While the basis of Jewish law (and much more) is to be found in the Talmud, the Talmud, in and of itself, is not a very good text for determining…
Eiruvin 43a: Too Busy for Mashiach
One of the educational goals of the Sages--especially as the exile wore on--was was to instill a belief in the coming of the Mashiach. …
Eiruvin 41b: The Face of Gehenom
We have often discussed the terrible tragedy of poverty. Without changing that perspective, there does appear to be at least somewhat of a…
Eiruvin 41b: Going Out of Your Mind
Poverty is a terrible curse, one that has been the unfortunate lot of many Jews over the years. While we are blessed to live in the wealthiest…
Eiruvin 36b: My Teacher, My Friend
The Daf Yomi thought is dedicated by the family of Dr. Solomon Burack, ob"m in observance of his Yahrzeit. May his memory be for…
Eiruvin 31a: Home Sweet Home
Both an eiruv techumim, which allows one to walk an additional 2,000 cubits (approximately 1 kilometre) outside of the city limits, and an…
Eiruvin 32a: Time to Sin
At times, what seems like a very technical debate on some (even no longer relevant) aspect of Jewish law is, in reality, part of much larger and more…
Eiruvin 26b: Rules Are Made to Be Broken
The Talmud as a whole, and especially the Mishna, is first and foremost a vast corpus of Jewish law. Yet in studying this wide-ranging text, one…
Eiruvin 21b: Rabbi Akiva's Water
It is hard to imagine one more dedicated to Torah than Rabbi Akiva. Despite the fact that he did not start learning until the age of forty (or more…
Eiruvin 19: Abraham to the Rescue
"G-d wanted to give merit to the Jewish people; therefore, He increased for them Torah and mitzvoth". A Jewish way of life offers so many…
Eiruvin 19a: Going to Gehenom
"Rav Yirmiya ben Elazar said, there are three entrances to Gehenom: one in the desert, one in the sea, and one in Jerusalem" (Eiruvin 19a…
Eiruvin 17a: Pesach and the Salt of Sedom
"Four obligations were nullified in a [military] camp" (Eiruvin 17a). The Torah goes to great lengths to ensure that the Jewish army…
Eiruvin 13b: Following Beit Shammai
It is well known that the halacha, with rare exceptions, follows the opinion of Beit Hillel over that of Beit Shammai. What is less well known…
Eiruvin 13a: Just One Letter
"When I [Rav Meir] came to Rabbi Yishmael, he said to me, 'My son, what is your occupation?' I told him, 'I am a scribe', and he…
Eiruvin 6b: Choosing Your Rabbi
Traditionally, Jewish law allowed for a good deal of local autonomy in the application of Jewish law. While questions of national import were to be…
Eiruvin 5a-6b: Building Fences
The halachic system, like most other disciplines, has both a theoretical framework and a practical application--and the two do not always coincide.…
Eiruvin 4a: Measuring Up
It is impossible, at least from a Jewish perspective, to understand the Bible without the tools to interpret the text. It is this "reading…
Eruvin 3: Stirring the Pot
"A pot with two cooks is neither hot nor cold" (Eruvin 3a). This popular folk saying is used by the Talmud to explain Rava of Parzkiah'…