Gemara Clarity

Eruvin 62a

עירובין ס״ב ע״א

Learn Eruvin 62a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Eruvin 62a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

A נכרי in a shared courtyard: the גזירה behind the carrying ban, why a נכרי won't rent out his rights, and the ברייתא of רבי מאיר and רבי אליעזר בן יעקב

Overview

The משנה taught that a Jew who shares a courtyard with a נכרי may not carry there unless he rents the נכרי's rights. רבי אליעזר בן יעקב said this applies only when two Jews live there. The scholars first assume the argument is about whether a נכרי's home counts as a real דירה, but that leaves רבי אליעזר בן יעקב making no sense. אביי proves from a ברייתא that a נכרי's courtyard is like an animal pen, so everyone agrees it is not a real דירה. The real argument is about a rabbinic גזירה, made so that the Jew will not learn from the נכרי's ways. רבי אליעזר בן יעקב applies it only to the common case of two Jews, while רבי מאיר says even a lone Jew sometimes lives there. The גזירה works because a נכרי will not rent out his rights. The גמרא defines a full rental (with legal documents and officials) and a flawed one (without them). It explains that the נכרי fears losing his property under a full rental and fears כשפים under a token one. Finally, the גמרא returns to the ברייתא and quotes the full disagreement between רבי מאיר and רבי אליעזר בן יעקב.

Opening lines

גְּמָ׳

GEMARA:

יָתֵיב אַבָּיֵי בַּר אָבִין וְרַב חִינָּנָא בַּר אָבִין,

Abaye bar Avin and Rav Chinana bar Avin were sitting,

וְיָתֵיב אַבָּיֵי גַּבַּיְיהוּ,

and Abaye was sitting beside them,

וְיָתְבִי וְקָאָמְרִי:

and they sat and said:

The steps (19)

  1. StatementThe scholars assume the dispute is about whether a non-Jew's home counts as a residence
  2. ChallengeThe opinion of רבי אליעזר בן יעקב seems to make no sense
  3. Rejectionאביי proves רבי מאיר does not consider a non-Jew's home a residence
  4. ResolutionEveryone agrees it is not a residence; they argue about a rabbinic decree
  5. Resolutionרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: the decree covers only two Jews
  6. Resolutionרבי מאיר: even one Jew sometimes lives there
  7. StatementHow the decree works: the gentile must rent, and he won't
  8. QuestionWhy won't the gentile rent? A first suggestion
  9. ChallengeThe problem: a token rental should not scare him
  10. StatementThe source: רב חסדא and רב ששת's dispute
  11. QuestionWhat exactly is a flawed rental versus a full rental?
  12. ChallengeFrom a נכרי, even less than a פרוטה works
  13. ProofFor a נכרי, less than a פרוטה still counts as money
  14. ResponseNew definition: legal documents and officials
  15. ChallengeThe question returns: why refuse even a token rental?
  16. ResolutionThe נכרי fears witchcraft
  17. StatementReturning to the ברייתא: A Gentile's Courtyard Is Like an Animal Pen
  18. Statementרבי מאיר: Even One Jew Living There Is Forbidden
  19. Statementרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: Only When Two Jews Live There