Siman - Eruvin Daf 8
- A mavoi between the sea and a trash heap
Ravin bar Rav Adda said in the name of Rebbe Yitzchok that there was an incident concerning a mavoi , שצידו אחד כלה לים – one side terminated to the sea, וצידו אחד כלה לאשפה – and one side terminated at a trash heap, and when the matter was brought before Rebbe, he would not rule. He did not want to forbid it because the sea and trash heap did indeed serve as mechitzos. However, he did not want to permit carrying in it either because he was concerned that the trash heap could be removed, or that the sea might bring up sediment, in which case the slope will not be sufficiently steep to serve as a wall.
The Gemara questioned whether there is concern that the trash heap will be removed, citing a Mishnah that states if there is a trash heap in reshus harabim which is ten tefachim high, and therefore is a reshus hayachid, one may throw into it from a window above. Rashi explains that there is no concern that people will remove the trash, resulting in someone throwing his trash down into the reshus harabim. The Gemara concludes that the Mishnah is referring to a public trash heap where there is no concern that it will be removed, whereas the incident with Rebbe involved a private trash heap, which one might come to remove.
- Placing a korah diagonally
There is a machlokes regarding, מבוי שצידו אחד ארוך וצדו אחד קצר – a mavoi whose one side is long and its other side is short:According to one opinion , if the difference between the two sides is less than four amos, then one may place the korah diagonally. However, if the difference in length is four amos or more, then he may place the korah only opposite the short side, at a right angle.
Rava said, regardless of the difference in length between the two sides, he may place the korah only opposite the short side. Rava went on to explain the machlokes by saying that he holds the function of the korah is a heker, and when placed diagonally it does not serve as a reminder. (Rashi explains that the longer side does not appear as part of the mavoi.) According to the other opinion, however, the purpose of the korah is to serve as a mechitzah, and a korah on a diagonal is a functional mechitzah.
A korah resting on pegs
Rami bar Chama asked Rav Chisda the following question: What is the din if one thrust two pegs into the two outside walls of a mavoi, and places a korah on top of the pegs, so that the inner edge of the korah was rested against the outside walls?
• Rav Chisda answered that according to the one who permits carrying under a korah because the outer edge serves as a mechitzah, it would be forbidden to carry within such a mavoil since in this case the mechitzah is considered removed from the mavoi. According to the one who holds that one cannot carry under a korah because the inner edge functions as a mechitzah, it would be permitted to carry within such a mavoi because in this case the mechitzah is at the wall of the mavoi.
• Rava holds that it is forbidden according to everyone since a requirement of a korah is that it rest on top of the mavoi.
