Talmud - Eruvin 49b עירובין מ״ט ב׳

And there is another practical difference between them with regard to the question whether a minor may collect the eiruv from the residents of the courtyard and deposit it in one of the houses. According to Shmuel’s opinion, this would not be a valid eiruv, for a minor cannot serve as an agent to effect acquisition, whereas according to Rabba’s opinion, the eiruv is valid, as the food itself establishes the common residence for all the residents.

Abaye said to Rabba: It is difficult according to your opinion that an eiruv is effective based on the principle of residence, and it is difficult according to the opinion of Shmuel that it is effective based on the principle of acquisition. As it was taught in a baraita: With regard to five people who collected their eiruv, when they take their eiruv elsewhere, in order to establish an eiruv together with another courtyard, one person may take it there for all of them. This indicates that it is only that person who acquires rights, and nobody else, and it is only that person who gains residence, and nobody else. In that case, how can the others rely on this eiruv?

Rabba said to him: It is neither difficult according to my opinion, nor is it difficult according to the opinion of Shmuel, as, the person who takes the eiruv acts as an agent, effecting acquisition or determining residence on behalf of all of them.

With regard to the case of the three courtyards addressed above, Rabba said that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya said that Rav said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon that it is permitted to carry from the middle courtyard into either of the two outer ones; and vice versa, however, it is prohibited to carry from one outer courtyard to the other.

MISHNA: With regard to one who was coming along the way on Shabbat eve, and it grew dark while he was traveling, and he was familiar with a tree or a fence located two thousand cubits from his current location, and two thousand cubits from his house, and he said: My residence is beneath that tree, rather than in his present location, he has not said anything, as he did not establish a fixed location as his residence.

If, however, he said: My residence is at the tree’s trunk, he acquired residence there, and he may therefore walk from the place he is standing to the trunk of the tree two thousand cubits away, and from the trunk of the tree to his house, an additional two thousand cubits. Consequently, he walks after nightfall a total of four thousand cubits.

If one is not familiar with a tree or any other noticeable landmark, or if he is not an expert in the halakha, unaware that residence can be established from a distance, and he said: My residence is at my current location, then his presence at his current location acquires for him the right to walk two thousand cubits in each direction.

The manner in which the two thousand cubits are measured is the subject of a tannaitic dispute. These cubits are measured circularly, i.e., as a circle with a radius of two thousand cubits; this is the statement of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Antigenos. And the Rabbis say: These are measured squarely, i.e., as a square tablet, with each side measuring four thousand cubits, so that he gains the corners. He is permitted to walk from the middle to the corners of the square as well, a distance of approximately 2,800 cubits.

And this is the meaning of that which the Sages said: The pauper establishes an eiruv with his feet, i.e., one who does not have the bread required to establish an eiruv may walk anywhere within his Shabbat limit and declare: This is my residence, and his Shabbat limit is measured from that location. Rabbi Meir said: We have this leniency in effect only for a pauper, who does not have food for two meals. However, one who has bread may only establish residence with bread. Rabbi Yehuda says: This leniency is in effect for both a pauper and a wealthy person. The Sages said that one establishes an eiruv with bread only in order to be lenient with the wealthy person, so that he need not exert himself and go out and establish an eiruv with his feet. Instead, he can appoint an agent to place bread for him in that location. This, however, does not negate the option of personally going to that location in order to establish residence without bread.

GEMARA: We learned in the mishna that one who declares his intention to establish residence beneath a tree, without specifying the precise location, has not said anything. The Gemara asks: What is the precise meaning of he has not said anything?

Rav said: He has not said anything at all, and has failed to establish residence anywhere, and he may not even go to the place beneath that tree. His failure to specify a particular location prevents him from establishing residence beneath the tree. The fact that he sought to establish residence someplace other than his present location prevents him from establishing residence at his present location. Accordingly, he may walk no more than four cubits from the place that he is standing.

And Shmuel said: He has not said anything with regard to going to his home, if it is two thousand cubits past the tree; however, with regard to the area beneath the tree, if its bough is entirely within two thousand cubits of his present location he may indeed go there.

And when we learned in the mishna that he did not establish residence, it means that the legal status of the area beneath the tree becomes comparable to both a donkey driver, who walks behind the animal and prods it, and a camel driver, who walks before the animal and leads it in the sense that the tree is pulling him in both directions. Since he did not specify a particular location as his residence, any part of the area beneath the tree could be the place where he established residence.

Therefore, if he comes to measure two thousand cubits from the north of the tree in order to ascertain whether or not he may go to his home, because of the uncertainty with regard to the precise location where he established residence, one measures the distance for him stringently from the south. And likewise, if he comes to measure the distance to his home from the south, one measures the distance for him from the north.

Traduction : The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noé Talmud, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.

Eruvin 49b examines whether a minor can act as agent for depositing an eiruv, and debates between residence versus acquisition as the basis for its validity.