1. When a person left his city on Friday and stood in a specific place within the Sabbath limits, or at the end of the Sabbath limits, and said,¹As mentioned in Halachah 9, there is no need to make an explicit statement. It is sufficient to make a mental resolve. "This is my place for the Sabbath," although he returns to his city and spends the night there, on the following day he is permitted to walk two thousand cubits from that place in every direction.

This is the principal manner [of establishing] an eruv t'chumin - actually to go there by foot.²This point is the subject of a difference of opinion among our Sages (Eruvin 4:9). Rabbi Meir maintains that the fundamental provision for establishing an eruv t'chumin involves depositing food. An allowance was made, however, for a poor person who could not afford to deposit food; he was permitted to establish an eruv by actually going to the desired place.

Rabbi Yehudah differs and states that the fundamental provision involves actually being at the place. Our Sages granted a leniency to a rich man, however, and allowed him to employ an agent to deposit food. As the Rambam states, the halachah follows Rabbi Yehudah. [The Sages allowed] one to establish an eruv by depositing an amount of food sufficient for two meals in the place - although one did not actually go there and stand there - to expedite matters for a rich person, so that he will not have to travel by himself, and could instead send his eruv with an agent who will deposit it for him.

2. Similarly, when a person decides to establish his place for the Sabbath in a specific location - e.g., at a tree, a house, or a fence that he can identify, and at nightfall:

a) there are two thousand cubits or less between him and that place; and

b) he sets out to reach that place and establishes it to be his place for the Sabbath,

on the following day, he may proceed to that desired location and continue two thousand cubits in all directions. [Moreover, this law applies] even when he did not actually reach that place or stand there, but instead a friend had him turn back and spend the night at his home, or even if he himself decided to turn back, or was prevented [from going there by other factors].

[The rationale is that] since he made a resolve to establish [that location] as his place for the Sabbath, and set out for that purpose, it is considered as if he stood there or deposited his eruv there.

3. When does the above apply? To a poor person, for we do not burden him [with the obligation of] depositing an eruv, or to a person who is in a distant place - e.g., a person on a journey who is afraid that soon night will fall. [This leniency is granted] provided there is enough time in the day for him to reach the designated place before nightfall - if he ran with all of his strength - and there are two thousand cubits or less between him and that place at nightfall.³I.e., the person could not reach the intended place before nightfall if he continued at his present pace, but could reach it if he ran with all his might. We do not require him to make this effort, and allow him to establish the eruv by intent and continue walking at his normal pace (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 409:11).

If, however, he was not far from the place in question,⁴I.e., if at the outset he was at home, but was simply too lax about establishing an eruv. (See Shulchan Aruch, loc. cit.:13.) nor was he a poor man, or

there was not enough time in the day for him to reach the designated place before nightfall if he ran with all of his strength, or

there were more than two thousand cubits between him and that place at nightfall, or

he did not specify the location he intended as his place for the Sabbath,⁵See Halachot 5-7.

he is not able to designate a distant location as his place for the Sabbath. Instead, he is granted no more than two thousand cubits in all directions from the place at which he is standing at nightfall.⁶The Rambam's ruling implies that the person's intent is of no consequence whatsoever, and his "place" for the Sabbath is the place where he is standing at nightfall.

The Ra'avad differs regarding the instance when there are more than two thousand cubits between the person and the location he intended to be his "Sabbath place." The person's intent establishes that location as his "Sabbath place." Since there are more than two thousand cubits between the person and his "place," he is compared to one who has gone beyond his Sabbath limits and is entitled to walk only within a square of four cubits. (See Hilchot Shabbat 27:11.)

Although the Shulchan Aruch (loc. cit.:11) mentions both views, it appears to favor that of the Ra'avad. The Be'ur Halachah notes that the Ra'avad's views are shared by the Rashba, Rabbenu Asher, and many others. Hence, he suggests that it be followed.

4. When a person stood in a private domain before the commencement of the Sabbath and designated it as his "place" for the Sabbath, or if he was traveling on a journey and had the intent of spending the Sabbath in a private domain that he knew and [thus] designated as his "place" for the Sabbath, he is entitled to walk throughout that domain and [continue] two thousand cubits in all directions.

