Commentary for Eruvin 8:7
אַמַּת הַמַּיִם שֶׁהִיא עוֹבֶרֶת בֶּחָצֵר, אֵין מְמַלְּאִין הֵימֶנָּה בְשַׁבָּת, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן עָשׂוּ לָהּ מְחִצָּה גָבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים בַּכְּנִיסָה וּבַיְצִיאָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כֹּתֶל שֶׁעַל גַּבָּהּ תִּדּוֹן מִשּׁוּם מְחִצָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַעֲשֶׂה בָאַמָּה שֶׁל אָבֵל שֶׁהָיוּ מְמַלְּאִין מִמֶּנָּה עַל פִּי זְקֵנִים בְּשַׁבָּת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָהּ כַּשִּׁעוּר:
A water-course passing through a courtyard [(Even in a private domain, it is a karmelith (a distinct domain)] — it is forbidden to fill up from it on Shabbath unless one makes a partition for it [in the midst of its cavity along its breadth, which is distinctly recognizable as having been made for the water course], ten tefachim high, at its entrance and at its terminus. R. Yehudah said: The wall on top of it is adjudged a partition. R. Yehudah says: It happened with the water-course of Avel, [which passed through the courtyards] that they filled up (water) from it [in the courtyards] by ruling of the elders on Shabbath, [the partition of the wall of the courtyard availing to that end, R. Yehudah being consistent with his ruling wherein he differs, too, in respect to a hole. The halachah is not in accordance with him.] They said to him: It was short of the required size [for a karmelith, not being either ten tefachim deep or four tefachim wide, lacking which the water does not become a domain in itself to be considered a karmelith. If they made for it a partition at the entrance and not at the terminus, it does not avail, for it is connected to the water outside of the courtyard at its issue, so that it all becomes a karmelith. If they made it at the terminus, but not at the entrance, it likewise does not avail, for it is connected to the upper waters outside the courtyard. But if they made partitions at both the entrance and the terminus, they do avail, for then the waters give the appearance of beginning in this courtyard.]
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