Eruvin 59b

עירובין נ״ט ע״ב

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Topic

Making an עירוב for a city: splitting it into halves, separate alleyways, the number of entrances, and the status of a ladder

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about making an עירוב for a city and then works through several of its lines. First the גמרא asks which תנא allows an עירוב for a city with a רשות הרבים running through it. רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע answers that it is רבי יהודה, who lets a person close off a public street with a לחי or קורה, while the חכמים disagree. Next comes the ברייתא's rule that a city may not get an עירוב in halves. In one version, רב פפא allows a split across the width, and even רבי עקיבא could agree because each half has its own gate. In a second version, רב פפא forbids any split, and even the רבנן could agree because the public road cannot be shut off. The גמרא then explains that separate עירובין for each מבוי work when the alleys put up a דקה, backed by a teaching of רב חסדא. A story follows in which אביי shows רבי זירא that a town needs a שיור once a garbage heap blocking its second entrance is cleared. Finally, רב נחמן teaches that a ladder counts as a wall at the end of an area but as an entrance between two courtyards. The גמרא then begins a challenge to רב נחמן that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. StatementEnd of the ברייתא: a public city with one entrance can have one עירוב
2. QuestionWho holds that an עירוב can work for a public road?
3. ResponseIt is רבי יהודה
4. Proofרבי יהודה lets a person close off a public street between his two houses
5. StatementThe חכמים disagree with רבי יהודה
6. StatementNo עירוב in halves only applies when the city is split lengthwise
7. QuestionWhose view does רב פפא follow?
8. ResponseNot like רבי עקיבא, whose 'foot' rule would forbid it
9. RejectionEven רבי עקיבא could agree with רב פפא
10. StatementSecond version: no split at all, even across the width
11. QuestionDoes the strict version follow only רבי עקיבא?
12. RejectionEven the רבנן could agree with the strict version
13. ChallengeWhy is a separate עירוב for each מבוי allowed?
14. ResolutionThe alleyways put up a partition
15. ProofSupport from רב חסדא about a partition
16. Statementרבי זירא includes the whole town in the עירוב
17. Questionאביי asks why there was no שיור
18. Responseרבי זירא relies on what the elders reported
19. RejectionThe real reason was a garbage heap
20. Conclusionרבי זירא admits he did not know
21. QuestionA ladder on one side and an entrance on the other
22. Responseרבה: a ladder counts as an entrance
23. Rejectionרב נחמן: that is not the full quote
24. StatementWhen a ladder is a wall and when it is an entrance
25. ChallengeDid רב נחמן really say this?