Commento su 'Eruvin 4:16

מי שהוציאוהו עובדי כוכבים – to force him [to go] outside the [Sabbath] limit/the marked off area around a town within which it is permitted to move on the Sabbath – based upon Exodus 16:29 – two thousand cubits in every direction.

Introduction We have already learned several times that it is forbidden to go beyond a Shabbat border of 2000 cubits, measured from where a person is or the town in which he is in when Shabbat begins. Our mishnah deals with a person who finds himself against his will outside of this border.

או רוח רעה – a demon entered in him and confused his mind and he went outside the [Sabbath] limit and he returned to his sanity and behold he was outside the [Sabbath] limit.

One whom Gentiles, or an evil spirit, have taken out [beyond the Shabbat border] has no more than four cubits [in which to move]. In this case a person was taken out of his Shabbat border against his will, either by Gentiles or by an evil spirit (i.e. he lost his wits). Despite the fact that this is not his fault, once outside his border he may not move more than four cubits in any direction. This is the same rule as for one who left his Shabbat border intentionally he may move only four cubits. The idea comes from Exodus 16:29, “Let everyone remain where he is.” Four cubits is composed of three for a person’s body and one so he can stretch out his legs in other words, that is “where he is.”

החזירוהו לתוך התחום כאילו לא יצא – for behold the entire city is like four hundred cubits to him as it was at the outset and two-thousand cubits in every direction when they carried him out and returned him against his will, but if he left under his own power even though he was returned against his will or he was carried out against his will and returned under his own power, he has nothing ought four cubits.

If they brought him back, it is as if he had never gone out. He is not allowed to return to his town but if the Gentiles or evil spirit brings him back he returns to being like the other people of his town, who may go anywhere in the town and 2000 cubits outside of it in each direction. The Talmud notes that if he returns intentionally or if he left intentionally but was returned by Gentiles, he does not return to being able to go anywhere in the town, but rather even within the town he may only go four cubits.

הוליכוהו לעיר אחרת – and behold it is surrounded by partitions or that they placed him in a pen or in a stable which are surrounded and their enclosing fence is large.

If they took him to another town, or if they put him in a pen or a sahar: Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah say he may move throughout the entire area; But Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva says: he has only four cubits [in which to move]. In this section he is taken out of the town where he began Shabbat and moved to another town. Alternatively, he is taken out of his town and put into a pen or sahar (a type of pen, see above 3:2) in which one may walk without limit on Shabbat. According to Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, he may walk throughout either the city or the pen, and we treat the situation as if he began Shabbat there. Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva disagree and hold that since he did not begin Shabbat there he is only allowed to walk four cubits.

מהלך את כולה – for since it is surrounded by partitions, it is like four cubits.

It once happened that they were coming from Brindisi and their ship sailed out to sea [on Shabbat]. Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah walked about throughout its area, but Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiba did not move beyond four cubits because they wanted to be stringent upon themselves. In this story, Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Akiva, Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah are on an anchored boat when Shabbat begins. In this situation they can walk throughout the entire boat, although they may not disembark on Shabbat. The boat then sailed off without their consent and went past their Shabbat limit. The latter two rabbis continued to walk about the boat, because they hold that if Gentiles (the sailors in this case) take a Jew beyond his Shabbat limit to another town, he is treated as a person who began Shabbat in that town. Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva remained within four cubits, just as they held with regard to a person taken out of his town and brought to another town. However, the mishnah notes that this is not the law but rather a stringency. The halakhah itself distinguishes between a person who is taken from one town to another and one whose ship sets sail for two reasons. First of all, Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva were on the ship when Shabbat began and therefore when Shabbat began they could walk throughout the entire ship. Secondly, a ship’s position is constantly changing such that no one can truly stay within four cubits in any case. They probably wished to be strict upon themselves so that people wouldn’t think that in the case of a person brought to a pen or another city he too may walk throughout the entire area.

ר' יהושע ור' עקיבא אומרים אין לו אלא ארעב אמות – for since he did not make Shabbat in the empty space with partitions while it was still daylight, the partitions have no effect for him. But my teachers/rabbis explained that since they decreed that a pen or a stable is on account of an unguarded field, which has no partitions and in an unguarded field, all the world admits that he doesn’t have anything other than four cubits.

מפרנדיסין – name of a place.

