## Eruvin Daf 58b

###### Eruvin 58b:1
[Eruvin 58b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:1)

אֲבָל חוּט הַמִּשְׁקוֹלֶת יוֹרֵד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ — מוֹדְדוֹ מְדִידָה יָפָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**However,** if **a plumb line drops straight down,** i.e., if the canyon wall is very steep, **he measures** the width of the canyon **properly** at the bottom of the canyon, without taking its walls into account.


###### Eruvin 58b:2
[Eruvin 58b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:2)

וְכַמָּה עוֹמְקוֹ שֶׁל גֵּיא? אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: אַלְפַּיִם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And what is the depth of a canyon** that may be spanned if it is not more than fifty cubits wide? **Rav Yosef said:** Up to **two thousand** cubits; but if it is deeper than that, the slope must be measured as well.


###### Eruvin 58b:3
[Eruvin 58b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:3)

אֵיתִיבֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: עָמוֹק מֵאָה וְרוֹחַב חֲמִשִּׁים — מַבְלִיעוֹ. וְאִם לָאו — אֵין מַבְלִיעוֹ? הוּא דְּאָמַר כַּאֲחֵרִים, דְּתַנְיָא, אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: אֲפִילּוּ עָמוֹק אַלְפַּיִם וְרוֹחַב חֲמִשִּׁים — מַבְלִיעוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye raised an objection** from the following *baraita*: If a canyon is up to **one hundred** cubits **deep and** up to **fifty** cubits **wide, one may span it; and if not, one may not span it.** How could Rav Yosef say that the canyon may be spanned if its depth is less than two thousand cubits? The Gemara answers: **He stated** his opinion **in accordance with** the opinion of ***Aḥerim*; as it was taught** in a *baraita*: ***Aḥerim* say: Even** if the canyon is **two thousand** cubits **deep and fifty** cubits **wide, one may span it.**


###### Eruvin 58b:4
[Eruvin 58b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:4)

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי, אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: אֲפִילּוּ יָתֵר מֵאַלְפַּיִם. כְּמַאן? דְּלָא כְּתַנָּא קַמָּא וְלָא כַּאֲחֵרִים!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara cites an alternate version of the previous discussion. **Some say** that **Rav Yosef said: Even** if the canyon is **more than two thousand** cubits deep, it may be spanned. The Gemara asks: **In accordance with whose** opinion did Rav Yosef say this? It is **not in accordance with** the opinion of **the first *tanna*, and** it is **not in accordance with** the opinion of **the *Aḥerim*.**


###### Eruvin 58b:5
[Eruvin 58b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:5)

הָתָם — שֶׁאֵין חוּט הַמִּשְׁקוֹלֶת יוֹרֵד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ. הָכָא — בְּחוּט הַמִּשְׁקוֹלֶת יוֹרֵד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **There,** where the *tanna’im* disagree about the depth of a canyon that may be spanned, they refer to a case where **a plumb line does not drop straight down** and therefore there is reason to measure the slope. **Here,** however, where Rav Yosef says that the canyon may be spanned even if it is more than two thousand cubits deep, he is referring to a case where **a plumb line drops straight down.**


###### Eruvin 58b:6
[Eruvin 58b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:6)

וְכִי אֵין חוּט הַמִּשְׁקוֹלֶת יוֹרֵד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, עַד כַּמָּה? אָמַר אֲבִימִי: אַרְבַּע. וְכֵן תָּנֵי רָמֵי בַּר יְחֶזְקֵאל: אַרְבַּע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And where a plumb line does not drop straight down, how much** must it extend from the top of the canyon in order for the wall of the canyon to be considered a slope rather than a vertical wall? **Avimi said: Four** cubits. If the bed of the canyon lies four cubits beyond the top edge of the canyon, the wall is sloped and must be included in the measurement. **And similarly, Rami bar Ezekiel taught,** based upon a *baraita*, that the maximum run is **four** cubits.


###### Eruvin 58b:7
[Eruvin 58b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:7)

הִגִּיעַ לְהַר, מַבְלִיעוֹ וְחוֹזֵר לְמִידָּתוֹ. אָמַר רָבָא: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא בְּהַר הַמִּתְלַקֵּט עֲשָׂרָה מִתּוֹךְ אַרְבַּע, אֲבָל בְּהַר הַמִּתְלַקֵּט עֲשָׂרָה מִתּוֹךְ חָמֵשׁ — מוֹדְדוֹ מְדִידָה יָפָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
We learned in the mishna: If **he reached a hill,** he does not measure its height, but rather **he spans** the hill as if it were not there **and** then **resumes his measurement. Rava said: They taught** this *halakha* **only with regard to a hill that has an incline of ten** handbreadths **within** a run of **four** cubits. **However, with regard to** a gentler **hill,** e.g., one **that has an incline of ten** handbreadths **within five** cubits, **one must measure** the hill **properly,** i.e., he must include the slope itself in his measurement.


