Siman - Eruvin Daf 17
- When the number of occupants in an inferior enclosure changes
There is a machlokes between Rav Huna and Rebbe Yitzchok regarding the status of an inferior enclosure when the number of occupants changes during Shabbos, such as in a case of שלשה ומת אחד מהן – three people occupied the enclosure and then one died, or, שנים ונתוספו עליהן – two people occupied an enclosure (of more than two beis se’ah, which is forbidden to them), and then one person joined them. One holds that שבת גורמת - Shabbos causes the validity or invalidity of the partition, meaning that the status remains the same as it was at the start of Shabbos. The other one holds that דיורין גורמין – the current number of residents causes the validity or invalidity of the partition.
The Gemara concludes that it is Rav Huna who holds that שבת גורמת, based on a case where two chatzeiros were joined in an eruv via their entrance and the entrance became sealed on Shabbos, and a case where they were joined through a window and the window became sealed on Shabbos, about which Rav Huna ruled, שבת הואיל והותרה הותרה – once carrying on Shabbos was permitted, it remains permitted.
- מת מצוה
It was stated in a Baraisa that Rebbe Yehudah ben Teima ruled regarding soldiers, מקום שנהרגים שם נקברים – in the place that they are killed they are buried. The Gemara asks why it was necessary to teach this since it is obvious, given that they are a מת מצוה, and מת מצוה קונה מקומו – an unattended corpse “acquires” the site where he dies, and answers that the fallen soldier acquires the site where he dies even if he has relatives to attend to his burial.
The Gemara brings a Baraisa that asks, איזהו מת מצוה? – Which dead person qualifies as a meis mitzvah (that anyone present is obligated to bury him)? The Gemara answers כל שאין לו קוברין – Whoever has no buriers, meaning any relatives to attend to his burial needs. קורא ואחרים עונין אותו אין זה מת מצוה. – If he would call for help and heirs would answer him to attend to his burial, he is not considered a meis mitzvah.
- מים אחרונים
The Mishnah stated that soldiers are exempt from the obligation of washing their hands before a meal. Abaye said, לא שנו אלא מים ראשונים – The Mishnah only taught that they are exempt from washing before the meal, אבל מים אחרונים חובה – However the washing after the meal is obligatory even for soldiers. Rav Chiya bar Ashi said that the reason that מים אחרונים is a chiyuv is, מפני שמלח סדומית יש שמסמא את העינים – because there is salt from Sodom that blinds the eyes. Washing ensures that one does not have any salt on his fingers from the food that he ate, that could possibly harm him.
Rav Acha the son of Rava asked Rav Ashi if this law of מים אחרונים also applies to one who measures salt or is it only pertinent to eating a meal, and Rav Ashi answered that it is no question that one who measures salt should also wash his hands.
