Siman - Eruvin Daf 98
- Reading a scroll on a threshold
The Mishnah on the bottom of 97b stated, היה קורא בספר על האיסקופה ונתגלגל הספר מידו – If one was reading a scroll on a threshold, and one end of the scroll rolled from his hand and landed in reshus harabim below, גוללו אצלו – he may roll it in to himself. The Gemara asks, האי אוסקופה היכי דמי – What is the case of the threshold?
The Gemara suggests the threshold is a reshus hayachid, it is four by four tefachim wide and ten tefachim high, and the sefer rolled into the reshus harabim in front of it. Even though there is concern that the scroll might fall out of his hands into the reshus harabim and he might come to bring it from the reshus harabim back onto the threshold, we are not gozier a d’Rabbanon, because Rav Yehudah says the reisha of the Mishnah reflects the opinion of Rebbe Shimon who holds, כל דבר שהוא משום שבות אינו עומד בפני כתבי הקדש – no law which is only of Rabbinic origin stands in the way of treating kisvei hakodesh with their due respect. The Gemara brings two more approaches.
- Reading a scroll on a roof
The next case in the Mishnah stated, היה קורא בראש הגג ונתגלגל הספר מידו – If one was reading a scroll on a roof and it rolled into reshus harabim below, משהגיע לעשרה טפחים הופכו על הכתב – if it reached to within ten tefachim of the ground, he may not roll it in; rather he should turn it over on its written side so that the lettering is not exposed and leave it there until after Shabbos.
The Gemara asks if it is permitted to turn Kisvei HaKodesh over on their written side based on a Baraisa that taught, כותבי ספרים תפילין ומזוזות – Those who write sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos are not allowed to turn the parchment face down to protect the lettering from dust, אלא פורס עליה את הבגד – but rather one should spread a garment over it. The Gemara answers that the Baraisa is talking about where it is possible to cover the written side with a garment but in the Mishna’s case it is not possible since it would require a very large garment, and if he does not turn it over on its written side, איכא בזיון כבתי הקדש טפי – there will be greater disgrace to the kisvei hakodesh than if he were to turn it over and conceal the writing.
- Putting things on a ledge
The next Mishnah states, זיז שלפני חלון נותנין עליו ונוטלין ממנו בשבת – If there were a ledge four tefachim wide and ten tefachim off the ground, in front of a window, one who is in the building may put things on it and remove things from it on Shabbos. The Gemara asks what type of reshus the זיז was extending into. If it was a reshus harabim, there should be a concern that something might fall off the ledge and someone might come to bring it back into the reshus hayachid. Abaye answers that ledge is extending into reshus harabim and the Mishnah was referring to כלים הנשברים – breakable utensils, such as earthenware or glass. Since they will break if they fall off, there is no concern that someone will retrieve them.
