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Eruvin 97b

עירובין צ״ז ע״ב

Learn Eruvin 97b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Rescuing תפילין and a child on שבת, רבי יהודה's barrel passed beyond the תחום, and rolling back a dropped holy scroll

Overview

The amud continues the משנה about finding תפילין outside on שבת. אביי challenges the idea that the משנה's 'cover them' case means danger from gentiles. The גמרא answers that the משנה is missing words: with gentiles one covers them, and with bandits the תנא קמא and רבי שמעון argue about how to carry them in. The תנא קמא worries that a chain of people makes the שבת violation public. רבי שמעון worries that one person carrying short distances will forget and carry four אמות, and his ruling about a son born in the field applies the same reasoning. Next, the גמרא asks how רבי יהודה can let a barrel be passed beyond the owner's תחום. ריש לקיש's answer, that water has no substance, is rejected. רבא, רב יוסף, אביי, and רב אשי then each explain the case differently. Finally, a new משנה teaches when someone may roll back a holy scroll that slipped from his hand on שבת, and the גמרא begins asking what kind of threshold the משנה means. That discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי:

Abaye said to him:

בְּמַאי אוֹקֵימְתָּא לְמַתְנִיתִין,

In what case did you establish our Mishnah,

בְּסַכָּנַת גּוֹיִם?

in the danger of gentiles?

אֵימָא סֵיפָא,

Say the latter clause:

The steps (30)

  1. Challengeאביי challenges the 'danger of gentiles' explanation
  2. ResolutionThe משנה is missing words: covering for gentiles, carrying for bandits
  3. QuestionWhat is the basis of the disagreement?
  4. ResponseThe תנא קמא: a chain of people makes the שבת violation obvious
  5. Responseרבי שמעון: one person may forget and carry four אמות
  6. QuestionWhy would the son be out in the field?
  7. ResponseThe baby was born in the field
  8. QuestionWhat do the words 'even a hundred' teach?
  9. ResponsePassing the baby is better, even though it is hard on him
  10. ChallengeHow can רבי יהודה allow a barrel past the תחום?
  11. ResolutionOnly the water is passed, and water is not significant
  12. ProofSource that רבי יהודה says water has no substance
  13. QuestionWhat does 'this may not go' mean?
  14. ResponseIt means what is inside the barrel
  15. Rejectionרבי יהודה only said this about water absorbed in dough
  16. ProofEven in a pot רבי יהודה says water is not ignored
  17. Resolutionרבא: The barrel becomes secondary to the water
  18. ProofProof that a container is secondary to its contents
  19. Challengeרב יוסף objects from the caravan ברייתא
  20. Resolutionרב יוסף: our משנה is also about a caravan
  21. Resolutionאביי: the caravan is a bigger leniency
  22. Resolutionרב אשי: the barrel and the water are both ownerless
  23. QuestionWhat does 'the feet of the owners' mean if there are no owners?
  24. ResponseIt means like objects that have owners
  25. StatementNew משנה: a scroll rolls off a threshold
  26. StatementA scroll rolls off a roof: the ten-handbreadth line
  27. Statementרבי יהודה: allowed as long as it is not touching the ground
  28. Statementרבי שמעון: allowed even on the ground, because holy writings come first
  29. QuestionWhat kind of threshold is the משנה talking about?
  30. ResponseFirst suggestion: a private-domain threshold facing a public domain