והפליגה – when it becomes distant from the shoreline and enters into the middle of it (i.e., the ocean), it is called separation on the language of (Psalms 1:3): “[He is like a tree planted] beside streams of water.”

הלכו את כולה – they were walking throughout the ship and even though the ship traveled on the Sabbath and went outside of the [Sabbath] limit, it is like someone who went outside of the [Sabbath] limit and was placed in a pen or a stable for the ship is surrounded by partitions.

שרצו להחמיר על עצמן – that for them, they decreed that a pen or a stable is on account of an unguarded field on the ship; all the while that it is traveling, it is permitted to walk throughout it and furthermore, since they made the Sabbath in the empty space with partitions while it was still daylight, but they wanted to be stringent. But the Halakha is according to Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah.

לנמל – a place where the ships park when they leave from the ocean to its shoreline.

Introduction In yesterday’s mishnah we learned about a person who set sail (against his will) on Shabbat. Today we learn about a person who docks on Shabbat, and whether or not he may disembark.

מה אנו לירד – from the ship into the city for we had not come from outside the [Sabbath] limit once it became dark, and this harbor is not surrounded by partitions for had it been surrounded by partitions, that which Rabban Gamaliel had said above (i.e., Mishnah 1) that he had been placed in a pen or a stable, he would be able to walk throughout it all.

Once they did not enter the harbor until dusk [on Shabbat eve]. They asked Rabban Gamaliel, “Can we disembark?” He said to them, “You may for I was already observing and we were already within the Shabbat limit before it grew dark.” As we have previously learned, one’s Shabbat limit is fixed by where he is at dusk on the eve of Shabbat. If the boat was out of the Shabbat limit of the harbor at dusk, then when the boat docks they may not disembark. This is what the other rabbis asked Rabban Gamaliel. He answered them that he had been observing carefully where they were when Shabbat began and he is certain that they were already within the limit of the harbor. Therefore they may disembark. The relationship of this mishnah to the previous one is slightly tricky. Above, Rabban Gamaliel held that one who was taken out of his city against his will and put into a second city becomes like the people of the second city. Hence, we would think that in this situation, where Gentile sailors brought him into the port, even if they docked on Shabbat he should be allowed to disembark. One answer to this problem is that Rabban Gamaliel is responding to Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Joshua according to their halakhah and not stating his own opinion. They hold that if they were not within the border of the port before Shabbat began, that they cannot go more than four cubits, so he responds to them that they were within the Shabbat border. According to his opinion, this is not important.

שכבר הייתי מסתכל – in the tube of a perforated reed that was properly prepared to the measurement of the clearness/viewing of two-thousand cubits.

מי שיצא ברשות – such as for the testimony of the New Moon or to save someone from idolaters or from the river.

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.

כבר נעשה מעשה – and you do not need to go.

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.

יש לו אלפים אמה לכל רוח – from the place where it had been told to him.

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.

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.

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.

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.

מי שישב בדרך – [he had sat on the road] to rest and did not know that he was at the [Sabbath] limit of the city and it became dark for him there and when he stood up he saw that he was near to the city and to its [Sabbath] limit.

Introduction One who is walking on a road and arrives within 2000 cubits of the city by dusk and intends to spend Shabbat in the city, is considered as a resident of the town and may walk throughout it and 2000 cubits around it, even though he didn’t get there until after nightfall. He is considered to be like the people of the town. Our mishnah talks about one who gets to within these 2000 cubits but does not realize he has done so and does not, therefore, have intention to spend Shabbat in that town.

לא יכנס – [he should not enter] into the city to be like the people of the city, but rather from the place where it had become dark for him, he should measure two thousand cubits and on the place where they were able, he should go and no further.

One who sat down on the road [at dusk on Friday eve] and then got up and saw that he was near a town he may not enter it, since it had not been his intention to do so, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: he may enter it. Rabbi Judah said: it once actually happened and Rabbi Tarfon entered the town, even though this was not his intention [when Shabbat had begun]. The mishnah talks about a person who was walking on the road on Friday and sat down to rest at dusk. This now becomes his Shabbat place, and the border should be two thousand cubits in all directions. He then notices that he is within the Shabbat border of a town. According to Rabbi Meir, he is not considered as a member of the town, since he did not have the intention to spend Shabbat in that town. Therefore, he may only go 2000 cubits from where he was when Shabbat began (at dusk). If that means he can only walk up until a certain point in the town, then he can go no further, even within the town. Rabbi Judah says that he may enter the town, since if he knew when he sat down at dusk that he was that so close to the town, he surely would have entered the town. Therefore, his intention to spend Shabbat at that particular place outside of the town was actually a mistake. We should note that if he did notice the city before Shabbat and intentionally did not enter, then Rabbi Judah would agree that he can go only 2000 cubits from the point where he was when Shabbat began. Rabbi Judah proves that his halakhah is correct from a story concerning Rabbi Tarfon. Proving one’s halakhah with an actual occurrence is considered a strong means by which to prove something.

