Eruvin 44b

עירובין מ״ד ע״ב

Learn Eruvin 44b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Eruvin 44b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Walls made of people (knowingly versus unknowingly), and a משנה about someone who left his תחום with permission, leading to the debate over הבלעת תחומין

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion about using a person as a wall (מחיצה). The גמרא settles two ברייתות that seem to clash: a person who knows he is serving as a wall does not count, but a person who does not know does count. It defends this rule using the story of רבי נחמיה and רב חסדא. Then it tells stories that show the rule in practice: שמואל flogged a wedding party that used people who knew, רבא forbade a repeat with the flasks in מחוזא, and several חכמים had things brought to them through walls of people who did not know. A new משנה follows about a man who left his תחום with permission and was told his trip was no longer needed. רבה and רב שימי בר חייא explain differently what 'within the limit, it is as if he never left' means. The גמרא shows that their argument rests on whether הבלעת תחומין, the overlapping of שבת limits, counts. אביי challenges רבה from a cave case, רבה answers by pointing to partitions set before שבת, and אביי begins to push back, with the discussion continuing on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. ChallengeThe person-versus-person contradiction remains
2. ResolutionKnowingly versus unknowingly
3. ChallengeChallenge from the story of רבי נחמיה
4. ResolutionThe people in that story did not know
5. ChallengeBut רב חסדא knew
6. Resolutionרב חסדא was not one of the people making up the wall
7. Proofשמואל punishes a wedding party for using a wall of people who knew
8. Proofרבא allows the flasks once but forbids it the next week
9. ProofSages who had things brought to them through walls of people
10. StatementNew משנה: someone who left with permission and is told it is no longer needed
11. StatementIf he is still within the limit, it is as if he never left
12. StatementEveryone who goes out to rescue may return to his place
13. QuestionWhat does 'as if he never left' mean?
14. Responseרבה: It is as if he never left his house
15. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
16. ResolutionWe might have thought setting out cancelled his home base
17. Responseרב שימי בר חייא: The new limit overlaps the old one
18. QuestionWhat is the root of their argument?
19. ResponseDo overlapping limits count?
20. Challengeאביי challenges רבה from a cave case
21. ResolutionThe cave is different: he settled inside partitions before שבת
22. ChallengeDoes overlap never work without partitions?