Eruvin 101a (קא.) — the Talmud in English

Mishna: "

Muktzeh is a courtyard behind the houses, which is not used regularly, and for which no fixed door is made on a hinge like other doors. Rather, they stand an upright door against the entrance, and when they come to open it, they place it on the ground."

The door in the "Muktzeh",

and

the

bundles of thorns in the breach,

thorns that were tied together in order to seal the breach with them, although at times they open it,

and mats

of reeds that serve as a door—

one may not close the door with them

on Shabbat.

Since they are not fixed there, closing with them appears as building.

Unless

they are tied and suspended at the entrance, and

raised above the ground

slightly, so that even when they are opened they are not dragged along the ground. In that case, it is apparent that they are made to be closed and opened like a door; therefore, one who closes them no longer appears to be building.

Gemara:

And we raise 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 dragged kankan,

a utensil held behind the plow while plowing, which some people use for locking a door—

when they are tied and suspended

at the entrance,

one may close the door with them on Shabbat.

And it is unnecessary to say that this is permitted on a Festival.

It follows that it is sufficient for them to be tied and suspended, and we are unconcerned if they are dragged along the ground. Yet 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 [ except that it is not fixed in the entrance], and thereby it is apparent that they are complete doors.

And since they are tied and suspended, they do not appear to constitute building, even if they are dragged along the ground. But the Mishna is speaking of items that 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 although they do not currently have a hinge, since it is apparent that they had a hinge in the past, this serves as an indication that the item is a door.

Therefore, it is sufficient that they be tied and suspended.

We raise an objection:

It was taught in a beraita:

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

when they have a hinge [

this is the reading of Rabbeinu Ḥananel]

and are raised above the ground,

then

even

if they are raised above the ground

even the slightest amount, one may close the door with them.

But if not,

that they are not raised above the ground at all—

one may not close the door with them.

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

For this beraita explicitly establishes that even when they have a hinge, they must be raised above the ground.

And the difficulty returns to its place: In the earlier beraita it is established that it is sufficient for them to be tied and suspended?

Abaye explains it in accordance with his reasoning, and Rava explains it in accordance with his reasoning.

Abaye explains it in accordance with his reasoning

as follows: The beraita is saying:

If they have a hinge,

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

Or if they are raised above the ground,

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

Rava explains it in accordance with his reasoning

as follows: The beraita is saying:

When they had a hinge,

one may close the door with them even though they do not currently have a hinge.

Or if they are raised above the ground.

The Sages taught: Bundles of thorns,

bundles of thorns,

and bundles

of another type,

that they prepared to

seal

a breach in a courtyard—

when they are tied and suspended,

one may close the breach with them on Shabbat. And it is unnecessary

to say that this is permitted on a Festival.

Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: A door

“widow”

not properly constructed, as it is not fashioned like an ordinary door,

that is dragged—

one may not close it

even if it has a hinge.

If it were an ordinary door, it would be permitted to close it even when it is dragged. But here, in the case of a widow door, it is prohibited until it is raised above the ground [Tosafot, s.v. “A door”].

And we explain:

What are the circumstances of a widow door?

Some say: It is made of a single plank.

It is made from only one board, whereas doors are ordinarily made from two boards. Since it does not have the form of a door, when one closes it, it appears as though he is sealing the wall and building on Shabbat.

And some say: It does not have a crossbar,

as it has no bars connecting it, but is held together only by nails.

Rav Yehuda said: As for this bonfire,

arranging wood one piece atop another on a Festival for the purpose of making a bonfire—

from the top downward,

if he first holds the upper pieces of wood in the air and then places the lower pieces beneath them—

it is permitted,

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

But

from the bottom upward,

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

it is prohibited,

because this is the manner of building.

And likewise with eggs,

placing eggs on an askela [an iron grating made of strips, with coals beneath it] or on pieces of wood placed next to one another, it is permitted only from the top downward: he holds the eggs in his hand, and another person places the askela or the eggs beneath them.

And not from the bottom upward, by bringing the askela and the wood first and placing the eggs upon them.

And likewise with a pot,

when two barrels are brought close together and a pot is placed upon them, with the fire beneath it—one should not bring the barrels first.

Rather, he holds the pot in the air and then places the barrels beneath it.

And likewise with a purya,

a folding bed: He should not first bring the sides and spread the leather that serves as the bedding upon them. Rather, he holds the leather stretched out above and then brings the sides beneath it.

And likewise with barrels,

when arranging barrels in a cellar, one row upon another, he must arrange them from the top downward.

A certain Sadducee said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Thorn-bush!

You resemble a thorn.

For it is written concerning you

of you it is said in the Book of Micah:

“The best of them is like a thornbush,”

for the best of Israel are compared to thorns.

He said to him,

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya:

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

look down at the end of the verse and you will see that it is stated as praise,

as it is written: “The upright is more formidable than a fence of thorns,”

for the upright among us protect us like a sukka.

But what, then, does “The best of them is like a thornbush” mean?

Just as these thorns

the thorns

protect the breach—

so the best among us protect us!

Alternatively: “The best of them is like a thornbush”—

that the righteous grind down

the wicked

to

crush them finely

for Gehinnom.

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

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 store located

in the public domain.

Although the distance from the key to the entrance is less than four cubits, and he has not violated the prohibition of carrying in the public domain, it is nevertheless prohibited. This is a decree, lest he forget and bring the key to himself, into the private domain.

Likewise, a person may not stand

in the public domain

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

and open

the lock, which is also situated

in the private domain.

This is referring to a case where it is more than ten handbreadths high. This is a decree, lest he bring the key to himself into the area within ten handbreadths in the public domain, in which case he will have carried it out from the private domain into the public domain.