ר"י אומר יכנס – [he should enter] and walk through the city and outside of it two thousand cubits like the people of the city, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehudah.

בלא מתכוין – for he did not know that it had become dark for him when he was in the [Sabbath] limit of the city and he did not intend to make his Shabbat in the city but rather in his place.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

לאיזה רוח שירצה – he takes four cubits and after ascertaining one side, he cannot go back and ascertain another side.

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.

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.

היו שנים – [two people] standing six cubits apart from each other where two cubits of each one of them is enclosed with that of his fellow, they may bring and consume [food] within the two cubits as long as this one does not stretch his hand into the two outer [cubits of the other] (and the same applies in the other direction) for he has nothing in them and he takes out to there his bread and/or his belongings.

Introduction This mishnah deals with several people who are traveling on the road, fall asleep and wake up after Shabbat has begun, the situation described in yesterday’s mishnah.

והאמצעי מובלע ביניהם – two cubits within this one’s and two cubits within that one’s, he is permitted into each of them. He can turn this way and use with this one, and/or turn that way and use the other.

Two men, some of whose cubits enter into the cubits of the other, may bring their meals and eat them in the middle, provided that this one does not carry out anything from his limit into that of the other. Two men wake up and find that they both fell asleep and Shabbat began. As we learned yesterday, they cannot walk 2000 cubits because they did not have intention to spend Shabbat there. Basically what the mishnah teaches is that one’s four cubit circle is not extended by the other’s. If they have cubits which are shared by the two of them, they can bring their meals and eat them in the middle, but neither may go past his four cubit limit nor bring anything past his four cubit limit.

לג' חצרות – and they are all adjacent to each other.

If there were three men and the prescribed limit of the middle one overlapped with the limits of the others, he is permitted to eat with either of them and either of them is permitted to eat with him, but the two outer persons are forbidden to eat with one another. The same is true of three people who find themselves in the same situation. They may each go their four cubits. If one of them shares cubits with the other two, but the other two don’t share with each other, the middle one may go into their area and they may each go into his, but the two outer ones may not go into each other’s cubits. Perhaps, were it not for this mishnah, we might have thought that the person in the middle, who can walk in all three persons’ areas, allows the two outer persons to also go into all three others area. The mishnah says that this assumption would be incorrect.

פתוחות לרשות הרבים – for each one is a domain unto itself and they don’t have the benefit of crossing each to the other, but they ae not forbidden to each other.

Rabbi Shimon said: To what is this similar? To three courtyards that open one into the other and also into a public domain: If they made an eruv for the outer ones with the middle one, the middle one is permitted with them and they are permitted with it, but the two outer ones are forbidden access to one another. Rabbi Shimon draws an analogy between the above situation and the situation of three courtyards all open to one another and also open to the public domain. The fact that they are open to the public domain means that a person may not carry from one to the other without an eruv. If they made an eruv for the two outer one’s to carry into the middle one, then it is permitted to carry from the middle courtyard to the two outer ones and vice versa. However, it is still forbidden to carry from one of the outer courtyards into the other outer courtyard.

ערבו שתיהן עם האמצעית היא מותרת עמהן וכו' – But, the Rabbis differ from this opinion of Rabbi Shimon and state that they are all forbidden to each other now, but Rabbi Shimon would say to them: But isn’t this the case that there were three, and the middle person’s overlapped in the meantime but you admit that he is permitted with them and they (i.e., the other two) are permitted with him which is similar to three courtyards but why are you disputing with me regarding the three courtyards, but the Rabbis say to him: there, in the case of the three courtyards, because they are large, the two outer ones are prohibited to each other, let them come and remove from this one (i.e., the middle one) to theirs (i.e., the one’s that are external). But the [owner of the] middle [courtyard] did not pay attention and he did not remind them for they said, lest it is one of those who lodge in the middle [courtyard] who is permitted both in this one and from that one he removes something; but here, with three people, if one comes from one of the two outer [courtyards] to remove into two cubits of the other’s outer area, the middle one will give heed to it and remind him, but the Halakha is according to Rabbi Shimon regarding the three courtyards where the [residents of] the two outer ones are prohibited to each other [to carry from one to the other].

