Siman - Eruvin Daf 105
- Who takes precedence to build, make repairs and remove tumah?
It was taught in a Baraisa, הכל נכנסין בהיכל לבנות לתקן ולהוציא את הטומאה – Anyone may enter the Heichal to build, to make repairs, and to remove tumah, ומצוה בכהנים – but preferably Kohanim should do these tasks, אם אין שם כהנים נכנסין לוים – if there are no Kohanim then even Leviim may enter, אין שם לוים נכנסין ישראלים – if there are no Leviim then even Yisroelim may enter. The Gemara infers, טהורין אין טמאין לא – tahor people may enter, but tamei people should not. Therefore, a tahor Yisroel is better than a tamei Kohen.
Rav Huna said that Rav Kahana “helped” the Kohanim, for he had a Baraisa, that taught that a tamei Kohen is better than a tahor Yisroel. מצוה בתמימים – It is preferable that unblemished Kohanim enter to perform repairs, אין שם תמימים נכנסין בעלי מומין – if there are no unblemished Kohanim then even blemished Kohanim should enter, מצוה בטהורין – It is a mitzvah that tahor Kohanim enter to do repairs, אין שם טהורין נכנסין טמאין – if there are no tahor Kohanim then even tamei Kohanim may enter. The Gemara infers that since the Baraisa did not mention Yisroelim, כהנים אין ישראלים לא – Kohanim may enter but Yisroelim may not.
- טמא או בעל מום
The Gemara inquired, טמא ובעל מום איזו מהן נכנס – If only a tamei Kohen and a blemished Kohen are available, which one should enter the Heichal to do repairs?
- Rav Chiya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav, טמא נכנס דהא אישתרי בעבודת ציבור – The tamei Kohen should enter since he is permitted to perform community karbonos when the majority of Kohanim are tamei, whereas a בעל מום may never bring a korban.
- Rebbe Elazar said, בעל מום נכנס דהא אישתרי באכילת קדשים – the בעל מום should enter for he can eat from korbanos, whereas a tamei Kohen may not eat from them.
- משלך נתנו לך
In the Mishnah on Daf 104b, Rebbe Shimon said, מקום שהתירו לך חכמים משלך נתנו לך – Where the Chochomim granted you a dispensation, they merely gave you what is rightfully yours. The Gemara asks what Rebbe Shimon was referring to and answers, that he was referring back to the ruling he gave in the Mishnah on Daf 52b regarding one who is overtaken by darkness while he is still outside the techum of his destination. Rebbe Shimon said, אפילו חמש עשרה אמה יכנס – even if he is fifteen amos away from the city’s techum boundary, he may enter, לפי שאין המשוחות ממצעין את המדות מפני הטועים – for the surveyors who place the markers to delineate the city’s techum do not give full measure because of those who err. Rebbe Shimon is clarifying that this is not a leniency in the restriction of techum, but rather we are allowing him to use what is rightfully his anyway, since those extra fifteen amos are actually within 2,000 amos of the city.
