Eruv
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Eruv (or Eiruv or Erub) is a Hebrew word meaning "mixture", and refers to any of three procedures which allow certain activities in Jewish law which would otherwise be forbidden. In colloquial usage, it most often refers to the Eruv for carrying, but it can also refer to the Eruv for cooking or the Eruv for traveling as explained below.
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Eruv for carrying
On the Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath), the Torah requires that Jews not move any item outdoors, no matter its weight or purpose. According to Torah law as understood by the Talmud, this encompasses three actions:
- Moving an object from an enclosed area (such as a private home, public building, or fenced-in area) to a major thoroughfare,
- moving an object from a major thoroughfare to an enclosed area, or
- moving an object more than four cubits within a major thoroughfare.
To prevent confusion over exactly what constitutes a major thoroughfare, early ancient rabbis expanded the ban to any outdoor area.
According to classical Judaism, when one obeys God's laws, such as refraining from carrying on Shabbat, one pays tribute to God. But the law on carrying created severe hardships and diminished the oneg ("joy") of Shabbat.
The religious court of King Solomon sought to distinguish between a truly public domain where all carrying is prohibited and a more localized domain, bounded by an eruv where not all carrying is prohibited. The Talmud devotes an entire complicated tractate to the subject of eruv titled Mesachta Eruvin. In this case, an eruv refers to a eruv chatzeirot, "mixed [ownership of] domains", so that all the residents treat the entire area as their "home". In other words it legally transforms a non-private public thoroughfare into a private domain.
It can be made with a rope or wire strung around a neighborhood or region that allows Orthodox Jews observing Shabbat to treat the area as if it were their mutual "home". The string must form a continuous boundary and may be strung along telephone poles or buildings. A natural boundary such as a river bank or steep hill can also be used as part of the eruv, as can an actual wall of a building.
The eruv satisfies most orthodox rabbis and enables Jewish communities to enjoy Shabbat with greater ease. (There are no rabbis who dispute the concept of an eruv in theory. But in practice, some rabbis do disagree about the technical requirements of a valid eruv, and might therefore instruct their followers that certain eruvim are not valid and should not be used.)
Even without an eruv, there is no problem with bringing clothing outside, provided that it is normal clothing and being worn in its normal manner, as it is considered secondary to the person himself. The same is true for most medical items which are attached to the body and can be considered secondary to it, such as a cast or bandage or eyeglasses, but not a cane or wheelchair. Most authorities also allow jewelry.
There are well over 150 eruvim in communities all over the world -- and many more in Israel. Every major city in North America has one - Toronto, Phoenix, Memphis, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Providence, Miami, New York City and Washington, D.C., to name but a few. Outside North America there are eruvs in Johannesburg, Melbourne, Gibraltar, Antwerp and Strasbourg. The Washington, D.C. eruv includes the White House. The Strasbourg eruv includes the European Court of Human Rights. Williamsburg, Borough Park and Kiryas Joel, New York have eruvs certified by the Hasidic Rebbes.
What you may do within an Eruv
You may carry:
(1) Tallit, Chumash, Siddur, or other books (2) Your house keys (3) Handkerchief, gloves, pocket watch (4) Medication (5) Food to hospital patients (6) Jackets and other clothing which you remove on warm days (7) Remove trash from your house if it disturbs Oneg Shabbos (8) Food from house to Succah (9) Reading Glasses
Activities you may perform:
(1) Push a baby stroller along with food and diapers (2) Wear a rainhat (3) Wear jewelry without concern for Shabbos restrictions (4) Walk a dog on a leash
Activities you still may not perform:
(1) Carry items which are Muktseh (may not be touched on Shabbos -- e.g., pen) (2) Open or carry an umbrella (3) Typical weekday activities not in the spirit of Shabbat (e.g. Play ball or ride bike) (4) Swim (5) Carry anything in preparation for post-Shabbat activity
Controversies
The installation of Eruvim (plural form) has been a matter of contention in many neighbourhoods around the world, classic examples are Barnet, England; Outremont, Quebec; and Tenafly, New Jersey. The issue is often as to whether the stringing of the eruv to public property violates the separation of "church and state." In the Outremont debate, the issue of religious law and territory was also raised by non-Hasidic members of the borough. In most cases, eruvim are allowed because they are unobtrusive and are generally, though certainly not always, seen to not impede on the religious rights of other community members, while providing an invaluable service to the observant Orthodox-Jewish population.
