922. Jewish and Non-Jewish Residents

Eiruvin 2:9

If a Jew resides in the same courtyard as a non-Jew or a ger toshav (a non-Jew who has accepted the Noachide laws), the non-Jewish resident does not impede the Jew’s ability to carry on Shabbos because his presence is not halachically significant in this regard. However, if two Jews share a courtyard with a non-Jew, he does impede their ability to carry. This was enacted in order to discourage such living arrangements out of concern that the Jews might emulate the non-Jew. Such an enactment was not made regarding one Jew and one non-Jew because it is a very uncommon situation since there was a reasonable concern that if a Jew and a non-Jew were alone together, the non-Jew would kill him.

Eiruvin 2:10

If two Jews and one non-Jew share a courtyard and the Jews make an eiruv, it is not effective. Similarly, if they cede their ownership rights to the non-Jew, or if he cedes his rights to them, or if one of the Jews forgoes his ownership rights to the other Jew so that they are like a single Jewish residence alongside a single non-Jewish residence – in all of these cases, their actions are not effective because an eiruv may not be made and forgoing one’s rights is not effective in the presence of a non-Jewish resident. The only option is for the Jews to rent the non-Jew’s property so that he becomes their guest. Similarly, if there are a number of non-Jewish residents, the Jews may only carry if the non-Jews rent them their property, after which the Jews make an eiruv. If one Jew rents a non-Jew’s property, he may then make an eiruv with the other Jewish residents, which enables all of them to carry. It is not necessary for each Jew to rent from the non-Jewish resident.