Eruvin 97a (צז.) — the Talmud in English

Whether they are new or old, this is the statement of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yehuda prohibits using new ones and permits using old ones.

Apparently, master,

Rabbi Yehuda

holds: A person takes the trouble

to make an amulet resembling tefillin, and therefore he prohibits using new ones.

And

Rabbi Meir

holds: A person does not take the trouble.

Therefore, even new ones are permitted, since they are certainly tefillin and not merely an amulet.

Accordingly, this is not difficult for Rabbi Elazar, who holds in accordance with Rabbi Meir.

(Shyatsi Atsby, a mnemonic):

Shatzi atzavi—an mnemonic):

And now that the father of Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak taught: These are old: Any that have straps and are knotted,

meaning that the familiar knot of tefillin has been made on them.

And

new

means that

they have straps

but

are not knotted.

The reason that using new ones is prohibited is not due to the concern that they may be amulets; rather, it is because it is prohibited to make the knot of tefillin on Shabbat, as it is a permanent knot. And wearing tefillin that are not knotted is not the manner of wearing a garment.

If so, it is possible to say

that

for

everyone, a person does not take the trouble,

and the ruling is in accordance with Rabbi Elazar.

And we raise an objection to Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak: Granted, he cannot tie the tefillin on Shabbat; nevertheless—

let him make a loop knot in them!

Let him make a loop knot in them, which is permitted on Shabbat, and bring them into the city in that manner?

And we answer:

Rav Ḥisda said: That is to say: A loop knot is invalid for tefillin!

A genuine knot is specifically required. And since tefillin are not valid with a loop knot, if he makes such a knot, this will not be considered the manner of wearing a garment.

Abaye said: Rabbi Yehuda,

who prohibits using new ones,

follows his own reasoning, as he said: A loop knot is a proper knot

and one is liable for making it on Shabbat. Therefore, he cannot make even a loop knot in the tefillin.

And we challenge Abaye:

The reason

that it is prohibited to use a loop knot is

because a loop knot is a proper knot. But

if that were not so—

he would have

made a loop knot in them.

But Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Shilat, said in the name of Rav: The knot of tefillin is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.

The precise form of the knot was stated to Moses at Sinai.

In the head tefillin, the knot is made in the form of the letter dalet, while the box itself has the shape of a shin protruding from it. In the arm tefillin, the knot is made in the form of the letter yod, and together they form the name “Shaddai.”

And Rav Naḥman said: And their letters

must face outward!

All those letter-forms must face outward and must not be between the compartments of the tefillin, so that they will be visible.

And since the form of the knot was stated to Moses at Sinai, it is impossible to make a loop knot in tefillin. If so, how could Abaye say that one may make a loop knot in them, and that only according to Rabbi Yehuda is it prohibited to make a loop knot on Shabbat?!

And we answer:

He makes a loop knot in them—

in the form of their knot.

He makes the letter-forms with a loop knot just as they are made with the regular knot, and it is valid in this manner. He could therefore have brought them into the city in this form. Consequently, Abaye had to explain that Rabbi Yehuda follows his own reasoning, according to which he prohibits making a loop knot on Shabbat.

Rav Ḥisda said that Rav said: One who purchases

many pairs of

tefillin from someone who is not an expert,

in order to sell them,

examines two

tefillin

of the arm, and

one

of the head. Or two

tefillin

of the head

and

one

of the arm.

That is sufficient.

For if three pairs of valid tefillin are found in his possession, this seller is established as an expert, and it is permitted to purchase tefillin from him without examining them.

We consider this:

What is the logic?

If he purchased them from one person,

if the one who purchased many tefillin bought all the tefillin from a single person, and the seller had also purchased them from a single person—

let him examine either three

pairs of

the arm or three

pairs of

the head,

and he would be established through three pairs. Why must he examine both arm and head tefillin?

And

if he purchased them from two or three people,

having bought them from several sellers, what benefit is there in examining three of them? After all,

each and every one

of the pairs stands independently and

requires examination,

as perhaps it came from a different seller.

And we answer:

Actually, he purchased them from one person.

And it is not difficult that he can be established through examining three arm tefillin or three head tefillin, because

we require that he be established as an expert

in both

the arm, and

also

the head tefillin.

And we challenge this:

Is that so? But Rabba bar Shmuel taught: In the case of tefillin—

he examines three of the arm and of the head.

