3 ms·

An eruv is a symbolic boundary that allows observant Jews to carry out a range of ordinary activities otherwise forbidden on the Shabbat. There are eruvin in mo

An eruv is a symbolic boundary that allows observant Jews to carry out a range of ordinary activities otherwise forbidden on the Shabbat. There are eruvin in more than 30 states in the U.S., but Manhattan’s is one of the longest in the world. A nearly invisible wire runs from 126th Street in Harlem, down to Battery Park and back up to 111th along the East River. The line has been in place, in some form or another, for just over a century. It has also an official website where people can check if the eruv is up or down: http://eruv.nyc/ http://eruv.nyc/

EGreg 7y ago
I am not an orthodox Jew but I do like to investigate the truth of things in religions. I was always wondering how the Manhattan eruv was a “valid” one by orthodox Judaism since a street like Broadway — or really any street — is a dirshus haRabbim which can hold over 600,000 people at once (and perhaps does once a year, also counting the subway). An eruv originally was supposed to unite “private” domains into one super-domain. The tradition holds that it was instituted by King Solomon himself, to unite Jews who otherwise would not be able to carry things to their neighbors. So I checked — and it turns out that the rabbinate which oversees it is actually not orthodox, but reconstructionist or something. It is based on Monsey, which is home to many orthodox Jews, so hearing that the eruv is overseen by Monsey sounds like it’s orthodox. I don’t know any orthodox Jews who use it. And eruvin are basically used by orthodox Jews. (Fun fact: it doesn’t go through Moshe Feinstein’s old neighborhood, Chelsea, where I used to live, because he opposed it. Another rabbi who opposed any eruvin — even kosher ones — was Menachem Shneerson of Chabad. So in crown heights there is an “eruv dispute” between the orthodox, who use it when they eg walk strollers with their children on Shabbat, and the ultra-orthodox, who refuse to use it and post signs that it’s not to be used: https://forward.com/news/345405/brooklyn-eruv-feud-spreads-to-park-slope-second-ritual-boundary-vandalized/ https://forward.com/news/345405/brooklyn-eruv-feud-spreads-t... ). I think this is an interesting topic for Hacker News because the people here often investigate rules and reasons for them, and this whole topic — even the Talmud eruv rules themselves — is about rules and hacking in a way.
- davemel37 7y ago
  In my orthodox circles, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was considered to be THE preeminent expert on Jewish law in America and the final voice on tough decisions...and while there are many opinions out there, I cant imagine many orthodox observant rabbi accepting an eruv that he rejected. I do not however know the specifics in this case...
- phonon 7y ago
  1. Yes, there are various opinions on this topic. See http://www.aishdas.org/rygb/eruvp3a.htm http://www.aishdas.org/rygb/eruvp3a.htm https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/halacha-hashkafa/carrying-eruvin-and-manhattan/2013/05/22/ https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/halacha-hashkafa/carryin... and https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/the-laws-of-creating-an-eruv-part-iii-by-rabbi-howard-jachter https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/the-laws-of-creating-an-er... for example. (It's reshus or reshut btw, not dirshus ) 2. This is a good background for its institution. http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%203%20Buchman.pdf http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%203%20Buchman.pdf 3. It's overseen by an Orthodox group. (It's used by Orthodox Jews, so not sure why you would expect otherwise). https://www.jewishcenter.org/manhattan-eruv.html https://www.jewishcenter.org/manhattan-eruv.html http://eruv.nyc/#organizations http://eruv.nyc/#organizations https://mechonlhoyroa.com/ https://mechonlhoyroa.com/ http://www.rabbimintz.com/ http://www.rabbimintz.com/
rapunkill 7y ago
Do you know if they could consider the electric grid as an eruv?

EGreg 7y ago

I am not an orthodox Jew but I do like to investigate the truth of things in religions. I was always wondering how the Manhattan eruv was a “valid” one by orthodox Judaism since a street like Broadway — or really any street — is a dirshus haRabbim which can hold over 600,000 people at once (and perhaps does once a year, also counting the subway). An eruv originally was supposed to unite “private” domains into one super-domain. The tradition holds that it was instituted by King Solomon himself, to unite Jews who otherwise would not be able to carry things to their neighbors. So I checked — and it turns out that the rabbinate which oversees it is actually not orthodox, but reconstructionist or something. It is based on Monsey, which is home to many orthodox Jews, so hearing that the eruv is overseen by Monsey sounds like it’s orthodox. I don’t know any orthodox Jews who use it. And eruvin are basically used by orthodox Jews. (Fun fact: it doesn’t go through Moshe Feinstein’s old neighborhood, Chelsea, where I used to live, because he opposed it. Another rabbi who opposed any eruvin — even kosher ones — was Menachem Shneerson of Chabad. So in crown heights there is an “eruv dispute” between the orthodox, who use it when they eg walk strollers with their children on Shabbat, and the ultra-orthodox, who refuse to use it and post signs that it’s not to be used: https://forward.com/news/345405/brooklyn-eruv-feud-spreads-to-park-slope-second-ritual-boundary-vandalized/ https://forward.com/news/345405/brooklyn-eruv-feud-spreads-t... ). I think this is an interesting topic for Hacker News because the people here often investigate rules and reasons for them, and this whole topic — even the Talmud eruv rules themselves — is about rules and hacking in a way.

davemel37 7y ago
In my orthodox circles, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was considered to be THE preeminent expert on Jewish law in America and the final voice on tough decisions...and while there are many opinions out there, I cant imagine many orthodox observant rabbi accepting an eruv that he rejected. I do not however know the specifics in this case...
phonon 7y ago
1. Yes, there are various opinions on this topic. See http://www.aishdas.org/rygb/eruvp3a.htm http://www.aishdas.org/rygb/eruvp3a.htm https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/halacha-hashkafa/carrying-eruvin-and-manhattan/2013/05/22/ https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/halacha-hashkafa/carryin... and https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/the-laws-of-creating-an-eruv-part-iii-by-rabbi-howard-jachter https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/the-laws-of-creating-an-er... for example. (It's reshus or reshut btw, not dirshus ) 2. This is a good background for its institution. http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%203%20Buchman.pdf http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%203%20Buchman.pdf 3. It's overseen by an Orthodox group. (It's used by Orthodox Jews, so not sure why you would expect otherwise). https://www.jewishcenter.org/manhattan-eruv.html https://www.jewishcenter.org/manhattan-eruv.html http://eruv.nyc/#organizations http://eruv.nyc/#organizations https://mechonlhoyroa.com/ https://mechonlhoyroa.com/ http://www.rabbimintz.com/ http://www.rabbimintz.com/

rapunkill 7y ago

Do you know if they could consider the electric grid as an eruv?