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Eruvin 77a

עירובין ע״ז ע״א

Learn Eruvin 77a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

עירובין 77a: Using the wall between two courtyards. Lifting food onto it, assigning it to the side with easy use, and lowering its height with a removed stone or a buried basin.

Overview

This amud deals with the wall between two courtyards. רבי יוחנן says each courtyard may even lift food up onto a narrow wall-top. The גמרא explains that this applies only when the top is smaller than four by four טפחים, and that this fits his ruling reported by רב דימי. רב is stricter, because two courtyards are only rabbinic domains, and חכמים reinforced their own laws. Next, רב נחמן teaches that a wall or a ditch that is easy for one courtyard to use and hard for the other is given to the side with easy use. A צריכותא explains why both cases had to be taught. The גמרא then discusses lowering a wall, either by removing a piece from its top or by placing an overturned basin next to it. This leads to a debate about when a basin buried in the ground may no longer be moved on שבת, and that debate continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר:

And Rabbi Yochanan said:

אֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין מִכָּאן וְאוֹכְלִין,

These may lift food up from here and eat,

וְאֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין מִכָּאן וְאוֹכְלִין.

and those may lift food up from here and eat.

תְּנַן:

We learned in the Mishnah:

The steps (20)

  1. Statementרבי יוחנן allows lifting food onto the wall
  2. ChallengeThe משנה says 'climb,' not 'lift'
  3. ResolutionIt depends on the size of the wall-top
  4. ProofThis fits רבי יוחנן's other ruling
  5. ChallengeDoes רב reject רב דימי's ruling?
  6. ResolutionTorah domains versus rabbinic domains
  7. StatementA wall high on one side and level on the other
  8. ConclusionEasy use beats hard use
  9. StatementA ditch between two courtyards goes to the side where it is level
  10. ResolutionWhy the wall case alone would not teach the ditch case
  11. ConclusionWhy the ditch case alone would not teach the wall case
  12. StatementLowering part of a wall: four handbreadths makes the whole wall usable
  13. ChallengeChallenge: the narrow lowered section should help either fully or not at all
  14. Resolutionרבינא: a stone was actually removed from the top of the wall
  15. Statementרב יחיאל: an upside-down basin lowers the wall
  16. ChallengeChallenge: a basin can be moved on שבת
  17. ResolutionAnswer: the basin was attached to the ground
  18. ChallengeChallenge: attaching to the ground may not stop it from being moved
  19. ResolutionThe basin has a buried rim
  20. ChallengeChallenge from a buried turnip or radish