Study Eruvin folio 97B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
אמר ליה אביי: במאי אוקימתא למתניתין, בסכנת גוים? אימא סיפא, רבי שמעון אומר: נותנן לחבירו, וחבירו לחבירו. כל שכן דאוושא מילתא!
Abaye said to him: In what manner did you establish our Mishnah as dealing with the danger posed by non-Jews? Say the latter clause of the Mishnah as follows: R' Shimon says that one gives them to another and the other passes them to another. In that case, all the more so will the matter be conspicuous, and they should fear the decree issued by the non-Jews.
חסורי מיחסרא, והכי קתני: במה דברים אמורים — בסכנת גוים, אבל בסכנת ליסטים — מוליכן פחות פחות מארבע אמות.
The Talmud answers: The Mishnah is incomplete and is teaching the following: In what case is this statement that the finder covers the tefillin said? It is where the concern is danger posed by non-Jews. However, where the concern is danger posed by bandits, one carries them less than 4 cubits at a time. In that case R' Shimon disagrees, maintaining that it is preferable that many people carry the tefillin.
רבי שמעון אומר: נותנן לחבירו וכו׳. במאי קמיפלגי? מר סבר: פחות מארבע אמות עדיף, דאי אמרת נותנן לחבירו וחבירו לחבירו — אוושא מלתא דשבת.
It is stated in the Mishnah that R' Shimon says: One gives them to another and the other passes them to another. The Talmud asks: With regard to what principle do they disagree? One Sage, the first tanna, holds that having one person carrying the tefillin less than 4 cubits at a time is preferable, as if you say that the finder gives them to another, and the other passes them to another, Shabbat desecration will be noticeable, thereby demeaning Shabbat’s character as a sacred day of rest.
ומר סבר: נותנן לחבירו עדיף, דאי אמרת מוליכן פחות מארבע אמות — זימנין דלאו אדעתיה, ואתי לאתויינהו ארבע אמות ברשות הרבים.
And the other Sage, R' Shimon, holds that the solution that one gives the tefillin to another is preferable, as if you say that the finder carries them less than 4 cubits at a time, sometimes it is not in his thoughts and will unwittingly come to carry the tefillin 4 cubits in the public domain. That is unlikely if there are numerous people together.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.