DAAT · LEVEL 3 — MAGISTERIAL SYNTHESIS
Siman שפ״ג
סימן שפ״ג · כשאין העכו״ם בבית אינו מעכב
Recap & mnemonics for review
📑 Synthesis plan
- The central axiom of the siman
- The condensed key concepts
- The course of the seif — from the non-Jew's absence to his death on Shabbos
- Decision tree — does the non-Jew of the courtyard forbid, and what is to be done?
- The non-Jew who dies on Shabbos — where the commentators diverge
- Mnemonic ב-ב-ל-מ
- Pitfalls to avoid
- Practical cases
- Final synthesis table
- The practical commandments
The seif number on this page is that of the Shulchan Aruch of the Mechaber (a single seif, with no gloss of the Rema). The Shulchan Aruch HaRav, studied in Level 4, writes this siman in 3 seifim: when it is cited, its name is given next to the number.
1. The central axiom
Siman שפ״ג in one sentence.
A non-Jew lives with two Jews. When he is away from his house, he does not forbid, and they make the eruv: « עכו״ם הדר עם שני ישראלים ואין העכו״ם בביתו אינו אוסר » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א) — according to the Mishnah Berurah, when he left before Shabbos, he and all his household (ס״ק ב); for the distance, the seif refers to siman 371. If he came on Shabbos, he forbids, and the eruv is void; however, they rent from him on Shabbos, then one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted: « בא עכו״ם בשבת אוסר והעירוב בטל ומיהו יכולים לשכור ממנו בשבת ואח״כ יבטל הא׳ לחבירו ויהי׳ היחיד מותר » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א). And all the more so if he dies on Shabbos (seif א); on the case this “all the more so” refers to, the commentators diverge (section 5).
A non-Jew lives with two Jews. When he is away from his house, he does not forbid, and they make the eruv: « עכו״ם הדר עם שני ישראלים ואין העכו״ם בביתו אינו אוסר » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א) — according to the Mishnah Berurah, when he left before Shabbos, he and all his household (ס״ק ב); for the distance, the seif refers to siman 371. If he came on Shabbos, he forbids, and the eruv is void; however, they rent from him on Shabbos, then one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted: « בא עכו״ם בשבת אוסר והעירוב בטל ומיהו יכולים לשכור ממנו בשבת ואח״כ יבטל הא׳ לחבירו ויהי׳ היחיד מותר » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א). And all the more so if he dies on Shabbos (seif א); on the case this “all the more so” refers to, the commentators diverge (section 5).
2. The condensed key concepts
| Concept | Definition | In the seif |
|---|---|---|
| עכו״ם הדר עם שני ישראלים | The non-Jew who lives with two Jews, « בחצר אחד » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק א) — in one courtyard | Seif א: this is the case of the whole seif |
| ואין העכו״ם בביתו | According to the Mishnah Berurah: « שהלך קודם השבת הוא וכל בני ביתו לעיר אחרת » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק ב); for the distance, the seif refers to siman 371, where the Mishnah Berurah reads two views (ס״ק ג); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav writes: even if he went to a nearby place, as long as he is not in his house, « שֶׁדִּירָה בְּלֹא בְעָלִים אֵינָהּ דִּירָה » (שו״ע הרב שפ״ג:א) | Seif א: he does not forbid, and they make the eruv |
| והעירוב בטל | The eruv is void as soon as the non-Jew comes to his house (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ה); « ולא אמרינן דכיון שהותר תחלת השבת הותר לכל השבת » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק ד); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav writes the same rule, with an exception (383:1; pitfall 2) | Seif א: if he came on Shabbos, he forbids |
| לשכור ממנו בשבת | Renting on Shabbos: « ואין זה דומה למקח וממכר משום דאין זה אלא משום היכר להתיר טלטול » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק ו); the Taz writes this too (ס״ק א) | Seif א: they may rent from him on Shabbos |
| יבטל הא׳ לחבירו · ויהי׳ היחיד מותר | Renouncing the domain, and who is permitted: « ר״ל האיש שביטלו לו הרשות משא״כ המבטל בודאי אסור אם לא שחזר השני וביטל להראשון דאז מותר » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק ז) | Seif א: after the rental, one renounces in favor of the other |
