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Techum: Difference between revisions
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→Techum of Manhattan
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#The ramification of this question is whether it is permissible to cross the Williamsburg bridge or Washington bridge on Shabbat. According to the Chazon Ish's squaring off of Manhattan both of these bridges would be beyond the techum; accordingly, it is forbidden to cross these on Shabbat. According to the other method, both of these bridges and some adjacent area is within the squaring off of Manhattan; according to this view it is permissible to cross these bridges on Shabbat.<ref>Rav Yitzchak Shpitzer and Rav Yechezkel Shraga Weiss (Poalim Ltorah v. 17 pp. 113-131)</ref> | #The ramification of this question is whether it is permissible to cross the Williamsburg bridge or Washington bridge on Shabbat. According to the Chazon Ish's squaring off of Manhattan both of these bridges would be beyond the techum; accordingly, it is forbidden to cross these on Shabbat. According to the other method, both of these bridges and some adjacent area is within the squaring off of Manhattan; according to this view it is permissible to cross these bridges on Shabbat.<ref>Rav Yitzchak Shpitzer and Rav Yechezkel Shraga Weiss (Poalim Ltorah v. 17 pp. 113-131)</ref> | ||
#Yet, even according to Chazon Ish's view there are three other arguments that possibly could allow for crossing these bridges. 1) Chazon Ish suggests that cities join together if even just a small part of their squaring off overlap. Rav Elyashiv disagrees.<ref>See [[#Joining_Cities]] above.</ref> If one were to be lenient on this question, then even according to the first method of squaring off Manhattan it joins with Fort Lee and Brooklyn. 2) Tunnels with buildings on top potentially join cities. 3) The Williamsburg bridge had a booth for guards to watch the bridge. Some poskim hold that this makes the entire bridge like a dwelling place and then it would join Manhattan and Brooklyn together. In practice, some rabbis allow walking over the Williamsburg bridges and others do not.<ref>Rav Yitzchak Shpitzer and Rav Yechezkel Shraga Weiss (Poalim Ltorah v. 17 pp. 113-131). [https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/728838/rabbi-hershel-schachter/eruvin-shiur-118/ Rav Hershel Schachter (Eruvin 118, min 50-53)] also notes that whether Manhattan and Brooklyn join together for one techum depends on whether two overlapping techumin are considered one city.</ref> | #Yet, even according to Chazon Ish's view there are three other arguments that possibly could allow for crossing these bridges. 1) Chazon Ish suggests that cities join together if even just a small part of their squaring off overlap. Rav Elyashiv disagrees.<ref>See [[#Joining_Cities]] above.</ref> If one were to be lenient on this question, then even according to the first method of squaring off Manhattan it joins with Fort Lee and Brooklyn. 2) Tunnels with buildings on top potentially join cities. 3) The Williamsburg bridge had a booth for guards to watch the bridge. Some poskim hold that this makes the entire bridge like a dwelling place and then it would join Manhattan and Brooklyn together. In practice, some rabbis allow walking over the Williamsburg bridges and others do not.<ref>Rav Yitzchak Shpitzer and Rav Yechezkel Shraga Weiss (Poalim Ltorah v. 17 pp. 113-131). [https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/728838/rabbi-hershel-schachter/eruvin-shiur-118/ Rav Hershel Schachter (Eruvin 118, min 50-53)] also notes that whether Manhattan and Brooklyn join together for one techum depends on whether two overlapping techumin are considered one city.</ref> | ||
===Techum of Bronx=== | |||
#There are two methods of how to draw the techum of Bronx. | |||
##Method 1: Perhaps Chazon Ish would draw the techum of Bronx as a rectangle beginning with the eastern side which is roughly straight and draw a rectangle from there. | |||
##Method 2: Bronx isn't a rectangle and so its techum is drawn according to the cardinal directions. Each border is drawn from the furthest point in that direction. | |||
<center><gallery> | |||
Ribu'a of Bronx (Chazon Ish).png|Method 1: along the eastern side on [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1uOaGMZ15akbgsoFYcisTlIciia1QzSY&usp=sharing google maps] | |||
Ribu'a of Bronx (Ruchot Haolam).png|Method 2: according to the cardinal directions on [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1uOaGMZ15akbgsoFYcisTlIciia1QzSY&usp=sharing google maps]<ref>[https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/728838/rabbi-hershel-schachter/eruvin-shiur-118/ Rav Hershel Schachter (Eruvin 118, min 53-56)] assumes Bronx is squared off by the cardinal directions.</ref> | |||
</gallery></center> | |||
#Whether it is permitted to walk from Riverdale (Bronx) to Washington Heights (Manhattan) on Shabbat depends on how the techum of Bronx is squared. If Bronx is squared according to the cardinal directions then the 2000 amot techum around that square includes Washington Heights. Accordingly, it is permitted to walk from Riverdale to Washington Heights. However, Manhattan's squaring off (by either method) does not reach most of Riverdale. Accordingly it is forbidden to walk from Washington Heights to Riverdale on Shabbat.<ref>[https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/728838/rabbi-hershel-schachter/eruvin-shiur-118/ Rav Hershel Schachter (Eruvin 118, min 53-56)]</ref> | |||
##Yet, other reasons to permit walking from Washington Heights to Riverdale include: 1) If two overlapping squares is considered one city, then Bronx and Manhattan are considered one city.<ref>[https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/728838/rabbi-hershel-schachter/eruvin-shiur-118/ Rav Hershel Schachter (Eruvin 118, min 50-56)]</ref> 2) If the tunnels between Bronx and Manhattan are considered as joining them, then they are considered one city.<ref>See Rav Yitzchak Shpitzer and Rav Yechezkel Shraga Weiss (Poalim Ltorah v. 17 pp. 113-131) and Tikkun Eruvin (fnt. 89).</ref> 3) If someone started Shabbat in a very small sliver of the west side of Washington Heights at the beginning of Shabbat, it is considered as though he was in the square of Bronx. If so, he can walk to Riverdale.<ref>See [[#Joining_Cities]] above.</ref> | |||
==Moving Packages Received on Shabbat== | ==Moving Packages Received on Shabbat== | ||
