Eiruvin 78a, b

I did not blog about Eiruvin 77a&b, as it was Shabbat when I finished my reading of the daf.  The daf concerned itself with courtyards that ended with walls where one courtyard was at a higher plane than another.  It also initiated an examination of ladders that continued into today's daf.

Daf 78a introduced a number of ideas that are new to me.  One was the effects and uses of 'zizim', or projections, from a wall.  Another was the effects and uses of stakes driven into pillars.  Finally, the rabbis shared thoughts about the angles and possible utility of unusual ladders as they are positioned against these courtyard walls.

Daf 78b discusses particular situations where ladders may be of different widths and heights, thus making the use of potential windows or other entranceways possible.  The rabbis speak about "a lion crouches upon it" - at an entranceway - which to my surprise was not primarily a metaphor but a description of a reasonable, dangerous situation.

Finally, the daf ends with a new Mishna that describes how ditches might be filled in or covered.  Different treatment of ditches (of different sizes) will determine whether an eiruv can be placed at all, whether one eiruv can be established, or whether two eiruvin are required to designate the carrying perimeters for two adjacent courtyards.

I have to admit that today's daf was far too challenging for me to dismantle and understand.  I am certain that I am missing many of the underlying concepts regarding eiruvin.  Today's daf felt like a different language.  I will do my best to research what I did not understand, but I recognize the limitations that time (and my body's need for sleep) presents.

I do wonder about dapim like today's daf.  The considerations seem so specific.  Perhaps the rabbis used these specific situations to help themselves figure out the structure of halacha.  Perhaps they did not know what they were speaking about until they worked their way through the scenarios.  Or perhaps these scenarios were based on real concerns.  Without knowing that overriding understanding in advance, however, it is very difficult to follow the arguments that our rabbis share.  A frustrating day!  But we will see what tomorrow holds...