Comments on: How to fumble the carrying thing

By: Gary Dutton

Gary Dutton — Sun, 05 Dec 2004 14:32:45 +0000

why don’t we just erect 8 poles and a few bits of wire all around the coast of England, but hey, why do we need to? The coast is a boundary in itself isn’t it?

By: ken

ken — Sun, 03 Aug 2003 23:46:50 +0000

Actually, there is a slight misconception. There are three types of “domain” in regards to the Sabbath. One, the private domain, like a house and courtyard where no one argues that you can carry, even withOUT an eruv. Another ‘domain’ is the public domain which is a road that has 600,000 or more people a day travelling along it. No one argues that you can NOT carry in this area with or without an Eruv. There is a third ‘domain’ that falls in the middle. In order to not confuse this area and carry where we are not allowed, the rabbis declared that you can NOT carry in the area withOUT an eruv. It does not “Fool” G-d or anyone that we are getting away with anything. It allows us to differentiate two types of areas. As for checking the traffic signal on Shabbos, that is not neccesary. Once the eruv is considered functional just before shabbos it remains functional as it is not allowing us to do anything that the Bible prohibits.

By: Aryeh

Aryeh — Fri, 06 Jun 2003 00:59:25 +0000

You’re all confused. What did the Eiruv ever do to you, that you attack it so viciously?
In Judaism, the Creator is not a static Law-giver. If you were a law-giver yourself, wouldn’t you make the laws at least as flexible as a piece of chewing gum? Think so?
So, the Creator wrote His laws, and stipulated that the Jewish Highcourt have the authority to meddle with the law the way they see fit. The same Highcourt decided that wires are a virtual wall around a city they encircle, for the sake of the Jews, thereby increasing the dimensions of the private domain (where carrying is logically permitted anyway) to the proportions of a city – right? – like, you can carry inside a house, no problem with that, ah? So why shouldn’t you be able to carry inside a city? A city is like a big house, if we’re all friendly and brotherly with each other, and sometimes sisterly, too, but that’s a different discussion.
As far as the all important spirit of the law, the Rabbis conserve this spirit at all times; even when they seemingly abrogate a law, they do it in a way that infuses additional spirit into the remaining, unabrogated laws. In this case, while the spirit of the Shabbos law diminished, the spirit of the law of Rabbinical Authority in general was greatly expanded: for now they showed us the great authority that G-d gave the Highcourt allowing the rabbis to meddle with the divine Law. Amen.
So, there is a law of conservation of spirit in Judaism, just like there is a law of conservation of momentum in the universe.

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 02 Mar 2003 07:55:27 +0000

Is it any wonder there are more Jedi Knights than Jews in the UK now?
Let’s face it, when it’s a choice between a lightsabre and a dradle, well, it’s really no choice at all.

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 02 Mar 2003 02:38:03 +0000

Words almost fail me 🙂
To describe such a set of rules, and such a patently ridiculous way of circumventing them, and then to complain about the ‘stupid levels of politics’ that prevents you from doing this…well. It just makes me laugh.
“LOOK! It’s prefectly simple! ALL we are trying to do is erect a wire around a large area of London in order to FOOL our G-d into believing that we think it’s our property, so that we can carry things. I mean, what the hell is that matter with you?! What’s with all the illogical petty rules anyway?”
“Ours or yours, Sir?”
“Shut up.”
I don’t know much about religion, but I find it hard to believe the big guy is buying any of this crap.
And is the wire there to keep the Jews in, or the cows out? 😉

By: Ultra Orthadox

Ultra Orthadox — Sat, 01 Mar 2003 05:59:46 +0000

I don’t understand how circumventing the spirit of the Sabbath by allowing the eruv is tolerated. The Halacha says you can’t go out carrying things. So to “get around” this, they say “Hmmm…but we do want to go out carrying things”, and build the eruv.
The minute you start bending the rules to fit the lifestyle that exists without the rules, then the rules cease to exist. Using the eruv or any other “hack” just shows that either the law is idiotic in the first place or the follower is not truly following what they say they are.

By: The Pagan Prattle Online

The Pagan Prattle Online — Sat, 01 Mar 2003 05:40:30 +0000

Taking the eruv with the smooth

An eruv is a special enclosure used by Orthodox Jews to symbolically extend the boundary of the home, and therefore permit certain actions, such as pushing a wheelchair, which would not otherwise be allowed on the Sabbath. In other words, it’s a legal…

By: Andrew Los

Andrew Los — Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:43:18 +0000

Only if you’re oy-mailing the rabbi…

By: Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow — Fri, 28 Feb 2003 23:57:59 +0000

Are email and SMS kosher on Shabbos?

By: Yoz

Yoz — Fri, 28 Feb 2003 23:52:54 +0000

The idea is that the final word goes up on Friday lunchtime – you check before the Sabbath and take that as the final word. There’s also an email and SMS service, though (in classic synagogue style) they seem to be demanding an 18 quid donation for subscription.
Talking of the Sabbath, I am running *astonishingly* late… seeya!