If, however, this private domain was not enclosed for the purpose of habitation, or was a mound or a valley [different rules apply]: If it is the size of the area necessary to grow two se'ah [of grain] or less,⁷I.e., 5000 square cubits. one is entitled to walk throughout that domain and two thousand cubits in all directions.⁸I.e., there is no difference between it and an ordinary private domain. If it is larger than the size of the area necessary to grow two se'ah [of grain],⁹Because of its size, and the fact that it was not enclosed for the purpose of habitation, our Sages feared that it might become confused with a private domain. Hence, they applied more stringent rules. (See Hilchot Shabbat, Chapter 16.) [one's "place"] is considered to be only four cubits in that domain, [and one may proceed only] two thousand cubits from [this place] in all directions.

The same [law applies] when one places one's eruv in a domain that was not enclosed for the purpose of habitation.¹⁰From the Rambam's wording in Hilchot Shabbat 27:4, the Maggid Mishneh infers that if the person stands within a large private domain that was not enclosed for the purpose of habitation on Friday and establishes it as his "Sabbath place," he may walk throughout its entire area and two thousand cubits in all directions. This opinion is not accepted by the Rashba and other authorities, and it is their view that is cited by the Shulchan Aruch 396:2.

5. When a person [desires to] establish a distant location as his "place" for the Sabbath, but does not specify its exact location, he is not considered to have established it as his "place."

What is implied? A person was traveling on a journey and declared, "I will spend the Sabbath in such and such a place," "...in such and such a field," "...in such and such a valley," or "...a thousand cubits..." or "...two thousand cubits away from my present place," he has not established the distant location as his place for the Sabbath. [Instead,] he is entitled to proceed only two thousand cubits in all directions from the place where he is standing at nightfall.¹¹Based on their interpretation of Eruvin 49b, the Ra'avad, the Rashba, Rabbenu Asher, and others differ with the Rambam's ruling in this instance. Rather than totally ignore the person's intent, these authorities maintain that he is allowed to consider the distant location as his "Sabbath place." There is, however, a restriction. Since he did not specify his place, he is penalized according to the size of the location.

To cite the example mentioned in the following halachah: a person desires to establish a tree as his "Sabbath place." He does not specify his place and there are 20 cubits under the tree. According to the Rambam, his intent is ignored entirely, and his Sabbath limits are measured from the place where he is standing at nightfall. According to the other authorities, his "Sabbath place" is considered to be the tree, and it is from there that his Sabbath limits are measured. Nevertheless, because he did not specify his desired location, instead of being granted two thousand cubits in all directions, he is granted only 1980 cubits [i.e., 2000 minus 20 (the size of the area under the tree)].

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 409:11) mentions both views, but appears to favor that of the other authorities. The Eliyahu Rabba states that the view of the other authorities should be followed. The Be'ur Halachah, by contrast, states that consideration should also be given to the Rambam's view.

6. [The following rule applies] when a person says, "I will spend the Sabbath under this and this tree," or "...under this and this rock." If there are eight cubits or more under the tree or the rock, the person has not established [the location] as his "place" for the Sabbath, because he did not specify an exact location. For were he to spend the Sabbath in a particular four cubits, [he could be in error,] lest the other four cubits be the ones defined as his "Sabbath place."¹²We are not concerned with which of the eight cubits the person will use while under the tree, for all these eight cubits are within the person's Sabbath limits. The question is which four of these eight cubits will be considered to be one's "Sabbath place" regarding the determination of the Sabbath limits. For this, the precise determination of one's "Sabbath place" is the matter of focus (See the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Eruvin 4:7.)

7. Therefore, it is necessary for a person to have the intent of establishing [a specific portion of the space - e.g.,] at [the tree's] base, its southern side, or its northern side, as his "Sabbath place."

