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Eruvin 43: When We’re Too Busy to Welcome the Messiah

Does the concept of techum apply to a space that’s over 10 tefachim? Again the overlap with eruv chatzerot, and so on. Seven teachings were taught twice, first in Sura, and then in Pompedita. How could that happen – at that distance? Eliyahu HaNavi! He could fly and bring the information. Alternatively, a demon. Pertaining to the vow of a Nazir. And the eruv and 10 tefachim. But can the messiah come, if he has to travel out of techum? Eliyahu has to travel and also the messiah to come the following day… And each day that Eliyahu doesn’t come, the one who takes an oath that he’ll be a Nazir as soon as the messiah arrives can drink that day. And then everyone will celebrate Shabbat and the non-Jews will help the Jews keep Shabbat. How hard would it be for everyone if the messiah came when everyone is preparing for Shabbat or yom tov. Also: again, on the ship – can they disembark on Shabbat? Rabban Gamliel says they had entered the techum before Shabbat, so they can depart the ship. He had a device that enabled him to scope out the shore from 2,000 amot away, using geometry to calculate the distance (astrolabe). Likewise, geometry was used to determine the height of a date palm, by measuring and comparing the lengths of shadows.

 

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Anne and Yardaena

Anne Gordon is the deputy editor of Ops & Blogs at The Times of Israel. She is a veteran educator, having taught in high school and post-high school institutions in Israel and America for several decades. Yardaena Osband is a pediatrician and teaches in her community and online. They both hail from Boston, proud alumna of Maimonides School, where they first learned Gemara. Talking Talmud is their conversation (via podcast) on the daf yomi. They say: "Learning the daf? We have something for you to think about. Not learning the daf? We have something for you to think about! (Along with a taste of the daf...) Join the conversation with us!"
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