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Eruvin 105a

עירובין ק״ה ע״א

Learn Eruvin 105a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who removes impurity from the מקדש and who may enter the היכל for repairs; the cases behind רבי שמעון's principle; the end of מסכת עירובין.

Overview

רבי יוחנן shows that רבי שמעון בן ננס and רבי עקיבא learn their dispute about removing a שרץ from the מקדש from the same פסוק. In that פסוק, כהנים carried impurity out of the היכל and handed it to לויים in the courtyard. רבי שמעון בן ננס reads the handoff as proof that the עזרה needs no removal. רבי עקיבא reads it as a way to spare the כהנים from extra impurity. A ברייתא then teaches that anyone may enter the היכל to build, repair, or remove impurity: כהנים first, then לויים, then ישראלים, but only if they are טהור. רב כהנא's ברייתא disagrees and sends in even a טמא or blemished כהן before any ישראל. The גמרא asks whether a טמא or a בעל מום should go first. רב and רבי אלעזר give opposite answers, and the question is not decided. Next, the גמרא shows which cases רבי שמעון's principle in the משנה refers to: the person just outside the תחום, and the broken harp string, where only a bow (a שבות) is allowed and not a knot. The amud ends with the הדרן, completing מסכת עירובין.

Opening lines

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן,

Rabbi Yochanan said:

וּשְׁנֵיהֶם מִקְרָא אֶחָד דָּרְשׁוּ:

And both of them expounded one verse:

״וַיָּבֹאוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים לִפְנִימָה בֵית ה׳

"And the priests came into the inner part of the House of God

לְטַהֵר וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֵת כׇּל הַטּוּמְאָה

to purify it, and they brought out all the impurity

The steps (18)

  1. StatementBoth opinions come from the same verse
  2. Statementרבי שמעון בן ננס: the switch shows the courtyard needs no removal
  3. Statementרבי עקיבא: the switch only avoids making priests impure
  4. StatementAnyone may enter the Sanctuary for repairs or removing impurity, with priests preferred
  5. StatementOnly people who are pure may enter
  6. Statementרב כהנא's ברייתא opens with a possible thought about blemished priests
  7. StatementThe word 'only' divides the rule: best people first, others if needed
  8. StatementEither way, only priests may enter, not Israelites
  9. QuestionImpure priest or blemished priest: who goes first?
  10. Responseרב: the impure priest goes in
  11. Responseרבי אלעזר: the blemished priest goes in
  12. QuestionWhich case is רבי שמעון's principle about?
  13. ResponseIt refers to someone just outside the תחום
  14. ResponseThe dispute over entering from fifteen אמות
  15. QuestionWhich case does 'they only permitted שבות' refer to?
  16. ResponseIt refers to the broken harp string in the מקדש
  17. ResponseWhy a bow is allowed but a knot is not
  18. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק המוצא תפילין and מסכת עירובין