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Week 17 - Shabbat - 25 March 2000

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 4

A ledge in front of a window - they may put on it and they may take from it on the Shabbat. A man may stand in a private domain and move an object in the public domain, in the public domain and move an object in the private domain, provided that he does not carry beyond four amot.

Kahati

A ledge in front of a window - a projection next to the window which extends from the wall into the airspace of the public domain, above ten tefahs from the ground (Gemara). As has already been mentioned, the airspace of the public domain is regarded as such only up to a height of ten tefahs. Above ten tefahs, however, it is a makom patur. Since the ledge is higher than ten tefahs (and, as some commentators add, is four tefahs wide), it has the legal status of a private domain (Rashi, Rabbi Yonatan of Lunel), they - the inhabitants of the house from which the ledger projects, may - through the window - put - vessels - on it and they may take - in - from it on the Shabbat - The Gemara states that the Sages permitted placing on it only breakable vessels, such as cups and bottles, for we do not have to fear that a person will bring them in if they fall into the public domain, for they will be broken. Furthermore, people will take care so that they should not fall to the ground (Rabbi Yonatan of Lunel). But unbreakable vessels may not be put on the ledge, for they might fall into the public domain into the private domain, thus violating a Torah prohibition.
A man may stand in a private domain - in his house or in his courtyard, and move an object in the private domain - shifting the object from one place to another, and we do not fear that he might carry it into the private domain where he is standing. And similarly, a person may stand - in the public domain and move an object - from one place to another - in the private domain - and we do not fear that he might carry it into the public domain. The Gemara explains that this refers to vessels which the person does not require in the domain where he is standing, provided that he does not carry beyond four amot - if he is in the private domain and he moves in the public domain, he must be careful to move the object only less than four amot.

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 5

A man may not stand in a private domain and urinate into a public domain, in a public domain and urinate into a private domain. And similarly, he may not spit. Rabbi Yehudah says: Even when his spittle is detached in his mouth, he may not walk four amot until he spits.

Kahati

A man may not stand - on the Shabbat, in a private domain and urinate into a public domain, or - in a public domain and urinate into a private domain - for this is regarded as carrying out from one domain to another. And similarly, he may not spit - on the Shabbat, from the private domain into the public domain, or from the public domain into the private domain. The Gemara states that the person who urinates, or who spits from the private domain into the public domain, or vice versa, is liable to a hatat (sin) offering. Although a person is liable for carrying out an object from one domain to another only if he removes it from a place with an area of at least four tefahs by four tefahs (Shab. 1:1), a person's intention causes, however, the ejection of the urine or of the spit to be regarded as if he were removing them from a place measuring four by four.
Rabbi Yehudah says: Even when his spittle is detached in his mouth - in order to spit it out. Or in another version "Even he whose spit is detached in his mouth," he may not walk four amot - in the public domain, until he spits - since this spit is about to be ejcted from his mouth, it is regarded as a load, and he may not cause it to move four amot in the public domain. The halakhah is not in accordance with Rabbi Yehudah.

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