Eruvin 68A

מה הזאה שבות, ואינה דוחה את השבת. אף אמירה לגוי שבות, ואינה דוחה את השבת.

Just as sprinkling the water of purification is prohibited by rabbinic decree and does not override Shabbat, even for the purpose of a mitzva, so too, telling a non-Jew to perform a prohibited labor Shabbat is prohibited by rabbinic decree and does not override Shabbat. How, then, could Rabba suggest that they instruct a non-Jew and thus transgress a rabbinic decree?

אמר ליה: ולא שני לך בין שבות דאית ביה מעשה לשבות דלית ביה מעשה? דהא מר לא אמר לגוי: זיל אחים.

Rav Yosef said to him: But do you not differentiate between a rabbinic decree that involves an action and a rabbinic decree that does not involve an action? As the Master, Rabba, did not say to the non-Jew: Go and heat water on Shabbat, but only told him to transfer something from one domain to another, which does not involve an action and is therefore less severe.

אמר ליה רבה בר רב חנן לאביי: מבואה דאית ביה תרי גברי רברבי כרבנן, לא ליהוי ביה לא עירוב ולא שיתוף?! אמר ליה: מאי נעביד? מר, לאו אורחיה. אנא, טרידנא בגירסאי. אינהו, לא משגחי.

Upon hearing of this incident and the ensuing discussion, Rabba bar Rav Ḥanan said to Abaye: In an alleyway that contains two such great people as the rabbis Rabba and Abaye, is it possible that there could be neither an eiruv nor a merging of alleyways? Abaye said to him: What should we do? As for the Master, Rabba, it is not his manner to go and collect for the eiruv from all the residents of the alleyway. As for myself, I am busy with my studies and do not have time to take care of this issue. And they, the other residents of the alleyway, do not attend to such matters.

ואי אקני להו פיתא בסלא ⁠— כיון דאי בעו לה מינאי ולא אפשר ליתבה נהלייהו, בטיל שיתוף.

And if I were to transfer to the residents of the alleyway a share of the bread in my basket, so as to allow them to join a merging of alleyways, since if they would want to take it from me it would be impossible for me to give it to them because I am poor and need the small amount of bread that I can afford for myself, the merging of alleyways would therefore be invalid.