Eruvin 25a, b

Today we delve deeper into the laws around gardens (karpef) and orchards (bustana) - literally.  What counts as a legal eruv in different circumstances?  When a partition wall is destroyed, the wall's width might extend the area of the garden to over 2 beit se'as, prohibiting carrying on Shabbat.  And what would be the remedies for situations where eruvim must be built?  The rabbis describe how they come to the aid of a wealthy community leader ('exilarch', sometimes affiliated with the local governments) who wishes to serve food, ie. allow carrying, in his garden on Shabbat.  Reeds are placed within three handbreadths of each other at appropriate places to create a halachic eruv.  But other rabbis argue that those actions were not  necessary, for there were other circumstances allowing carrying.

Confused?

A couple of notes that stood out:

If a convert dies and has no heirs, his (sic) land is ownerless and must be claimed.  One way of claiming is by tending to the field - contributing directly and immediately toward the land's production.  Sowing seeds is not enough, as that is a future-based act.
If a Jew dies without heirs, it will always be possible to find an heir by looking at the family tree, even if it takes us back to our ancestor Jacob in our search.  

Wow.  That is truly a tightly knit community.  An automatic community, with all of its benefits and shortfalls.  Now there are Jews on the street whose ancestry could never be traced back to anyone.  Or could it?  Or do we not care about that anymore (again, for better or for worse)?

When Rav Beivai stated that an inner wall could indicate an outer partition and thus the creation of an eruv was not necessary, Rav Pappi called him a "mula'ai".  This likely means some one who is descended of Eli, and thus someone who is either a) from Mumla, b) a hunchback, c) blemished in another way, d) miserable e) 'truncated' or has a short life expectancy -- which is used as an insult, as in someone who has a 'shortened' insight or development of a problem.  Or, finally, f) a mula'ai could refer to someone who is 'great' and states clever or great comments.  In context, we are looking at one of the former, more insulting definitions.

I can't imagine the weight of such insulting commentary and the effect that it could have on a Rabi and his family.  These insults were captured for all to study, to memorize.  And so much was based on physical attributes (ie. one should not be physically different from the norm) or a particular type of brilliance.  Not a game for sissies, this study of the Mishna.