Study Eruvin folio 10A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
רבי היא, דאמר: בעינן שני פסין. דתניא: חצר, ניתרת בפס אחד, רבי אומר: בשני פסין.
The Talmud answers: This Mishnah is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda HaNasi, who said that in order to permit carrying in a courtyard that was breached, we require two upright boards, one on either side of the breach. As it was taught in a baraita: If a courtyard was breached and opens into the public domain, and the width of the breach does not exceed 10 cubits, it becomes permitted to carry there, even with only one upright board remaining on one side of the breach. R' Yehuda HaNasi says: It is permitted only with two upright boards remaining, one on each side of the breach.
האי מאי? אי אמרת בשלמא: נראה מבחוץ ושוה מבפנים — אינו נידון משום לחי, ורבי סבר לה כרבי יוסי, ודרבי זירא ודרבינא ליתא — משום הכי קטנה בעשר וגדולה באחת עשרה, משום דרבי סבר לה כרבי יוסי.
The Talmud rejects this entire explanation: What is this comparison? Granted, if you say that the legal status of a side post that is visible from the outside but appears to be even with the wall from the inside is not considered like that of a side post; and that R' Yehuda HaNasi holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Yosei that a side post or an upright board in a courtyard must be at least 3 handbreadths wide; and that the explanations of the Mishnah offered earlier by R' Zeira and Ravina are not accepted; that is why there is significance to the fact that the small courtyard is 10 cubits wide and the large one is 11 cubits wide. It is due to the fact that R' Yehuda HaNasi holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Yosei. Since R' Yosei holds that a side post must be 3 handbreadths wide, we require that the two upright boards together measure 6 handbreadths, i.e., 1 cubit, which is the minimal difference in size between the two courtyards.