is (part) of them; and if (he chose four cubits) on either side, it is of them — so that he acquires habitation there.] (If he said:) "My habitation is at its trunk," [(Since he designated the spot, that habitation acquires for him)], he walks a distance of two thousand cubits from his feet until its trunk, and from its trunk until his house, two thousand cubits — so that when darkness descends, he has walked a distance of four thousand cubits.
Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
והיה מכיר אילן או גדר – that he is able to arrive there prior to it getting dark, but that he is tired and wants to rest in his place.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Introduction
This mishnah discusses a person who doesn’t make it back to his town before Shabbat begins, but arrives at a place where he recognizes a tree or a fence within 2000 cubits from his town.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
לא אמר כלום – since he did not specify which four cubits he chose for himself from under the tree it is not a Sabbath resting place, and he has nothing other than the four cubits where he is, for he did not acquire a Sabbath resting place in his location since he uprooted his mind from making a Sabbath resting place here and also under the tree, he did not acquire a Sabbath resting place but these words apply when there are eight cubits or more underneath the tree for it would be possible to state that he chose this side or that he chose that side and there wouldn’t be a conclusion, but seven cubits, by force, part of his home would be recognized with the middle cubit, for it is impossible that he did not specify/verify, for if it was the middle of the tree, he specified four cubits, they are part of that, or if it were from one side or the other side, it is part of them, therefore, he acquired there [a Sabbath resting place].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
One who was on a journey and it became dark, and he recognized a tree or a fence and said, “Let my Shabbat place be under it”, he has said nothing. A “Shabbat place” is the place from which we measure the 2000 cubits which a person may walk on Shabbat. One who says “let my Shabbat place be under it [the tree or fence]” is not specific enough because he did not say which four cubits under the tree will be his “Shabbat place”. In the Talmud, two amoraim (sages who lived after the Mishnah) debate what this means. According to Rav, he cannot even walk to the tree and all he has is four cubits in each direction. Since he did not acquire a Shabbat place under the tree, he has no Shabbat place at all. According to Shmuel, he may walk to the tree or fence, but he may not walk from there to his house.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
אמר שביתתי בעיקרו – for since he concluded his place of that Sabbath resting place, he acquires for himself two thousand [cubits] to the side of his feet and two thousand [cubits] to the side of his house.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
If he said, “Let my Shabbat place be at its root”, he may walk from the place where he stands to its root a distance of two thousand cubits, and from its root to his house another two thousand cubits. Thus he can walk four thousand cubits after dusk. If he says “at its root”, then he has been specific about where he wants his Shabbat place to be, and he may go from his current position to the tree and then from the tree to his home. His Shabbat place is at the tree or fence and so he may walk 2000 cubits to get there and then another 2000 cubits in all directions from there.
