What is Talmud Tweets?

What is Talmud Tweets? A short, personal take on a page of Talmud - every day!

For several years now, I have been following the tradition of "Daf Yomi" - reading a set page of Talmud daily. With the start of a new 7 1/2 year cycle, I thought I would share a taste of what the Talmud offers, with a bit of personal commentary included. The idea is not to give a scholarly explanation. Rather, it is for those new to Talmud to give a little taste - a tweet, as it were - of the richness of this text and dialogue it contains. The Talmud is a window into a style of thinking as well as the world as it changed over the centuries of its compilation.

These are not literal "tweets" - I don't limit myself to 140 characters. Rather, these are intended to be short, quick takes - focusing in on one part of a much richer discussion. Hopefully, I will pique your interest. As Hillel says: "Go and study it!" (Shabbat 31a)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Eruvin 12 – Circle and Square

The second Mishnah of the tractate appears on the previous page (11). It deals with what is needed to define a permissible Shabbat space in an alley:

THE RENDERING OF AN ALLEY FIT [FOR THE MOVEMENT OF OBJECTS WITHIN IT ON THE SABBATH], BETH SHAMMAI RULED, REQUIRES A SIDE-POST AND A BEAM, AND BETH HILLEL RULED: EITHER A SIDE-POST OR A BEAM.

The question is are these just symbolic or are they substantial? The size and width of the side posts are argued. Whether one or two are necessary is argued. And much might be dependent on the size of the alley.

And it’s shape.

R. Nahman stated: ‘We have a tradition that if [the movement of objects in] an alley is to be permitted [on the Sabbath] by means of a side-post and a cross-beam, its length must exceed its width

This would exclude square shaped alleys. This is a courtyard! Alleys and courtyards are treated differently.

Only one that is square shaped but not one that is round?

Guess not. Apparently there is no such thing as a circular alley!

And [by] how much [must its length exceed its width]?

Samuel intended to rule: By no less than twice its width;  but Rab said to him: Thus ruled my uncle ‘Even by one fraction’.

Turn your square into a rectangle and leave your circle alone. Isn’t geometry fun!

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