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Eruvin 45: If Enemies Come to Kill You, Defend Yourself

Dedicated in memory of Chava bat Eliezer v鈥橲arah, Rabbanit Chava Schindler Oles on 5 Tishrei.

Who’s Who: Rabban Gamliel the Elder. Regarding those whose activities legitimately take them out of techum Shabbat (emergency workers, protectors, and so on) can go home afterwards. One time, there was a melee with the enemies that they were trying to protect against… and they ended up killing more of each other instead of the actual enemy, in the chaos. Which leads to a discussion of when you can take out your weapons on Shabbat, and it depends on the intent of the marauders (theft? no; murder? definitely). Even when that desecration of Shabbat is warranted and permitted, it still may diminish Shabbat. Also: A traveler who falls asleep on the road and doesn’t realize when it becomes Shabbat can walk either 2,000 amot or 4 or 2, depending on whom you ask. What about 2 travelers? What about 3? With overlapping 4 amot? Can they join together to share their meals, etc? R. Yochanan ben Nuri says you establish residence even if you’re asleep – which may be why he says the travelers can walk 2,000 amot from the spot where they wake up. The discussion begins and has implications for objects that take up residence, as it were, on terms of carrying… on yom tov. And the question becomes how far can you go, carrying, not whether you can carry at all. What’s What: Kinyan Shevitah.

 

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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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