Torah Community Connections

Week 13 - Shabbat - 26 Feb. 2000

ERUVIN: CHAPTER4: MISHNA 4

If a person sat by the wayside, and stood up and saw that he was close to the town, since it had not been his intention, he may not enter; so Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehudah says: He may enter. Rabbi Yehudah said:"It once happened that Rabbi Tarfon entered though it had not been his intention."

Kehati

If a person was on the road on Shabbat eve, and he entered, during the day, the 2,000 amot limit of an urban settlement, and he intended to spend the Shabbat there, then though he reached it only after nightfall, his legal status is that of the inhabitants of the settlement, and he may walk throughout all of it, and 2,000 amot beyond it in any direction. This mishnah discusses the case of a person who entered the 2,000 amot bounds of the settlement, without being aware of it. At the beginning of the Shabbat he sat by the wayside and established his Shabbat station there, learning afterwards that he was within the bounds of the settlement.

If a person sat by the wayside - on Shabbat eve at twilight, and did not know that he was within the Shabbat bounds of the settlement, and stood up - from his place after nightfall, and he saw that he was close to the town - within its bounds, since it had not been his intention - to establish his Shabbat station in the town, he may not enter - the town, to be as the people of the town; so Rabbi Meir - forhe holds that since he did not know that the town was within his bounds, and he intended to spend the Shabbat in his place, he may go only 2,000 amot in any direction from his place. If these 2,000 amot ended in the middle of the city, he may walk only up to the place where they ended. A baraita states that if he does not know how to measure the 2,000 amot, he takes 2,000 medium steps.
Rabbi Yehudah says: He may enter - the town, and his legal status is that of the people of the town, and he may walk throughout the entire town, and 2,000 amot beyond it in any direction. Even though he intended to spend the Shabbat where he was, he made his Shabbat station there in error, for if he had known that he was within the bounds of the town, he would certainly have intended to establish his Shabbat station within the city (R. Yitzhak Alfasi, Hameiri).
Rabbi Yehudah said: It once happened that Rabbi Tarfon entered though it had not been his intention - A baraita quoted in the Gemara (45a) explains: It once happened that Rabbi Tarfon was walking on the way, and nightfall overtook him, and he spent the night outside the town (because he did not know that he was within the bounds of the town, and he did not intend to establish his Shabbat station in it). In the morning herdsmen found him. They said to him: "My master, behold, the town is before you, enter! "He entered and sat in the study hall, and lectured the whole day. They said, however, to Rabbi Yehudah,"This is no proof!"Perhaps it was in his heart (perhaps he had in mind that if he was within the bounds, his Shabbat station would be as the people of the town), or the study hall was within his bounds (within the 2,000 amot of the place of his Shabbat station)?"But if it had not been so, he would not have entered. However, the law is in accordance with Rabbi Yehudah.

ERUVIN: CHAPTER 4: MISHNAH 5

A person who slept by the wayside and did not know that night had fallen, has 2,000 amot in any direction; so Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri. But the Sages say: "He has only four amot." Rabbi Eliezer says: "And he is in their center." Rabbi Yehudah says: He may go in whichever direction he wishes." But Rabbi Yehudah agrees that if he chose for himself, he may not retract.

Kehati

As has already been mentioned, whoever spends the Shabbat within a town may walk throughout all of it, and beyond it 2,000 amot in any direction. Even a person who slept on Shabbat eve at twilight establishes his Shabbat station with the other inhabitants of the town, even though he did not intend this (Hameiri). This mishnah deals with the case of a person who was on the way and slept on Shabbat eve at twilight, and discusses whether or not he established his Shabbat station in the place where he slept.

A person who slept by the wayside - on Shabbat eve, and did not know that night had fallen - and was, therefore, not conscious at twilight, to be able to establish his Shabbat station, has 2,000 amot in any direction - from the place where he slept, for he established his Shabbat station there; so Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri - the Gemara explains his reasoning: according to him, the person who sleeps is as ownerless objects, regarding which there is no owner's intent; he holds that ownerless objects establish their Shabbat station where they are, and they have 2,000 amot in any direction, i.e., the person who takes possession of them may not take them to the place where he prepared his eruv, if it is more than 2,000 amot from the place where they established their Shabbat station. Therefore, a sleeping person also establishes his Shabbat station in his place, and he may go 2,000 amot in any direction.
But the Sages say: He has only four amot - according to them, ownerless objects do not establish their Shabbat station where they are, rather whoever takes possession of them may take them to the place to which he may go. The sleeping person also does not establish his Shabbat station, for a person may establish his Shabbat station only consciously, for he should have taken the precaution of saying before falling asleep, "My Shabbat station is in my place." Since he did not say this, he is as a person who went out on the Shabbat beyond the Shabbat bounds (see 4:1, above), and he has only four amot in which to walk (Hameiri). The law is in accordance with the Sages, regarding ownerless objects, i.e., that they do not establish their Shabbat station in their place. Regarding the sleeping person, however, the law follows Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri, who holds that he established his Shabbat station in his place, and he has 2,000 amot in any direction, for if he had been awake he would have established his Shabbat station there. Therefore, he establishes it also when he is asleep.
Rabbi Eliezer says. And he is in their center - he agrees with the Sages, that the sleeping person has only four amot, but he disagrees with the Sages as to how the four amot are calculated. According to the Sages, he has four amot on each side, i.e., an area of eight amot by eight amot. Rabbi Eliezer, on the other hand, holds that he is in the middle of these four amot, i.e., he has only two amot in each direction.
Rabbi Yehudah says. In whichever direction that he wishes he may go - he may choose four amot in any direction he wishes.
And Rabbi Yehudah agrees - with Rabbi Eliezer, that if he chose for himself - either two amot on each side, or four amot on one side, whether by word or whether by deed (Hameiri), he may not retract - and afterwards choose the other side (Gemara and Rashi, 48a). The Gemara states that they disagree only regarding the matter of walking, i.e., according to the Sages, he may walk a total length of eight amot', regarding carrying, however, even the Sages agree that he may carry only four amot.

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