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.

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.

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].

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.

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.

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.

ואם אינו מכיר – a tree or a fence.

Introduction In this mishnah we learn of a debate concerning the measuring of the 2000 cubits which a person may walk on Shabbat.

או אינו בקי בהלכה – but he doesn’t know that it will benefit him when he says, that my Sabbath resting place is in a certain place, but he said “my Sabbath resting place is in its place,” he has acquired his place.

If he does not recognize [any tree or fence], or if he is not familiar with the halakhah, and said, “Let my present position be my Shabbat place”, his position acquires for him the right of movement two thousand cubits in any direction. In a circle, the words of Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus. But the sages say: the distances are square, in the shape of a square tablet, so that he may gain the area of the corners. The mishnah deals with a person who is traveling on the road and doesn’t recognize anything in the distance (as the person did in yesterday’s mishnah) or with a person who doesn’t know that the halakhah allows him to establish his Shabbat place at a distance by making an oral statement. He thinks that because he is far away from the point he recognizes that he can’t set up his 2000 cubit ring from there. The person then says that his present position is where he will spend Shabbat. He now has 2000 cubits within which to move in all directions. This halakhah is actually obvious; even if he didn’t make any statement he still has 2000 cubits in which to move. The halakhah is probably here as an introduction to the next section.

עגולות – that regarding the Cities of Refuge, when we appoint them, we derive two thousand cubits of the Sabbath limit, as it is written (Numbers 35:5): “[You shall measure off two thousand cubits outside the town on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west side, and two thousand on the north side, with the town in the center.] That shall be the pasture for their towns.” To this one you give corners (see Talmud Eruvin 51a) which are corner-pieces, but you don’t give corner-pieces to those who set up Sabbath resting places, but the Rabbis who required square expound upon this to include like this (i.e., square) it will be for all Sabbath resting places, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.

According to Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus, the 2000 cubits form a circle. That is to say one simply draws a circle with a 2000 cubit radius around the person and that is the area within which he may walk. The Sages hold that this area is actually a square, drawn around the 2000 cubit radius circle. The advantage to the sages’ position is that the corners of the square increase the area. The square’s total area is 4004 x 4004=16,032,016 cubits. Note that the additional four cubits takes into account the person’s personal four cubits which his body occupies. In contrast the circle’s area is 10022 (radius, including 2 for his own body) x 3.14 (pi)= 12,585,132 (approximately).

כטבלא מרובעת – Maimonides wrote that because it is impossible to make an exactly defined quadrangular, the Mishnah purposely taught "כטבלא מרובעת"/a square board, that is to say, as people are accustomed to make something square, even though it is not an exactly defined quadrangular.

נשכר את הזויות – four corners in its diameter of the quadrangular which is greater than the circle that is within it.

זה שאמרו – such as the case of one who is on the road and he doesn’t have bread with him, and now he is poor, the Sages permitted him to make an Eruv with his feet for Rabbi Meir holds that the essence of the Eruv is with bread and it is a leniency for they were lenient regarding the poor or someone who is coming on the road and he doesn’t have any bread to make an Eruv with his feet. But Rabbi Yehuda holds that the essence of the Eruv is with the foot and it is a leniency, for they made a leniency for the rich who is not able to walk on his feet that he may send his Eruv through an agent and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda. But both Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda are similar in that if a person says that his Sabbath resting place is in a certain place, he does not acquire a Sabbath resting place in the place that he said, other than if he is poor or comes on the road and doesn’t have any bread with him, but if he is rich, he must send bread in the place of his Sabbath rest, and he who says: “My Sabbath resting place is in this particular place” does not acquire there a Sabbath resting place other than if there is time left during the day where he can run and arrive there prior to the onset of darkness, and if he lacks that much time left during the day, at the hour that he states: “My Sabbath resting place is in a certain place,” he did not acquire a Sabbath resting place there.

Introduction In today’s mishnah we see another essential debate about how the Shabbat border eruv works. The debate is whether one has to put a meal in the place which he wants to establish as his Shabbat place, or whether his physical presence in that place is sufficient.