What, is it not

the following that he is saying:

Either three of the arm or three of the head?

It follows that he need not be established as an expert in both. This is difficult for the statement of Rav Ḥisda in the name of Rav!

And we answer:

No,

he is not saying this. Rather, this is what he is saying: He examines

three

pairs of tefillin, some

of them arm

tefillin and some

of them head tefillin.

And we challenge Rav Ḥisda, who said in the name of Rav that one must examine three pairs of tefillin:

But Rav Kahana taught: In the case of tefillin, he examines two, of the arm and of the head.

It follows that examining only two is sufficient?

And we answer:

Who is the author of this

beraita?

It is Rabbi.

For he said

that with regard to all presumptions in the Torah,

a presumption is established after two occurrences.

And we challenge this:

If it is Rabbi,

then

consider the latter clause

of that beraita:

And similarly with the second bundle, and similarly with the third bundle.

And we initially understand that this is what it means: If he had many bundles—[piles of tefillin tied together]—he examines two pairs from the first bundle, and thereby the entire bundle is established as valid.

And similarly,

he examines two pairs

from the second bundle

and it too is established,

and similarly with the third bundle,

and from then on all the bundles are established as valid.

And if it is Rabbi,

the examination of the

third bundle—

does he accept it?

According to Rabbi, does he require this? After the second bundle, all the bundles should already be established as valid, since a presumption is established after two occurrences.

And we answer:

Rabbi concedes with regard to separate bundles

that the presumption of one does not benefit another, because the usual practice is

that he purchased them from two or three people,

each bundle from a different person. Therefore, each bundle must be examined separately.

And we challenge this:

If so,

if the bundles were purchased from different people—

even

the

fourth bundle as well, and even

the

fifth bundle as well

would have to be examined.

Why, then, does it teach only, “and similarly with the third bundle”?

And we answer:

Indeed, that is also the case,

that all of them must be examined.

And the reason that it teaches “third” is

to exclude it from his presumption

[from his presumption], to teach us that a presumption does not help at all from one bundle to another. Since Rabbi taught us that the third bundle must be examined even though a presumption had already been established after two occurrences, it necessarily follows that a presumption is not effective here.

Rather,

actually, even

the

fourth and fifth bundles as well

must be examined.

We learned in the Mishna:

If he found bundles or wrapped groups.

And we explain:

What are “bundles,” and what are “wrapped groups”?

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: They are bundles, and they are wrapped groups,

meaning piles upon piles of tefillin.

And the difference between them is:

Bundles

means

pairs, pairs,

many pairs of arm and head tefillin tied together in each pile.

Whereas

wrapped groups

means

that many are wrapped together,

not as pairs of arm and head tefillin, but with all the tefillin tied together in each pile.

We learned in the Mishna: If he found bundles or wrapped groups,

he waits with them until nightfall and brings them.

We consider this:

But why?

Let him bring them pair by pair,

until he finishes bringing them all in.

And we answer:

Rav Yitzḥak, son of Rav Yehuda, said: For me, my father explained it: Any case in which, if he brought them pair by pair, he would finish before sunset

on Shabbat, so that he could manage to bring all of them in before sunset,

he brings them pair by pair.

But if not,

if he cannot manage to bring all of them in before sunset,

he waits with them until nightfall and brings them.

Since he will have to trouble himself with them until after the conclusion of Shabbat, it is preferable for him to wait with all of them until then and take them all together.

We learned in the Mishna:

And in a time of danger, he covers them and proceeds

with them.

We consider this:

But was it not taught: And in

a time of

danger,

he transports them less than four cubits at a time,

stopping briefly each time he approaches four cubits and then continuing, so that he does not carry them four cubits at once?

Rav said: This is not difficult.

This statement is referring to danger from gentiles.

The Mishna is dealing with a case in which the gentiles decreed that tefillin may not be worn. He covers them so that they will not lie in a degraded manner, and leaves without moving them from their place. For if he were to take them in his hand, perhaps the matter would become known to the authorities and they would kill him.

That statement is referring to danger from robbers.

The beraita is dealing with one who fears gentile robbers. It refers to the latter clause of the Mishna, which states that if he found bundles or wrapped groups, he waits with them until nightfall and brings them. Concerning this, the beraita says that if he is afraid to remain there until evening because the robbers may attack him, he transports all of them together less than four cubits at a time. He does not leave them there even while covered, so that the robbers will not treat them in a degrading manner.