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Eruvin 48b

עירובין מ״ח ע״ב

Learn Eruvin 48b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Three courtyards in a row: why the outer courtyards stay forbidden to each other, רב אשי's defense of רב יהודה and רב ששת, and רב's view that the משנה follows רבי שמעון

Overview

The משנה teaches that when two outer courtyards each make an ערוב with a middle courtyard, the middle one is permitted with each of them, but the two outer courtyards stay forbidden to each other. רב ששת explains that the outer courtyards placed their ערוב in two different houses in the middle courtyard, so they never joined each other. The גמרא asks whether this follows only בית שמאי, who reject an ערוב split into two vessels. It answers that even בית הלל agree when the ערוב is split between two separate houses. Then רב אחא בריה דרב אויא tells רב אשי that both רב יהודה's and רב ששת's explanations are difficult. רב אשי answers both. The outer courtyards showed that they did not want to join each other, and the outer residents count as residents of the middle courtyard only to make things easier, never to make them stricter. Finally, רב יהודה quotes רב: the משנה's permission to carry in both directions follows רבי שמעון, while the חכמים allow carrying only from the outer courtyards into the middle one. רב יהודה then begins to report שמואל's reaction to this teaching, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בִּשְׁנֵי בָתִּים.

in two separate houses.

כְּמַאן? כְּבֵית שַׁמַּאי,

In accordance with whom? With Beit Shammai,

דְּתַנְיָא: חֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁגָּבוּ אֶת עֵירוּבָן

as it was taught: five people who collected their eiruv

וּנְתָנוּהוּ בִּשְׁנֵי כֵלִים,

and placed it in two utensils,

The steps (10)

  1. StatementEnd of רב ששת's explanation: the ערוב was in two houses
  2. ChallengeDoes רב ששת follow only בית שמאי?
  3. ResolutionEven בית הלל agree when the ערוב is in two houses
  4. Challengeרב אחא tells רב אשי: both explanations are difficult
  5. ChallengeThe problem with רב יהודה: the middle courtyard acts for both
  6. ChallengeThe problem with רב ששת's explanation: it should be like five residents where one forgot
  7. Resolutionרב אשי defends רב יהודה: the outer courtyards showed they did not want to join each other
  8. Resolutionרב אשי defends רב ששת: they count as residents only to make things easier
  9. Statementרב: the משנה follows רבי שמעון, but the חכמים permit only one direction
  10. Statementרב יהודה brings רב's teaching to שמואל