This is what [the rabbis] have said: “a poor man makes his eruv with his feet.” In the previous mishnayot we have seen several instances where a person traveling on the road says “Let this be my Shabbat place” and that statement alone has been sufficient to establish that place as the point from which he may walk 2000 cubits in each direction. Our mishnah applies to this halakhah the early rabbinic statement that “a poor man makes his eruv with his feet.” This means that the poor man traveling on the road need not have bread or a meal with him at the place which he establishes as his Shabbat place.

Rabbi Meir said: we can apply this law to a poor man only. According to Rabbi Meir, only a poor man can establish his Shabbat place by mere physical presence. A rich person, sitting in his house, must establish his Shabbat place with bread. He must bring the bread out to where he wants to set up his Shabbat place; his physical presence is not sufficient.

Rabbi Judah says: it applies to both rich and poor; they only said that an eruv is prepared with bread in order to make it easier for the rich man, so that he does not have to go out and make the eruv with his feet. According to Rabbi Judah, the halakhah that a person may make his eruv by mere physical presence without bread applies to all people, both rich and poor. The sages allowed a rich person to set his Shabbat place with bread (a meal) in order to make it easier for him. He may send some of his bread outside of the city and set his Shabbat place there, without him actually having to go there. However, bread is a leniency and not a requirement. In the Talmud they explain that Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Judah only debate whether a rich person sitting in his home can go outside of the city and establish his Shabbat place by being there when Shabbat begins. Rabbi Meir says he needs to set up a meal there as well. However, Rabbi Judah agrees that only a poor person traveling on the road can see a far away place and say that his Shabbat place will be there (see mishnah seven). A rich person in his house must either send a meal there or go there himself.

מי שיצא –[a person who left] from his city that the people of city sent him to bring to them an Eruv [with a piece of bread] in order that they would be able to walk on the morrow to a city that is making an Eruv for it that is near to them two Sabbath limits and one can walk from one to the other through [the use of] an Eruv.

Introduction Our mishnah deals with two towns which are located in close proximity to one another (within 4000 cubits), and the people from one town customarily set up an eruv so that they can get to the other town on Shabbat.

והחזירו חברו – for he said to him, it is a period of heat, or a period of cold.

One who left to go to a town with which [his home town is wished to be] connected by an eruv, but a friend of his returned him home, he himself is allowed to go to the other town but all the other townspeople are forbidden, the words of Rabbi Judah. This person left his town to go set up a communal eruv that would allow him and the other people of his town to travel from their town to a neighboring town. While on the way, his friend tells him that he will set up the eruv instead, but then his friend does not set up the eruv. According to Rabbi Judah, the person who went out to set up the eruv may go to the other town on Shabbat, even though his friend never set up the eruv for him and the rest of the town. Since this person began to go on the way to where he wanted to set up his Shabbat place, his situation is like the person in mishnah seven who was traveling and saw a familiar point. In other words, since he sees where he wants to go, he may establish his Shabbat place there at a distance. This is an eruv set up by physical presence just at a distance. However, the other people of the town who were relying on an eruv of a meal cannot go to the other town because their eruv was not set up. They get the normal 2000 cubits in all directions

הוא מותר לילך – on the next day to the same other city for since he took possession of the path in order to purchase a Sabbath resting place at the end of two-thousand cubits away from the city, he is like a poor person who states that “my Sabbath resting place is in a certain place,” and he has acquired there his resting place.

Rabbi Meir says: whoeve is able to prepare an eruv and neglected to do so is like one who is both a donkey-driver and a camel-driver. Rabbi Meir disagrees with Rabbi Judah concerning the person who began to go on the road in order to set up his eruv. According to Rabbi Meir this person loses in both ways. He doesn’t get to go all the way to the city, because he didn’t set up his eruv, neither with bread, nor with a full declaration of “my Shabbat place shall be here.” However, he is also not allowed to walk 2000 cubits around his own city lest he did set for himself a “Shabbat place” on the way to the other city. All he may do is walk 2000 cubits from his city to the other city. Rabbi Meir compares this to a person driving a camel and a donkey, standing in between the two (see above 3:4, where we explained this image).

וכל בני עירו אסורין – for they did not take possession of the path and they have nothing other than two-thousand cubits in every direction from their city.

