Today's daf considers the malacha, forbidden labour on Shabbat, of melacha, throwing. They discuss whether or not a pole in the public domain is actually considered part of the public domain. If it is small enough to be stepped on, it would be considered to be part of the ground. If it is tall enough to be used as something to rest things on, it would be considered to be part of the public domain. The rabbis considered that to be approximately nine handbreadths high. Anything between those two heights is not considered to be part of the public domain.
This reflects the flexibility of the rabbis in their interpretations. They consider what is practical along with what is meaningful. Some rabbis believed that the definition of a public domain is that a certain number of people must use it each day. Others suggest that it must be used frequently. We learn that their priorities have to do with what will be useful to the community.
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