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Eruvin 34b

עירובין ל״ד ע״ב

Learn Eruvin 34b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

An עירוב that is hard to reach: in a pit, on top of a reed, or in a locked cupboard

Overview

The גמרא finishes asking where an עירוב placed in a deep pit is valid. It settles on a pit in a כרמלית, following רבי's rule that a rabbinic prohibition (שבות) does not apply during בין השמשות. A new משנה teaches that an עירוב on top of a detached reed or pole stuck in the ground is valid, even a hundred אמות high. רב אדא בר מתנא asks how the earlier clause can follow רבי while this one seems to follow the רבנן. רב חסדא accepts the split. רבינא says the whole משנה is רבי, and the reed case has its own worry that he might snap the reed off. A story about רב נחמן letting students sit on pressed-down marsh reeds on שבת leads to a distinction between hard reeds, which count as trees, and soft reeds, which count as vegetables. A last משנה rules that an עירוב locked in a cupboard with a lost key is still valid. The גמרא explains this as a cupboard of loosely stacked bricks, following רבי מאיר, and then limits it to יום טוב. That limit is challenged from רבי אליעזר's distinction between a key lost in the city and one lost in the field, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

פְּשִׁיטָא! רְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד עוֹלָה עַד לָרָקִיעַ,

It is obvious! The private domain rises up to the sky,

וְכִי הֵיכִי דְּסָלְקָא לְעֵיל,

and just as it goes up above,

הָכִי נָמֵי דְּנָחֲתָא לְתַחַת.

so too it goes down below.

וְאֶלָּא דְּקָאֵי בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים.

Rather, it is a case where the pit is located in the public domain.

The steps (25)

  1. ChallengeA pit inside a private domain makes the ruling obvious
  2. ResolutionSuggesting the pit is in a public domain
  3. ChallengeBoth options in a public domain fail
  4. ResolutionThe case is a pit in a כרמלית, resting above
  5. ResolutionFollowing רבי: no rabbinic decree at twilight
  6. StatementNew משנה: an עירוב on top of a reed or pole
  7. ChallengeThe reed case seems to follow the רבנן, but the earlier case followed רבי
  8. Resolutionרב חסדא: the first clause is רבי and the later clause is the רבנן
  9. Resolutionרבינא: the whole משנה is רבי, with a special worry about snapping the reed
  10. StatementAn army in נהרדעא and רב נחמן's instruction to press down reeds
  11. ChallengeChallenge to רב נחמן from the משנה about reeds
  12. Resolutionרב נחמן: the משנה is about hard reeds
  13. ProofSource for the hard/soft distinction: two ברייתות that clash
  14. ConclusionThe contradiction is solved: hard reeds are trees, soft reeds are vegetables
  15. ChallengeIs קידה really a vegetable? A משנה calls it a tree
  16. Resolutionרב פפא: plain קידה and white קידה are different plants
  17. StatementThe משנה: an עירוב in a Locked Cupboard with a Lost Key
  18. ChallengeWhy Is It Valid if He Cannot Reach It?
  19. ResolutionA Brick Cupboard, Following רבי מאיר
  20. ProofThe Source for רבי מאיר's View
  21. Challengeשמואל Limited That משנה to Loosely Stacked Bricks
  22. ResolutionOur Cupboard Is Also Loosely Stacked Bricks
  23. Challengeרבי זירא limits breaking open to יום טוב
  24. ResolutionOur משנה is also about יום טוב
  25. ChallengeWhy would city versus field matter on Yom Tov?