רמ"א וכו'- Rabbi Meir doubts whether he is poor since he left from his house and took possession of the path or perhaps because he was able to make an Eruv with bread or he didn’t make an Eruv, he is not a poor man; therefore he is an ass driver [or] a camel driver, who does not have two-thousand cubits from his city in every direction lest his Sabbath resting place is in the place where he was walking to bring there the Eruv at the end of the two-thousand [cubits] from his city and at the end of the two-thousand [cubits] from his city, he also did not acquire two-thousand [cubits] towards the side of another city – lest he did not acquire a Sabbath resting place other than in his own home, but the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.

אפילו אמה אחת לא יכנס – and he doesn’t have anything other than four cubits from here and four cubits from there, and even though his four cubits is enclosed within the [Sabbath] limits of the city, we do not say that since he arrived, he arrived, for he holds that the enclosure of Sabbath limits isn’t anything.

Introduction The first section of this mishnah deals with someone who goes beyond the Shabbat limit without having permission to do so. The second mishnah deals with someone who is just outside the city’s Shabbat limits on Friday when dusk comes. In both cases the issue at hand is may he enter the Shabbat limit after Shabbat has begun.

שתים יכנס – Rabbi Eliezer, according to his reasoning who said, that he is in their middle, for at the end of the two-thousand [cubits], he has four cubits – two from this side within the [Sabbath] limit and two from that side at the end of the [Sabbath] limit; therefore, if he would stand in the second cubit, he could enter for the enclosure/absorption of [Sabbath] limits matters, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer.

One who went out beyond his Shabbat limit, even one cubit may not re-enter. Rabbi Eliezer says: [if he went] two cubits [beyond his Shabbat limit] he may re-enter, three cubits he may not re-enter. According to the first opinion in the mishnah, once someone goes beyond his Shabbat limit, he may not come back inside the border. He may now move only four cubits in each direction. Rabbi Eliezer holds that if he is two cubits or less outside the border, he may come back in. According to Rabbi Eliezer a person can always walk two cubits in each direction (above mishnah five) and therefore he can come back into the border. However, if he is more than two cubits outside the border he may not come back.

מי שהחשיך – that he was coming from the path and it became dark for him outside the [Sabbath] limits.

One who was overtaken by dusk when only one cubit [outside the Shabbat limit] may not enter [the Shabbat border]. Rabbi Shimon says: even if he was fifteen cubits away he may enter since the surveyors do not measure exactly on account of those who err. If the person is not within the Shabbat border at dusk, he may not enter after Shabbat begins, even if he is only one cubit outside the border. If he intended for that place to be his “Shabbat place” then he may walk 2000 cubits in all directions, but he may not enter the city. The Talmud Yerushalmi explains that Rabbi Eliezer also disagrees with this clause and holds that if he is within two cubits of the border, he may enter. Rabbi Shimon holds that even if he is fifteen cubits outside of the border, he still may enter because when the surveyors set up their marks of Shabbat limits, they do not measure precisely. This is explained in two different ways. One explanation is that the surveyors leave fifteen cubits extra so that if people take a few steps beyond the Shabbat limit, they can come back. The other explanation is that the surveyors themselves make mistakes and these mistakes are typically up to fifteen cubits.

לא יכנס – because he did not acquire a Sabbath resting place in his place because he did not reveal his intention that he wanted to acquire a Sabbath resting place in his place. But in the city, he did not acquire a Sabbath resting place because between him and the city there is more than two-thousand cubits, therefore, he has nothing other than four cubits according to the law of “he who went outside the Sabbath limits.”

עד ט"ו אמה – not exactly, for the same law applies a little bit less or a little bit more. But there are those who interpret fifteen [cubits] exactly, and I don’t know how to reconcile this well.

המשוחות – those who measure the [Sabbath] limits (i.e., the surveyors) for the cities and make a sign at the end of the [Sabbath] limit, they do not measure to make the sign of two-thousand exactly but mark within the limits in order to allow for mistakes (see Talmud Eruvin 52b) who do not recognize the sign and sometimes they go out further than it, and they are not paying attention to it; because of this, it is was customary always to contract within the two-thousand, so that it would be that these fifteen cubits are within the [Sabbath] limits and since this individual was the victim of an accident, we permit him to enter and we are not stringent with him, for just as we are stringent with someone who left outside of the [Sabbath] limits and there, he had to be careful to pay attention that he should not leave, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.