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Techum: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
→Techum of Manhattan
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==Techum of Specific Cities== | ==Techum of Specific Cities== | ||
===Techum of Manhattan=== | ===Techum of Manhattan=== | ||
#There are two ways to square off the city of Manhattan to determine its techum. | #There are two ways to square off the city of Manhattan to determine its techum. | ||
##Method 1: One way is to draw a rectangle using the western side as a single straight side. A parallel line is drawn with the same length at the same angle to the east of the island. Then two shorter sides are drawn perpendicular to the parallel lines to complete the rectangle. This is Chazon Ish's method to squaring off a city. According to this a small section of Brooklyn and possibly a tiny section of Jersey City are included in the squaring off of Manhattan. | ##Method 1: One way is to draw a rectangle using the western side as a single straight side. A parallel line is drawn with the same length at the same angle to the east of the island. Then two shorter sides are drawn perpendicular to the parallel lines to complete the rectangle. This is Chazon Ish's method to squaring off a city. According to this a small section of Brooklyn and possibly a tiny section of Jersey City are included in the squaring off of Manhattan. | ||
##Method 2: Another way of squaring off Manhattan is to square it off based on the cardinal directions. The western border is drawn from the western most part of the island, and the same is done for the other directions so that there is a rectangle which aligns with the cardinal directions. This squaring off of Manhattan easily protrudes into Brooklyn as well as Fort Lee. | ##Method 2: Another way of squaring off Manhattan is to square it off based on the cardinal directions. The western border is drawn from the western most part of the island, and the same is done for the other directions so that there is a rectangle which aligns with the cardinal directions. This squaring off of Manhattan easily protrudes into Brooklyn as well as Fort Lee.<ref>Rav Yitzchak Shpitzer and Rav Yechezkel Shraga Weiss (Poalim Ltorah v. 17 pp. 113-131)</ref> | ||
<center><gallery> | <center><gallery> | ||
Ribu'a of Manhattan (Chazon Ish).png|Method 1: along the western side on [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1C_35EvqooOX1dJDROrMgWiz__xSp1J8&usp=sharing google maps] | Ribu'a of Manhattan (Chazon Ish).png|Method 1: along the western side on [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1C_35EvqooOX1dJDROrMgWiz__xSp1J8&usp=sharing google maps] | ||
Ribu'a of Manhattan (Ruchot Haolam).png|Method 2: according to the cardinal directions on [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1C_35EvqooOX1dJDROrMgWiz__xSp1J8&usp=sharing google maps] | Ribu'a of Manhattan (Ruchot Haolam).png|Method 2: according to the cardinal directions on [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1C_35EvqooOX1dJDROrMgWiz__xSp1J8&usp=sharing google maps] | ||
</gallery></center> | </gallery></center> | ||
#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. | #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. 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. | #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. 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)</ref> | ||
==Moving Packages Received on Shabbat== | ==Moving Packages Received on Shabbat== | ||
