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Eruvin 41a

עירובין מ״א ע״א

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Topic

Eating before a fast that touches שבת: when תשעה באב falls next to שבת, how much may one eat beforehand, and must one finish the fast on ערב שבת?

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about eating before a fast that touches שבת. When ערב תשעה באב is on שבת, one may eat a full feast. When תשעה באב itself falls on ערב שבת, the first opinion says one eats a כביצה so as not to enter שבת fasting, and ר' עקיבא did this to show his students. ר' יוסי disagrees and says one fasts until night. The חכמים answer his argument: leaving שבת hungry after eating all day is not the same as entering שבת after fasting all day. עולא rules like ר' יוסי. The גמרא challenges this ruling from רבן גמליאל's view, which was the fixed הלכה in his day. It answers that each generation followed its own leader, and then debates a family story about a postponed תשעה באב. Finally אביי reminds רב יוסף of the source for the ruling, and the גמרא begins to question whether that source really covers ערב שבת. That discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְכֵן עֶרֶב תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב

And so too, the eve of the Ninth of Av

שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת,

that happens to fall on Shabbat

אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה כׇּל צָרְכּוֹ,

he eats and drinks all that he needs

וּמַעֲלֶה עַל שׁוּלְחָנוֹ

and he may bring up onto his table

The steps (20)

  1. StatementA full meal is allowed when the day before the fast is שבת
  2. StatementWhen תשעה באב falls on Friday, one eats an egg-sized amount
  3. Proofרבי עקיבא ate an egg to teach the הלכה
  4. Statementרבי יוסי: one must complete the fast
  5. Questionרבי יוסי asks whether they agree about תשעה באב on Sunday
  6. ResponseThe חכמים agree
  7. Challengeרבי יוסי: entering or leaving שבת afflicted is the same
  8. RejectionThe חכמים: leaving after a full day of eating is different
  9. Statementעולא rules like רבי יוסי
  10. ChallengeA source showing רבן גמליאל did not complete the fast on Friday
  11. ProofThe הלכה was firmly fixed like רבן גמליאל
  12. ResolutionEach generation followed its own leader
  13. ChallengeQuestioning whether רבן גמליאל's generation really followed him
  14. ProofInference: on the eve of a festival, they completed the fast
  15. ResolutionA rabbinic festival is different from שבת
  16. Statementרב יוסף does not remember the ruling
  17. Proofאביי reminds רב יוסף of the source
  18. ProofDoes the חכמים' view cover every case?
  19. RejectionOnly חנוכה and פורים
  20. ProofThis reading is also logical