Eruvin 39a

עירובין ל״ט ע״א

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Topic

Walking to set up an עירוב as forbidden preparation, רב יהודה's rules for עירוב on two holy days in a row, and whether the two days of ראש השנה may be treated as separate days

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a challenge to רבה. A ברייתא forbids strolling by the city gate on שבת in order to reach the bathhouse right after, so walking on יום טוב to set up an עירוב for the next day should be forbidden too. The גמרא answers that the bathhouse case is obvious to onlookers, but someone walking to make an עירוב just looks like a scholar lost in thought or a man searching for his donkey. Then, with the word גופא, the גמרא returns to רב יהודה's rules for two holy days in a row. You may repeat the same kind of עירוב, and you may switch from bread to feet, but you may not switch from feet to bread. שמואל adds that a bread עירוב for the second day must use the same bread. רב אשי supports this from a משנה, while the רבנן reply that the משנה is only giving good advice. A new משנה follows in which רבי יהודה treats the two days of ראש השנה separately: a different עירוב for each day, a tithing condition on a basket, and an egg laid on the first day eaten on the second. רבי דוסא בן הרכינס also words the prayer conditionally, and each time the חכמים disagree. The גמרא asks who these חכמים are, and רב answers רבי יוסי. A ברייתא shows that רבי יוסי alone forbids two עירובין on ראש השנה, because late witnesses make both days holy, so the two days form one holiness.

Opening lines

The steps (17)

1. Challengeרבה would have retracted had he heard the ברייתא
2. Rejectionרבה heard it and did not retract: the cases differ
3. ResolutionWhy walking to make an עירוב looks innocent
4. Statementרב יהודה: use the same type of עירוב on both days
5. StatementSwitching from bread to feet is allowed, but not from feet to bread
6. Statementשמואל: Continuing a bread עירוב requires the same bread
7. Proofרב אשי shows the משנה's wording supports שמואל
8. RejectionOther רבנן: The משנה is only giving good advice
9. StatementNew משנה: רבי יהודה lets a person set a different עירוב for each day of ראש השנה
10. StatementThe חכמים disagree with רבי יהודה
11. Statementרבי יהודה: a condition on a basket of produce
12. StatementAn egg laid on the first day, and the חכמים disagree
13. Statementרבי דוסא בן הרכינס: a conditional prayer wording
14. QuestionWho are the Sages who disagreed?
15. Responseרב: it is רבי יוסי
16. ProofThe ברייתא: most Sages allow two עירובין on ראש השנה, but רבי יוסי forbids
17. Challengeרבי יוסי proves the two days of ראש השנה form one holiness