| חוזר וניעור | The eruv that “revives”. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav, for a rental made after the non-Jew came: « אֲבָל הָעֵרוּב אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר וְנֵעוֹר כְּשֶׁשָּׂכְרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, הוֹאִיל וּכְבָר נִתְבַּטֵּל מִיָּד בְּבוֹאוֹ » (שו״ע הרב שפ״ג:ב) | Seif א of the Mechaber does not say this explicitly (Level 4, point ג) |
| אם מת העכו״ם בשבת | The non-Jew's death on Shabbos | Seif א: all the more so one renounces in favor of the other; on the case it refers to, the commentators diverge (section 5) |
3. The course of the seif — from the non-Jew's absence to his death on Shabbos
Seif א, first clause — the absence: the non-Jew who lives with two Jews and is not in his house does not forbid (the seif refers to siman 371); they make the eruv and are permitted.
↓
Seif א, second clause — his coming: if he came on Shabbos, he forbids, and the eruv is void.
↓
Seif א, third clause — renting, then renouncing: however, they may rent from him on Shabbos; then one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted.
↓
Seif א, last clause — his death: all the more so if he dies on Shabbos, one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted.
The Shulchan Aruch HaRav writes this seif in three: the absence and his coming (383:1), the rental after he came (383:2), the non-Jew's death (383:3) — Level 4.
4. Decision tree — does the non-Jew of the courtyard forbid, and what is to be done?
Q1: Is the non-Jew away from his house? (seif א)
↓ He does not forbid, and they make the eruv (seif א) — according to the Mishnah Berurah, when he left before Shabbos, he and all his household (ס״ק ב). For the distance, the seif refers to siman 371, where the Mishnah Berurah reads two views (ס״ק ג); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav: even if he went to a nearby place, as long as neither he nor any member of his household is in his house (383:1).
Q2: Does he come on Shabbos? (seif א)
↓ YES → he forbids, and the eruv is void (seif א), as soon as he arrives (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ה); we do not say that, having been permitted at the beginning of Shabbos, it is permitted for all of Shabbos (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ד; Magen Avraham, ס״ק א). The Shulchan Aruch HaRav excepts the case where it is clearly known that at the onset of Shabbos the non-Jew did not intend to return to his house on Shabbos, and changed his mind afterwards (383:1).
Q3: How may they carry then? (seif א)
↓ They rent from him on Shabbos, then one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted (seif א) — according to the Mishnah Berurah, the one in whose favor the domain was renounced; the one who renounced remains forbidden, unless the second one renounces back in his favor (ס״ק ז). Rental alone does not suffice (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ה); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav: the eruv does not revive (383:2).
Q4: Does he die on Shabbos? (seif א)
↓ All the more so one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted (seif א). Which case this “all the more so” refers to, and what applies when they had rented from him and made the eruv before Shabbos: the commentators diverge (section 5).
→ At the slightest doubt: consult your Rav.
5. The non-Jew who dies on Shabbos — where the commentators diverge
The seif ends: « וכ״ש אם מת העכו״ם בשבת שיבטל א׳ לחבירו ויהי׳ היחיד מותר » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א). The commentators diverge on it, among other things, on the case this “all the more so” refers to, and on the case where they had rented from him and made the eruv before Shabbos. summary: the table condenses what is written by the commentators given in Level 2 (section 5), where each is quoted in his own words, and by the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Level 4, points ד and ה).
