A stack of straw [running the entire breadth] between two courtyards, ten tefachim high — two eruvin are made and not one. These eat form here and those eat from there. [i.e., They allow their beasts to eat of the straw and need not fear lest the stack descend to less than ten tefachim and it become one domain, which they forbid to each other, and they continue to carry in the courtyard without being aware of it. This is not to be feared, for even if it does descend, if the reduction does not extend beyond ten cubits, they do not forbid each other. For ten cubits is an entrance (see 7:2), and a beast does not consume that much in one Shabbath.] If the straw (stack) descended below ten tefachim [along the length of the entire courtyard, or beyond ten cubits], one eruv is made and not two [(if it descended thus during the week, before Shabbath)].
Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
מתבן – a heap of straw, and it interrupts on the surface of the entire width of the courtyards.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Introduction
This mishnah discusses a heap of straw that divides two courtyards.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
אלו מאכילין – they place their cattle to eat from the straw, and we don’t suspect that perhaps the straw will be come less than ten [handbreadths] and that it would be one domain and they would be mutually prohibited [from eating] and would carry in the courtyard and not be aware of it, for this we do not suspect for even whether it would decrease or not, the minority is over the surface of ten cubits and more does not prohibit it, for ten cubits are an opening, and the cattle do not lessen it all that much in its eating [on one Sabbath].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
If a heap of straw between two courtyards yards was ten handbreadths high, they make two eruvin but not one. Although we learned above in mishnah three that straw that was used to fill a ditch is not significant and that the ditch remains a partition between the two courtyards, here we learn that a heap of straw itself can serve as such a partition. This is because people sometimes do use heaps of straw in order to divide areas.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
נתמעט התבן מי' טפחים – over the surface of the entire length of the courtyard or amidst the ten cubits [and more].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
These may feed [their cattle] from this side and these may feed from the other side. Just as it was permitted to eat the produce on top of the wall, so too cattle-owners on each side can allow their cattle to graze from either side of the straw heap.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
מערבין אחד – if it decreased on the weekday before [the onset of] Shabbat.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
If the height of the straw heap was reduced to less than ten handbreadths, one eruv may be prepared but not two. If the heap of straw became less than ten handbreadths high, it ceases to serve as a partition, and then both courtyards must share an eruv.
