Eruvin 101a — the Talmud in English

Mishna: “

‘Muktze’ is the courtyard behind the houses, which is not regularly used, and for which they do not make a fixed door in a hinge like other doors. Rather, they set up an upright door opposite the entrance, and when they come to open it, they place it on the ground”. “

The door in ‘muktze’”,

and

the

thorn bundles

, thorns tied together in order to block the breach with them, which they sometimes open, and

mats

of reeds that serve as a door—

one may not close with them

on Shabbat.

Since they are not fixed there, it appears as though he is building when he closes with them.

Unless

they are tied and suspended at the entrance, and

raised above the ground

slightly, so that even when he opens them they are not dragged along the ground. For then it is recognizable that they are made to be closed and opened as a door, and therefore one who closes them no longer appears to be building.

Gemara:

And he raises a contradiction:

It was taught in a beraita:

A door that is dragged

along the ground when it is opened,

and a mat

that serves as a door,

that is dragged, and a dragging peg

, a utensil that they hold behind the plow at the time of plowing, and which some use for locking a door—

when they are tied and suspended

at the entrance,

one may close with them on Shabbat.

And it is not necessary to say on Yom Tov.

It follows that it is sufficient that they are tied and suspended, and we are not concerned if they are dragged along the ground. But our Mishna requires that they specifically be raised above the ground?

And we answer:

Abaye said:

The beraita is speaking

when they have a hinge

for those doors [though it is not fixed in the entrance], and through this it is recognizable that they are a complete door.

And since they are tied and suspended, they do not appear as building, even if they are dragged along the ground. But the Mishna is speaking when they do not have a hinge; therefore they must also be raised above the ground.

Rava said:

The beraita is speaking

when they had

a hinge,

and even though now they do not have a hinge, since it is recognizable in them that they had a hinge in the past, this provides recognition that it is a door.

And therefore it is sufficient that they are tied and suspended.

He raised an objection:

It was taught in a beraita:

A door that is dragged, a mat that is dragged, and a peg that is dragged—

when they have a hinge [this is the version of Rabbeinu Hananel]

[this is the version of Rabbeinu Chananel]

and are raised above the ground,

then

even

if they are raised above the ground

the measure of a thread, one may close with them.

But if not,

that they are not raised above the ground at all—

one may not close with them.

And this is difficult both according to Abaye and according to Rava.

For it is explicitly clarified in this beraita that even when they have a hinge, we require that they be raised above the ground.

And the difficulty returns to its place: in the previous beraita it is clarified that it is sufficient that they are tied and suspended?

Abaye explains it according to his reasoning. And Rava explains it according to his reasoning.

Abaye explains it according to his reasoning,

for this is what the beraita is saying:

Either they have a hinge,

one may close with them, even though they are dragged [and this is the law of the previous beraita].

Or they are raised above the ground,

and then, even if they do not have a hinge, one may close with them [and this is the law of the Mishna].

Rava explains it according to his reasoning,

for this is what the beraita is saying:

When they had a hinge,

one may close with them even though now they do not have a hinge.

Or they are raised above the ground.

The Sages taught: Bundles of thorns,

bundles of thorns,

and bundles

of another species,

which he prepared to

block with them

the breach in the courtyard—

when they are tied and suspended,

one may close with them on Shabbat. And it is not necessary

to say on Yom Tov.

Rabbi Hiyya taught: A door

“widow”,

from its repairs, for it is not repaired like an ordinary door,

that is dragged—

one may not close with it,

even if it has a hinge.

For had it been an ordinary door, it would have been permitted to close with it even when it is dragged. But here, with a widow door, it is forbidden until it is raised above the ground [Tosafot, s.v. “door”].

And we explain:

What are the circumstances of a widow door?

Some say: that it is of one board.

For it is made from only one plank, whereas doors are ordinarily made from two planks. And since it does not have the form of a door, when he closes it, it appears as though he is sealing the wall and building on Shabbat.

And some say: that it does not have a crossbar,

for it does not have bars that join it, but is joined only with nails.

Rav Yehuda said: This bonfire,

to arrange wood one upon another on Yom Tov for the purpose of a bonfire—

from above downward,

if he first holds the upper wood in the air and afterward places the lower wood beneath it—

is permitted,

because this is not the manner of building, to begin from above downward.

But

from below upward,

in the manner in which they make a large bonfire before princes, arranging wood on four sides like partitions, and placing wood upon them like a roof—

is forbidden,

because this is the manner of building.

And similarly with eggs,

to place eggs upon the grill [a metal device made of strips, with coals beneath it] or upon wood placed one beside another, it is permitted only from above downward: he should hold the eggs in his hand, and his fellow should place the grill or the eggs beneath them.

And not from below upward, so that he first brings the grill and the wood and places the eggs upon them.

And similarly with a pot,

where they bring two barrels close to one another and place a pot upon them, with the fire below—not bringing the barrels first.

Rather, he should hold the pot in the air, and afterward place the barrels beneath it.

And similarly with a bed-frame,

a folding bed: he should not first bring the sides and spread upon them the hide used for bedding; rather, he should hold the hide stretched out above, and afterward bring the sides beneath it.

And similarly with barrels,

when they arrange barrels in a cellar, row upon row, they must arrange them from above downward.

A certain Sadducee said to Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah: Thorn-man!

You resemble a thorn.

For it is written concerning you,

you are spoken of in the Book of Micah:

“Their goodness is like a thorn”,

for the good among Israel are compared to thorns.

He said to him,

Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah:

Fool! Lower your eyes to the end of the verse,

lower your eyes to the end of the verse and you will see that it is said as praise,

for it is written, “The upright is more than a hedge of thorns”,

for the upright among us protect us like a sukkah.

But then what does “Their goodness is like a thorn” mean?

Just as these thorns,

the thorns,

protect the breach—

so the good among us protect us!

Alternatively: “Their goodness is like a thorn”—

for they grind down

the righteous

the wicked,

grinding them until they are pulverized

for Gehinnom.

As it is stated: “Rise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for I shall make your horn iron, and I shall make your hooves copper, and you shall pulverize many peoples.”

Mishna:

A person may not stand in the private domain

and take a key lying in the public domain,

and open

with it the entrance of the shop situated

in the public domain.

And even though there is no distance of four cubits from the place of the key to the entrance, and he has not transgressed by carrying in the public domain, nevertheless it is forbidden. It is a decree, lest he forget and bring the key to himself, into the private domain.

And likewise, a person may not stand

in the public domain

and extend his hand upward and take a key from the roof of the shop, which is the private domain,

and open

the lock, which itself is also standing

in the private domain.

And this is when it is above ten handbreadths. It is a decree, lest he bring the key to himself into the area within ten handbreadths in the public domain, and it will be found that he has carried out from the private domain into the public domain.