| Work | The case that “all the more so if he dies” refers to | They had rented from him and made the eruv before Shabbos, and he dies on Shabbos |
|---|---|---|
| Magen Avraham (ס״ק א) | He infers that even if the non-Jew was here since the day before, they made the eruv and he died on Shabbos, or they rented from him [on Shabbos], the eruv is annulled and they must renounce; he raises from this a difficulty against the ruling of siman 374, and writes that this ruling needs to be considered | He does not speak of it explicitly |
| Taz (ס״ק ב) | They had not rented from him at first, but were forbidden; at the non-Jew's death, the permission comes from one renouncing in favor of the other | [The courtyard] became forbidden; if they rent from the heir on that Shabbos, no renunciation is needed, and the eruv made at first suffices — so it seems to him (כנלע״ד) |
| Mishnah Berurah (ס״ק ח) | They made the eruv while it was still day, the non-Jew was not there, he came on Shabbos and died that same day: renunciation alone certainly works, a fortiori; and likewise if they did not make the eruv at all because of him. The Biur Halachah writes that this is how the Nehar Shalom explains it | The eruv is not annulled, even if he has heirs, and even before they have rented from the heir |
| Shulchan Aruch HaRav (383:3) | He writes each case separately. If they had made the eruv without a rental, the non-Jew died on Shabbos and his heir does not live there: they remain forbidden until one renounces in favor of the other, who is then permitted, and the eruv does not revive | The non-Jew being in his house: if they rent from the heir that same day, the eruv revives |
This page does not decide: consult your Rav.
6. Mnemonic ב-ב-ל-מ
Four words of the seif, in its order:
ב — בביתו: when the non-Jew is away from his house, he does not forbid, and they make the eruv.
ב — בא: if he came on Shabbos, he forbids, and the eruv is void.
ל — לשכור: they rent from him on Shabbos, then one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted.
מ — מת: all the more so if he dies on Shabbos — on the case it refers to, the commentators diverge (section 5).
7. Pitfalls to avoid
Pitfall 1: Thinking that the non-Jew's absence is judged without conditions. According to the Mishnah Berurah, he left before Shabbos, he and all his household (ס״ק ב); for the distance, the seif refers to siman 371, where the Mishnah Berurah reads two views (ס״ק ג); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav writes « וְאֵין הַנָּכְרִי בְּבֵיתוֹ (וְלֹא שׁוּם אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ) » (שו״ע הרב שפ״ג:א), and adds: even if he went to a nearby place (383:1). Consult your Rav.
Pitfall 2: Thinking that the eruv, permitted at the beginning of Shabbos, remains so for all of Shabbos. The Magen Avraham: « ולא שייך לו׳ כאן שבת הואיל והותרה הותרה ולא יתבטל כשיבא העכו״ם דהא בין השמשות עמד לאיסור » (מגן אברהם שפ״ג ס״ק א). The Shulchan Aruch HaRav writes the same rule, and an exception that the Mechaber's seif does not write: « אִם לֹא שֶׁיָּדוּעַ בְּבֵרוּר מִדַּעַת הַנָּכְרִי בִּכְנִיסַת שַׁבָּת שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אָז בְּדַעְתּוֹ לַחֲזוֹר לְבֵיתוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת, וְנִמְלַךְ אַחַר כָּךְ » (שו״ע הרב שפ״ג:א).
Pitfall 3: Thinking that rental alone restores the eruv. The seif writes: rent, then renounce (seif א). The Mishnah Berurah: « דאפילו אם ישכרו מן העכו״ם לא יהיו יכולים לטלטל כ״ז שלא יבטלו הרשות אחד לחבירו משום דהעירוב נתבטל תיכף בבוא העכו״ם לביתו » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק ה); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav: « אֲבָל הָעֵרוּב אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר וְנֵעוֹר כְּשֶׁשָּׂכְרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, הוֹאִיל וּכְבָר נִתְבַּטֵּל מִיָּד בְּבוֹאוֹ » (שו״ע הרב שפ״ג:ב).
