Study Eruvin folio 91B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
תא שמע: אנשי חצר ואנשי מרפסת ששכחו ולא עירבו, כל שגבוה עשרה טפחים — למרפסת. פחות מכאן — לחצר. במה דברים אמורים — שהיו אלו של רבים ואלו של רבים, ועירבו אלו לעצמן ואלו לעצמן. או של יחידים שאין צריכין לערב.
Come and hear proof from a baraita: With regard to the residents of houses that open directly into a courtyard and the residents of upper stories that open onto a balcony from which stairs lead down to that courtyard, who forgot and did not establish an eiruv between them, anything 10 handbreadths high in the courtyard, e.g., a mound or a pillar, is attributed to the balcony in terms of its use on Shabbat. The residents of the balcony may move objects between the mound or pillar and their apartments. Anything lower than that is attributed to the courtyard. In what case is this statement, that it is prohibited for the residents of the courtyard to carry to the balcony and vice versa, stated? It is in a case where the residents of the courtyard were many, and the residents of the balcony were many, and these established an eiruv for themselves, and those established an eiruv for themselves; or if the courtyard and the balcony were occupied by individuals who need not establish an eiruv for themselves.
אבל היו של רבים, ושכחו ולא עירבו — גג וחצר ואכסדרה ומרפסת כולן רשות אחת הן.
However, if the residents of the courtyard and the balcony were many, and they forgot and did not establish an eiruv for their courtyard or balcony, in that case roof, and courtyard, and portico, and balcony are all one domain, and it is permitted to carry from one to another any vessels that were located in any one of them when Shabbat began.
טעמא דלא עירבו, הא עירבו לא! הא מני — רבנן היא.
The Talmud infers: The reason that carrying between them is permitted is that they did not each establish their own eiruv; however, if they each established their own eiruv, no, it is prohibited to carry between them. This inference supports Rav and poses a difficulty for Shmuel. The Talmud answers: Whose opinion is represented by this baraita? It is that of the Rabbis, who maintain that roofs and courtyards form a single domain, contrary to the opinion of R' Shimon. The Rabbis indeed issued a decree that carrying is prohibited if each group established a separate eiruv.