Eruvin 18a

עירובין י״ח ע״א

Learn Eruvin 18a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

פסי ביראות and which תנאים the משנה fits; then דיומדין and רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר's teaching that אדם הראשון had two faces

Overview

This amud finishes the משנה about פסי ביראות, the boards placed around a well so that festival pilgrims can water their animals on שבת. The תנא קמא lets the enclosure be any size, as long as more boards are added, while רבי יהודה limits it to בית סאתים. The חכמים answer that this limit applies only to a גינה or קרפף. The גמרא then checks whether the משנה can fit the views of חנניא, רבי עקיבא and רבי יהודה בן בבא, and each time it shows that it can. Next it explains the word דיומדין as 'two posts' (דיו עמודין) from רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר. This leads to a list of his other teachings, beginning with his statement that אדם הראשון was created with two faces. רב and שמואל argue whether the צלע used to build חוה was a face or a tail. The גמרא tests both views against several פסוקים. The discussion of 'ויבן' continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. StatementThe enclosure may be made as big as you like
2. Statementרבי יהודה limits the size to בית סאתים
3. RejectionThe חכמים say the בית סאתים limit applies only to a garden or storage yard
4. ChallengeDoes our משנה disagree with חנניא?
5. ResolutionA cistern is different from a well
6. ChallengeSecond version: חנניא makes no difference between a cistern and a well
7. Resolutionחנניא was only answering what the תנא קמא said
8. ChallengeDoes the משנה go against רבי עקיבא? His ruling on cisterns and wells
9. ChallengeOur משנה says boards are for wells only, not cisterns
10. ResolutionThe משנה can follow רבי עקיבא after all
11. ChallengeDoes the משנה contradict רבי יהודה בן בבא?
12. Resolution'Wells' means the ordinary public wells
13. QuestionWhat does the word דיומדין mean?
14. Responseדיומדין means two posts
15. StatementA memory aid for a list of teachings
16. QuestionWhat is a דיופרא?
17. Responseעולא: a tree that fruits twice a year
18. Statementאדם הראשון was created with two faces
19. Statementרב and שמואל argue about the צלע
20. ChallengeHow does the tail view explain 'behind and before'?
21. Resolutionרבי אמי's reading answers the tail view
22. ChallengeWhat does 'first for punishment' mean?
23. ResolutionFirst for punishment means the מבול
24. ChallengeWhy does 'וייצר' have two יודין?
25. ResolutionThe double letter teaches that a person is pulled two ways
26. ChallengeHow does the tail view read 'Male and female He created them'?
27. ResolutionTwo were planned, but only one was created
28. ChallengeHow does the tail view read 'He closed up the flesh in its place'?
29. ResolutionThe tail view explains 'closing the flesh' as closing the cut
30. ChallengeThe word 'built' fits the tail view, but what does it mean for the face view?
31. Resolution'Built' means הקדוש ברוך הוא braided חוה's hair
32. ResolutionAnother reading: חוה was built like a structure