Study Eruvin folio 46B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ורב פפא אמר, איצטריך, סלקא דעתך אמינא: הני מילי בעירובי חצירות, אבל בעירובי תחומין — אימא לא צריכא.
Rav Pappa said a different explanation for the fact that R' Yehoshua ben Levi made both statements: It was necessary for R' Yehoshua ben Levi to inform us that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yoḥanan ben Nuri, because had he said only that the halakha follows the lenient opinion with regard to an eiruv, it could have entered your mind to say that this statement applies only with regard to the laws governing the eiruv of courtyards, which are entirely rabbinic in origin. But with regard to the more stringent laws governing the eiruv of Shabbat limits, you would have said that we should not rule leniently, and therefore it was necessary to make both statements.
ומנא תימרא דשני לן בין עירובי חצירות לעירובי תחומין — דתנן, אמר רבי יהודה: במה דברים אמורים — בעירובי תחומין, אבל בעירובי חצירות מערבין בין לדעת ובין שלא לדעת, שזכין לאדם שלא בפניו, ואין חבין לאדם אלא בפניו.
The Talmud asks: And from where do you say that we distinguish between an eiruv of courtyards and an eiruv of Shabbat limits? As we learned in a Mishnah that R' Yehuda said: In what case is this statement said, that an eiruv may be established for another person only with his knowledge? It was said with regard to an eiruv of Shabbat limits, but with regard to an eiruv of courtyards, an eiruv may be established for another person whether with his knowledge or without his knowledge, as one may act in a person’s interest in his absence; however, one may not act to a person’s disadvantage in his absence. One may act unilaterally on someone else’s behalf when the action is to that other person’s benefit; however, when it is to the other person’s detriment, or when there are both advantages and disadvantages to him, one may act on the other person’s behalf only if one has been explicitly appointed as an agent. Since an eiruv of courtyards is always to a person’s benefit, it can be established even without his knowledge. However, with regard to an eiruv of Shabbat limits, while it enables one to walk in one direction, it disallows him from walking in the opposite direction. Therefore, it can be established only with his knowledge.