Eruvin 46b

עירובין מ״ו ע״ב

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Topic

Why רבי יהושע בן לוי needed two rulings on עירוב, and the rules for deciding הלכה between תנאים, which רב משרשיא challenges

Overview

The גמרא gives two more reasons why רבי יהושע בן לוי needed two rulings about עירוב. רב פפא says we might have been lenient only in עירובי חצירות and not in עירובי תחומין. רב אשי says we might have been lenient only in שיורי עירוב and not in תחילת עירוב. Each distinction is proven from a משנה, one of רבי יהודה and one of רבי יוסי. The גמרא then brings general rules for deciding between תנאים. רבי עקיבא, רבי יוסי, and רבי usually win, and there is a ranking of רבי יוסי above רבי יהודה, and רבי יהודה above רבי מאיר and רבי שמעון. The question of רבי מאיר against רבי שמעון stays as תיקו. רב משרשיא says these rules cannot be relied on. The גמרא searches for his source: a first proof is rejected, and a second משנה, about a city that changes ownership, begins at the end of the amud and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. Resolutionרב פפא: we might have thought leniency applies only to עירובי חצירות
2. QuestionHow do we know עירובי חצירות and עירובי תחומין are treated differently?
3. Proofרבי יהודה's משנה: an עירוב חצירות can be made without the person knowing
4. Resolutionרב אשי: we might have thought leniency applies only to an existing עירוב
5. QuestionHow do we know an existing עירוב and a new עירוב are treated differently?
6. Proofרבי יוסי's משנה: an existing עירוב needs only a tiny amount
7. ProofWhy we still make a courtyard עירוב
8. StatementRules for deciding: רבי עקיבא, רבי יוסי, and רבי
9. QuestionHow binding are these rules?
10. ResponseThree levels: הלכה, מטין, נראין
11. Statementרבי יוחנן's ranking: רבי מאיר, רבי יהודה, רבי יוסי
12. Statementרב אסי adds a rule: רבי יוסי beats רבי שמעון
13. ProofThe proof: if רבי יהודה beats רבי שמעון, surely רבי יוסי does
14. QuestionWhat about רבי מאיר against רבי שמעון?
15. ConclusionThe question is left unresolved
16. Statementרב משרשיא: these deciding rules do not hold
17. QuestionWhere did רב משרשיא learn this?
18. ResponseA suggested source: רבי שמעון's three courtyards
19. Proofרב rules like רבי שמעון against רבי יהודה
20. ProofThe ruling contradicts the general rule, so the rules must be unreliable
21. RejectionThe proof is rejected because the rules only apply where nothing explicit was said
22. ResponseA second source: the משנה about a city that changes ownership