THE MAXIMUM SIZE of an ERUV Rabbi Haim Jachter | Eruvin Daf 22
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THE MAXIMUM SIZE OF AN ERUV Rabbi Haim Jachter | Eruvin Daf 22 With today’s growing Orthodox Rav Mordechai Willig is of the opinion that communities, community eruvin are the Halachah follows the opinion of Tosafot expanding further and further. Is there a (personal communication). The Ashkenazi point at which an eruv is simply too large? Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav David Lau, in a lecture given at Yeshivat Otniel, stated that A Worldwide Eruv? large Israeli communities, such as Tel Aviv, In a fascinating discussion, the Gemara rely on Tosafot’s opinion for their citywide (Eruvin 22b) suggests that the entirety of eruvin.1 Such an approach seems to be Eretz Yisrael may be considered a reshut correct by virtue of two points. First of all, hayachid since it is surrounded by natural the Shulchan Aruch does not present a walls. The Gemara rejects this suggestion, in limitation on the size of eruvin.2 Second of an equally fascinating manner, for if this all, many eruvin today are quite large. The were true, then the entire world would be Jerusalem municipal eruv, the Los Angeles considered a reshut hayachid (at least on a community eruv, and the Baltimore Torah level), since it is surrounded by the community eruv are examples of enormous ocean (i.e. the continental shelf). eruvin. These hardly seem to fit the Ramban’s requirement that “one must Tosafot and Ramban perceive themselves as inside of the eruv The Gemara summarily dismisses this boundaries.” possibility as untenable since a reshut Alternatively, Rav Moshe Feinstein’s hayachid cannot be so large. Tosafot (ad. explanation of Ramban’s opinion is loc. s.v. dilma), however, state that such a accepted in practice. In his discussion of the limitation applies only to a reshut hayachid Manhattan eruv (Teshuvot Igrot Moshe, created by natural boundaries. A reshut O.C. 1:139:6), he quantifies Ramban’s size hayachid created by man-made mechitzot is limitation as an area with a diameter of 32 not subject to any size limit. mil (approximately 21 miles).3 However, the Ritva (Eruvin 22b s.v. d’ha makif la perat) cites Ramban, who asserts 1 Rav David Lau, “Eiruvei Arim B’Yisrael Kayom,” that there is a maximum size even to man- Yeshivat Otniel, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSFwUOL-s4s. made mechitzot. Ramban believes that in April 2018. order for the mechitzot to be valid, “one 2 The Biur Halachah (346:3 s.v. karpeif) does cite the must perceive themselves as inside the eruv debate between Tosafot and Ramban without offering a resolution. boundaries.” 3 The Chayei Adam (Nishmat Adam, Hilchot Shabbat 49:2) already suggests this measurement. He does General Community Eruvin not, however, resolve the matter conclusively. In New Jersey’s Bergen County, the Englewood, 1 OU Chag at Home 5781 Rav Moshe bases this on a Mishnah in is not known what he regarded as the Bechorot (9:2), which states that in the maximum size of an eruv. The Badatz of the context of ma’aser beheimah, the animals Edah HaChareidit of Yerushalayim divides are considered to be in one area if they are the Jerusalem neighborhood eruvin into all located within the area where the many small sectors in order to satisfy this shepherd can see them. The Mishnah stricter version of Ramban’s opinion. In defines this as sixteen mil. Rav Moshe passing through Ramat Beit Shemesh in explains that this refers to the radius of the January 2019, the great frequency of eruv circle. The diameter of the area is therefore lines struck me as the community’s 32 mil. adoption of the stricter version of Ramban’s Most interestingly, in their famous opinion. This appears to be the situation in endorsement of the creation of an eruv in Lakewood, New Jersey as well. Another Paris, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky and the advantage of a smaller eruv is that it is Chazon Ish agree that Paris satisfies much easier to maintain and ensure that it Ramban’s criterion since it is an area of remains intact throughout Shabbat. which it is “the manner of people to encompass with a wall.” Conclusion Eruvin today worldwide encompass very Badatz of the Edah HaChareidit of large areas. Such communities either follow Yerushalayim the opinion of Tosafot or accept a lenient It is reported that Rav Yosef Shalom version of Ramban’s view. While there are Elyashiv was concerned for Ramban’s those communities which make an effort to opinion even regarding an area much satisfy the stricter version of Ramban’s smaller than a 32 mil diameter;4 however, it opinion, community eruvin in general adopt a more lenient approach. Teaneck, and Paramus eruvin are all connected (but Postscript – A New Reason to be Lenient they are all independent as well). The distance Regarding Eruvin in Eretz Yisrael between Englewood Cliffs (the eastern edge of the Englewood eruv) and Paramus is 7.61 miles, While the aforementioned Gemara rejects according to information accessed at www.distance- the idea that natural boundaries free Eretz cities.com/distance-englewood-cliffs-nj-to-paramus- nj. Yisrael from concern of its status as a reshut 4 Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, in a personal harabim, the current situation in Israel may communication with the author in 1989, disagreed actually designate the entire land area as a with Rav Moshe’s interpretation and felt that Ramban refers to a much smaller area. Rav reshut hayachid, as the majority of Israel’s Lichtenstein’s concern for this understanding of the borders are surrounded by security fences. opinion of the Ramban was one of the reasons he The north is surrounded by the fence offered for why he did not rely upon community eruvin. By contrast, Rav Hershel Schachter (in the lecture series on Hilchot Eruvin delivered to 1989 and 2019) presents Rav Moshe’s approach as rabbinical students at Yeshiva University in both normative Halachah. 2 OU Chag at Home 5781 between Israel and Lebanon, in the northeast there is the security fence separating the Golan Heights and Syria, on the east there is a security fence, and in the south there is a security fence separating Israel and Egypt. Although the fourth side is the sea, on a Torah level, only three walls are necessary to designate an area as a reshut hayachid. Although there are definitely breaches of more than ten amot in these fences, according to most posekim, on a Torah level, only a majority of wall is required (omeid merubah al ha’parutz).5 Thus, if Rav Willig and Rav Lau are correct that baseline halachic opinion follows Tosafot, then the State of Israel is not a reshut harabim. This, in turn, strengthens the basis for relying on community eruvin in Israel even in cities such as Jerusalem, whose population now exceeds 600,000 people. 5 See Teshuvot Achi’ezer 4:8; the Chazon Ish, cited ad loc. and O.C. 107:5-7; and Rav Moshe Feinstein, Teshuvot Igrot Moshe O.C. 2:90; this also appears to be the position of the Bi’ur Halachah 362:10 s.v. keshekol haruchot. 3 OU Chag at Home 5781 .