Under Jewish law, the Jewish community must seek agreement with the community at large before installing the eruv, which adds a layer of complexity to the issue of their installation. In Outremont and other extreme cases, some congregations have sued local authorities to allow their installation. This method is rare and controversial, some critics within the Jewish community have criticised the very rare incidents of lawsuits for their installation, as the method is not considered by all to be equivalent to community support. However, Outremont was a special case, as one city councillor was vehemently opposed to the installation, for reasons that may be perceived as personal. The councillor had lived in a building owned by a local congregation which was operating a synagogue on the first floor without the necessary zoning under Outremont's very strict zoning rules. When the congregation relocated to a busy commercial street, she remained opposed and went as far as to sue the congregation herself at her own expense to stop the construction of the new synagogue. The councillor, Forget, has also opposed minor "special treatments" given to the Hasidic community such as not ticketing cars that are left parked during Shabbat, the day of rest for observant Jews.
The eruv in Outremont has been studied as an example of planning issues exacerbating pre-existing tensions in ethnically diverse and polarised neighbourhoods. Many people opposed to the eruv did not in fact fully understand what it was, or what it meant for the local Hasidim. Many of these people were simply using the issue to vent their frustration with the ultra-orthodox Outremont community of approximately 6200 people who have long operated as a very independent community in all respects within Outremont, an elite French-Canadian suburb north of the city centre and Mont-Royal.
Eruv for cooking
In this instance, Eruv refers to an eruv tavshilin "mixed [cooked] dishes" whereby one prepares a cooked food prior to a Jewish holiday that will be followed by the Shabbat.
Normally, cooking is allowed on Jewish holidays, but only for consumption on that day, and not for consumption after the holiday. Technically, if such a holiday occurs on Friday, cooking is allowed for the Sabbath, but the rabbis forbade this in order to prevent confusion on other years (when the holiday does not immediately precede the Sabbath) unless this ritual of eruv tavshilin is performed, which would remind the people of the reasons for the exception.
This ritual consists of cooking and baking some food for the Sabbath even before the holiday begins. Then, because the "dishes" or "servings" are "mixed", meaning we have "mixed" the time of preparation between the day prior to the the holiday with a food that may be eaten on the day after the holiday (which will be the Shabbat), this thereby allows for cooking to take place on the holiday itself which is not considered a "new" cooking, but rather a continuation of the "mixed" cooking that has already "begun" before the holiday started.
Eruv for traveling
In this instance, Eruv refers to an eruv techumin ("mixed borders") whereby one prepares a food prior to a Jewish holiday or Shabbat on which he plans to travel farther than is normally allowed on such days. (It is important to note that this is unconnected to the method of transportation which is being used, all of which - other than walking - are forbidden on such days.)
Normally, one can walk anywhere in his city or town on such days, but only within that area and up to 2000 cubits past the city limits. (The definition of "city limits" in Jewish law is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that it relates to the area which is actually populated, and not to the political borders of a municipality.) If one needs to travel farther than that, he can leave some food in a certain location prior to that holiday or Sabbath. This will temporarily establish his home as at the location of the food, allowing him to travel 2000 cubits from the food. There are many other details beyond the scope of this article.
External links
Community Eruv links
- Boston Eruv (http://www.bostoneruv.org)
- Cambridge, MA Eruv (http://www.nceruv.org)
- Cherry Hill, NJ Eruv (http://www.yicherryhill.org/eruv.htm)
- Chicago Eruv (http://www.geocities.com/chicagoeruv)
- Denver Eruv (http://www.denvereruv.org)
- Kew Gardens Hills Queens NY Eruv (http://www.yiqv.org/kewgardenshills/eruv/index.php)
- Los Angeles Eruv (http://www.laeruv.com)
- Manhattan West Side Eruv (http://www.lss.org/eruv.htm)
- New Haven Eruv (http://www.nheruv.org)
- NW London Eruv (http://www.nwlondoneruv.org)
- San Fernando Valley Los Angeles, CA Eruv (http://www.valleyeruv.org)
- Southfield, MI Eruv (http://www.yisouthfield.org/eruv.html)
- Sydney Eruv (http://www.sydneyeruv.org.au)
- University City Philadelphia, PA Eruv (http://www.geocities.com/univcityeruv)
- University of Maryland Eruv (http://www.umderuv.org/)
- Vancouver, BC Eruv (http://www.vancouvereruv.org)
- Yeshiva University Eruv (http://www.yueruv.org)
