Eiruvin 74a, b

The shortest daf in weeks.  I should be elated.  But somehow the experience is disappointing.  The material covered in today's daf was challenging, frustrating, interesting to read... just shorter.  I almost feel cheated.  Is that a sign that I have been doing this for too long?

The rabbis tell us about a couple of instances where establishing an eiruv is not allowed.  Reasons for this include the placement of Jewish/Gentile homes, the location of those homes compared with the courtyards and alleyways, and the number of homes in a courtyard.  

An interesting example of the latter reason tells the story of a synagogue.  A chazzana, (synagogue attendant) is said to sleep in the synagogue but to eat in his nearby home.  Some rabbis believe that the synagogue is now a residence, as residential status is determined by where one sleeps.  Others believe that the synagogue is not a residence, as residential status is determined by where one eats.  This decision regarding whether or not the synagogue is a residence will determine whether or not an eiruv is allowed. 

We are told that Rabbi Elazar, a student, believes that Shmuel has made an inconsistent decision regarding placing an eiruv.  He insists on asking Shmuel in person.  Rabbi Elazar tells Shmuel of his error; Shmuel is silent.   We are told that after Shmuel's death, and Rav Ivut Bar Ihi rushes to 'correct' one of Shmuel's rulings.  The rabbis discuss both the lack of respect shown to Shmuel and the response of rabbis to their critics.

When a rabbi is silent after being faced with a challenge, that silence can mean many things.  We are told in a side note by Steinsaltz that a Sage's silence toward a colleague represents an inability to find the answer.  Conversely, silence toward a student tends to demonstrate that the question did not deserve a response.

I cannot imagine that the rabbis believed that this conversation regarding eiruvin was truly critical.  These were extremely learned, wise men.  And yet hundreds of pages of the Oral Torah are dedicated to it.  What am I missing?  Perhaps the concept of eiruvin - of a physical separation between one place and another - was so appealing that the rabbis forced themselves to focus deeply on this issue.  In so many other Torah concepts, the rabbis do not have the opportunity to truly focus on the minutiae: where does the beginning of one category begin and another one end?  Eiruvin certainly offers us the opportunity to stretch our minds and to explore the true nature of boundaries.