###### Eruvin 58b:8
[Eruvin 58b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:8)

רַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב נָתָן מַתְנֵי לְקוּלָּא. אָמַר רָבָא: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא בְּהַר הַמִּתְלַקֵּט עֲשָׂרָה מִתּוֹךְ חָמֵשׁ, אֲבָל בְּהַר הַמִּתְלַקֵּט עֲשָׂרָה מִתּוֹךְ אַרְבַּע — אוֹמְדוֹ וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes that **Rav Huna, son of Rav Natan, teaches a lenient** formulation of this *halakha*: **Rava said** that **they only taught** this *halakha* **with regard to a hill that has an incline of ten** handbreadths **within** a run of **five** cubits. **However, with regard to** a steeper **hill that has an incline of ten** handbreadths **within four** cubits, one need not take any precise measurements; instead, **he estimates** the length of the hill, **and** then **leaves** and continues measuring from the other side.


###### Eruvin 58b:9
[Eruvin 58b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:9)

וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא חוּץ לַתְּחוּם. מַאי טַעְמָא? אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא: גְּזֵירָה שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ מִדַּת תְּחוּמִין בָּאָה לְכָאן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
We learned in the mishna that one may measure a canyon or hill located within the Shabbat limit, **provided that one does not go out beyond the limit.** The Gemara asks: **What is the reason** for this restriction? **Rav Kahana said:** It is **a decree, lest** people **say: The measurement of the** Shabbat **limit comes to here.** Since people know that he set out to measure the Shabbat limit, if they see him measuring in a certain spot they will assume that the area is included in the Shabbat limit.


###### Eruvin 58b:10
[Eruvin 58b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:10)

אִם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַבְלִיעוֹ. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כֵּיצַד מְקַדְּרִין, תַּחְתּוֹן כְּנֶגֶד לִבּוֹ, עֶלְיוֹן כְּנֶגֶד מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: נְקִיטִינַן אֵין מְקַדְּרִין אֶלָּא בְּחֶבֶל שֶׁל אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
We learned in the mishna: **If,** due to the width of the canyon or hill, **one cannot span it,** he may pierce it. **The Sages taught** a *baraita* which explains this procedure: **How does one** figuratively **pierce** a hill? Two people hold the two ends of a measuring rope. The one who is **lower** down on the hill holds the rope **at the level of his heart** while the one who is **higher** holds it **at the level of his feet,** and they proceed to measure in this fashion. **Abaye said:** Based on tradition, **we hold** that **one may pierce only with a rope of four cubits.**


###### Eruvin 58b:11
[Eruvin 58b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:11)

אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר אֲבוּהּ: (נְקִיטִינַן) אֵין מְקַדְּרִין לֹא בְּעֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה וְלֹא בְּעָרֵי מִקְלָט — מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן שֶׁל תּוֹרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said:** Based on tradition, **we hold** that **one may not pierce** when measuring distances for the rite of the **beheaded heifer.** This rite is practiced when a murder victim is found, and it is not known who killed him. Judges measure the distance from the location of the corpse to the nearest town, in order to determine which town must perform the rite (Deuteronomy 21). Similarly, **one may not** pierce when measuring distances with regard to **cities of refuge,** in order to determine the boundaries within which an accidental murderer is protected from the blood redeemer (Numbers 32). **Because** these measurements **are from the Torah,** indirect methods of measurement are insufficient. The area must be measured as though it were flat.


###### Eruvin 58b:12
[Eruvin 58b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:12)

**מַתְנִי׳** אֵין מוֹדְדִין אֶלָּא מִן הַמּוּמְחֶה. רִיבָּה לְמָקוֹם אֶחָד, וּמִיעֵט לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר — שׁוֹמְעִין לִמְקוֹם שֶׁרִיבָּה. רִיבָּה לְאֶחָד וּמִיעֵט לְאֶחָד — שׁוֹמְעִין לַמְרוּבֶּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** One **may measure** the Shabbat limit **only with an expert** surveyor. If it is discovered that the surveyor **extended** the limit **in one place and reduced it in another place,** so that the line marking the Shabbat limit is not straight, **one accepts** the measurement of **the place where he extended** the limit and straightens the limit accordingly. Similarly, if the surveyor **extended** the limit **for one and reduced** it **for another, one accepts the extended** measurement.


###### Eruvin 58b:13
[Eruvin 58b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Eruvin/r/58b:13)

וַאֲפִילּוּ עֶבֶד אֲפִילּוּ שִׁפְחָה נֶאֱמָנִין לוֹמַר עַד כָּאן תְּחוּם שַׁבָּת, שֶׁלֹּא אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אֶת הַדָּבָר לְהַחֲמִיר, אֶלָּא לְהָקֵל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** furthermore, **even** a gentile **slave** and **even** a gentile **maidservant,** whose testimonies are generally considered unreliable, **are trustworthy to say: The Shabbat limit** extended **until here; as the Sages did not state the matter,** the laws of Shabbat limits, **to be stringent, but** rather **to be lenient.** The prohibition to walk more than two thousand cubits is rabbinic in origin and is therefore interpreted leniently.