Eruvin 18b

עירובין י״ח ע״ב

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

Open Eruvin 18b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The creation of חוה, rules of צניעות in walking behind a woman, and a series of aggadic sayings of רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר

Overview

This amud is a long chain of aggadic teachings. It begins by finishing a דרשה on ויבן: חוה was built like a storehouse, wide below so she can carry a child. From ויביאה אל האדם we learn that הקב"ה served as אדם's שושבין, so a great person should serve a lesser one. רב נחמן בר יצחק says that on the פרצוף view the man walked in front, and he brings a ברייתא forbidding a man to walk behind a woman. A related ברייתא warns that handing money to a woman as an excuse to gaze at her leads to the judgment of גיהנם. רב נחמן calls מנוח an עם הארץ for walking after his wife. רב נחמן בר יצחק answers that 'after her' means following her advice, as with אלקנה and אלישע, and רבי יוחנן then ranks what one should not walk behind. The rest of the amud is a series of sayings of רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר. They cover אדם fathering demons, with a challenge from רבי מאיר and its answer, partial praise to a person's face, the dove's olive leaf, תורה at night protecting a home, the two-letter Name יה after the חורבן, and the curses of בבל and שומרון. The proof about שומרון continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. StatementWoman is built like a storehouse
2. StatementThe הקב"ה served as אדם's best man
3. QuestionWho walked in front, אדם or חוה?
4. Responseרב נחמן בר יצחק: the man walked in front
5. ProofProof: a man should not walk behind a woman
6. StatementHanding money to a woman in order to look at her
7. ProofThe פסוק: hand to hand, the evil will not be cleared
8. Statementרב נחמן: מנוח was an עם הארץ
9. ChallengeObjection from אלקנה and אלישע
10. RejectionFollowing her words and advice
11. Statementרב אשי: מנוח never even learned as a child
12. Statementרבי יוחנן ranks what one should not walk behind
13. Statementאדם fathered spirits and demons during his years of נידוי
14. ProofProof from the פסוק that אדם fathered שת in his image only at 130
15. Challengeרבי מאיר says אדם separated from his wife for 130 years
16. ResolutionThe demons came from seed released unintentionally
17. StatementSay only part of a person's praise to his face
18. ProofProof from how הקב"ה described נח
19. StatementThe dove's olive leaf: bitter food from הקב"ה
20. ProofWord link: 'טרף' means food
21. StatementA house with תורה at night is never destroyed
22. ProofProof from איוב: songs in the night
23. StatementAfter the חורבן בית המקדש, two letters of God's Name are enough
24. ProofProof from the פסוק 'כל הנשמה תהלל יה'
25. Statementבבל's curse hurt its neighbors; שומרון's curse helped its neighbors
26. ProofProof that בבל's neighbors suffered
27. ProofProof that שומרון's neighbors were blessed (begins)