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)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Eruvin 50 - Measure it


The Mishnah continues with a declaration of a point of departure for the 2000 cubit walking limit.

IF A MAN WHO WAS ON A JOURNEY [HOMEWARD] WAS OVERTAKEN BY DUSK, AND HE KNEW OF A TREE OR A WALL AND SAID, ‘LET MY SABBATH BASE BE UNDER IT’,HIS STATEMENT IS OF NO AVAIL.


Why no avail?


Rabbah stated: What is Rab's reason? Because the man did not specify the exact spot. 


The statement was too general. Because he did not take into account the width of the tree! One has to measure south including the northern part of the tree (ie through the tree trunk) and vice versa.


And also:

‘It was taught in agreement with Samuel’: If a man made a mistake and prepared ‘erubs in two opposite directions, believing that it is permitted to provide ‘erubs in two opposite directions, or if he said to his servants, ‘Go and prepare an ‘erub for me’ and one prepared for him an ‘erub in a northerly direction and the other prepared one for him in a southerly direction, he may proceed northwards as far as the limit of his southern ‘erub and southwards as far as the limit of his northern ‘erub.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)