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Week 12 - Sunday - 13 Feb. 2000

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 1: MISHNA 3

The beam of which they spoke, is wide enough to hold an ariah, and an ariah is half a brick of three tefahs', it is sufficient for the beam to be a tefah wide, in order to hold the ariah lengthwise.

Kehati

After the preceding mishnah taught that a mavoy is made fit by a lehi or by a beam (according to Bet Hillel), this mishnah teaches the measure of the width of the beam.

The beam of which they spoke - above, that it makes the mavoy .fit, so that a person may carry within it, is - must be, wide enough to hold an ariah - as the mishnah proceeds to explain: and an ariah is half a brick of three tefahs - i.e., the width of an ariah is one and one half tefahs;

it is sufficient for the beam to be a tefah wide, in order to hold the ariah lengthwise - another version reads, "in order to hold the ariah along its width." The mishnah means that the length of the ariah is alongside the length of the beam, and the width of the ariah alongside its width. The Gemara explains that the half a tefah (two finger-breadths) by which the ariah is wider than the beam can be divided to overhang one finger-breadth on either side of the beam, with clay plastered under them. The commentators explain that the reason for this measure is that the beam should appear to be permanent, and able to support an upper story (Rashi. Bartenura).

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 1: MISHNA 4

Wide enough to hold an ariah, and strong enough to hold an ariah. Rabbi Yehudah says: "Wide, even though it is not strong."

Kehati

This mishnah is a continuation of the preceding one; the Tannarm differ as to whether "wide enough to hold an ariah," refers only to the width of the brick, or also to its weight.

The beam that makes the mavoy fit must be, not only - Wide enongh to hold an ariah, and - but also, strong enough to hold - to bear, an ariah - and not break from under its weight. The reason for this is (as was explained in the preceding mishnah) that the beam must appear to be permanent, and able to support an upper story.

Rabbi Yehudah says, It is sufficient for the beam to be a tefah - wide, even though it is not strong - because in Rabbi Yehudah's opinion (see mishnah 1, above), the beam represents only a partition. Therefore, even a beam that is not strong is valid (Rabbi Yonatan of Lunel), as explained in the following mishnah.

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