Eruvin 44 - September 22, 4 Tishrei
Today’s daf is sponsored by Rivkah Isseroff in honor of all the women who participate in learning daf yomi, and especially in honor of our dear friends Sally Poolat and Shlomit Metz-Poolat who recently made aliya. Wishing them a wonderful sweet year, the first of many to come in Israel, and continued joy in learning (in this daf yomi class!).
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak asks Raba two questions about the situation with Nechemia who accidentally left the techum and Rav Nachman told Rav Chisda to build a human partition to allow him back in. 1. Why didn’t Rav Chisda know this himself – what was unclear to him? 2. A braita seems to imply that one cannot built a wall using a human on Shabbat or Chag (learned from walls of a sukka). Rava brings a different braita that says one can build a wall in order to answer his question. In any case, the braitot contradict. The gemara brings four explanations to resolve the contradiction – either they represent different opinions or different situations. In the end they conclude that it depends on whether or not the people know that they are forming a partition. A number of real life situations were brought in which people used human partitions. The Mishna discusses a person who leaves the techum for permitted purposes, i.e. to save someone, to testify about seeing the new moon, etc. If they left the techum and then found out that they were no longer needed, they have 2,000 cubits from where they are at the time they find out. If they are still within their original techum, then their home remains their techum. Why does the Mishna need to tell us that, isn’t it obvious?! Raba and Rav Shimi bar Chiya disagree about how to understand the Mishna and the root of their debate is: if there is an overlap between two techumim, can we view that as one large techum?