If there are less than eight cubits under [the tree], and he intends to spend the Sabbath under it, he acquires it [as his "Sabbath place"]. [The rationale is that] there is no room [under the tree] for two places, and at least a portion of his [Sabbath] "place" has been defined.¹³I.e., regardless of the side from which one measures the two thousand cubits of the Sabbath limits, a portion of the four cubits that a person is granted will be included in the four cubits from which the Sabbath limits are measured. This must be so, for there are less than eight cubits under the tree (ibid.).

[This is the course of action to follow when] two people were coming on a journey, and one is familiar with a tree, fence, or other place that he desires to establish as his place, and the other is not familiar with the place. The person who is unfamiliar [with the place] should entrust the right to establish his "Sabbath place" to the one who is familiar with the place, and the latter should have the intent that he and his colleague should spend the Sabbath in the place with which he is familiar.

8. [The following rules apply when] the inhabitants of a city have sent a person to deposit their eruv in a specific place, he set out on his way, but a colleague had him return, and he did not deposit the eruv [on behalf of the inhabitants]: Since their eruv was not deposited in the desired location, [that location] is not established as their "Sabbath place," and they are not allowed to walk more than two thousand cubits in all directions from [the boundary of] their city.

[The person who went to deposit the eruv], by contrast, is considered to have established that location as his "place" for the Sabbath, because he had set out on the way to that location with the intent of establishing it as his "Sabbath place."¹⁴See Halachah 2. However, Rashi (Eruvin 52a), Rabbenu Yehonatan, the Rashba and many other authorities maintain that the leniency mentioned in Halachah 2 applies only when a person is on a journey, but not when the entire purpose for his setting out is to deposit an eruv. Their views are cited in the Mishnah Berurah 410:2. Therefore, on the following day, he is permitted to proceed to the [desired] place and continue two thousand cubits from it in all directions.

9. The statement made previously,¹⁵Halachah 2. that a person who desires to establish a location as his Sabbath place from a distance need merely set out on the way, does not mean that he must depart and begin walking through the fields. Even if he merely descended from the loft with the intent of proceeding to [the desired] place, and before he left the entrance of his courtyard, a colleague prevailed on him to return, he is considered to have set out [on his way], and may establish his "Sabbath place" in that location.¹⁶Eruvin 52a relates that Rav Yehudah bar Ishtata brought Rav Natan bar Oshaya a basket of fruit for the Sabbath. Although it was late on Friday afternoon, Rav Yehudah turned to leave so that he could establish an eruv t'chumin to enable himself to return home on the following day. Rav Natan let him descend a single step and then told him to stay.

When a person establishes a location as his "Sabbath place" from a distance, he need not make an explicit statement, "This and this location is my 'Sabbath place.' It is sufficient for him to make a resolve within his heart and to set out on the way [to] establish that location as his "Sabbath place."¹⁷Rashi (Eruvin 52a) and other authorities differ, and state that this leniency applies only when a person has two homes whose Sabbath limits are adjoining. In this instance, it is clear that even though a colleague prevailed upon him to return, his intent was to establish his "Sabbath place" at the desired location so that he could proceed to his other home.

When, however, a person does not own a home in the adjoining area, and a colleague is able to prevail upon him to return, he is not able to establish a "Sabbath place" in a distant location, unless he makes an explicit statement to that effect. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 410:2) quotes the Rambam's view, while the Mishnah Berurah 410:7 mentions the other opinions.

Needless to say, a person who traveled by foot and actually stood at the location that [he desired to] establish as his "Sabbath place" need not make a statement. Making a resolve within his heart is sufficient to establish [the location as his "Sabbath place"].

10. When students who sleep in the house of study, but go and eat their Sabbath meals [in the homes of] people who live in the fields and the vineyards who show hospitality to wayfarers passing through, [the house of study is considered their "Sabbath place"] and not the place where they eat.¹⁸This applies even if during beyn hash'mashot they are at the homes of their hosts (Mishnah Berurah 409:39).

They may walk two thousand cubits from the house of study in all directions. [The rationale is] that were it possible for them to eat in the house of study, they would not go to the fields at all. They consider the house of study alone as their dwelling.