Pitfall 4: Thinking that after the renunciation both are permitted. The seif writes « ויהי׳ היחיד מותר » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א), and the Mishnah Berurah explains: « ר״ל האיש שביטלו לו הרשות משא״כ המבטל בודאי אסור אם לא שחזר השני וביטל להראשון דאז מותר » (משנה ברורה שפ״ג ס״ק ז).
Pitfall 5: Giving a single reading of « וכ״ש אם מת העכו״ם בשבת » (שו״ע או״ח שפ״ג:א), or a single rule for the case where they had rented from him and made the eruv before Shabbos. The commentators diverge: see section 5. Consult your Rav.
Pitfall 6: Mixing the two numberings. Levels 1 to 3 follow the Shulchan Aruch of the Mechaber, which writes this siman in a single seif; Level 4 follows the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, which writes it in 3 seifim (383:1, 383:2, 383:3), all three corresponding to seif א of the Mechaber.
8. Practical cases
| Situation | Analysis | Conduct |
|---|---|---|
| The non-Jewish neighbor of the courtyard left before Shabbos, and is not at home | The site's application, seif א: he does not forbid, and the Jews of the courtyard make the eruv — according to the Mishnah Berurah, when he left before Shabbos, he and all his household (ס״ק ב), and in the cases set out in siman 371 (ס״ק ג) | Consult your Rav |
| He comes back on Shabbos | The site's application, seif א: he forbids, and the eruv is void; they may rent from him on Shabbos, then one renounces his domain in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted — according to the Mishnah Berurah, the one in whose favor the domain was renounced; the one who renounced remains forbidden, unless the second one renounces back in his favor (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ז) | Rent, then renounce; consult your Rav |
| He dies on Shabbos | The site's application, seif א: all the more so one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted; on the case this “all the more so” refers to, and on a rental made before Shabbos, the commentators diverge (section 5) | Consult your Rav |
9. Final synthesis table
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject of the siman | When the non-Jew is not in the house, he does not prevent [the eruv] (כשאין העכו״ם בבית אינו מעכב); his coming, and his death, on Shabbos |
| Place | In Sefaria's index, the הלכות עירובין section of the Shulchan Aruch begins at siman 345. The seif refers to siman 371 |
| Number of seifim | 1 seif (Mechaber) — 3 seifim in the Shulchan Aruch HaRav |
| Mishnah Berurah | 8 ס״ק on this siman |
| Glosses of the Rema | None, in the text Sefaria serves; the parenthesis in small print (ע״ל סימן שע״א) is a reference to siman 371 (Level 1, section 6) |
| Kuntres Acharon | Sefaria gives no Kuntres Acharon entry for this siman (Level 4) |
| References | The seif refers to siman 371; the Mishnah Berurah, among others, to the end of siman 381 (ס״ק ז); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, among others, to simanim 371, 362 and 374 |
| Talmudic sources and Rishonim | See Level 2 |
| Golden rule | When away from his house, the non-Jew does not forbid (according to the Mishnah Berurah, when he left before Shabbos, he and all his household, ס״ק ב; for the distance, siman 371); if he came on Shabbos, he forbids, and the eruv is void; they then rent from him, and one renounces in favor of the other, and the one who remains alone is permitted (seif א) |
| Practical ruling | For each case, the clause of the seif that governs it; the Shulchan Aruch HaRav adds its own precisions (Level 4); for the non-Jew's death on Shabbos, the commentators diverge (section 5); consult your Rav |
10. The practical commandments of Siman שפ״ג
For daily conduct
- The non-Jew away from his house does not forbid, and the two Jews make the eruv (seif א) — according to the Mishnah Berurah, when he left before Shabbos, he and all his household (ס״ק ב); for the distance, see siman 371 (ס״ק ג); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav: even if he went to a nearby place (383:1).
- If he came on Shabbos, he forbids, and the eruv is void (seif א); the Shulchan Aruch HaRav excepts the case where it is clearly known that at the onset of Shabbos he did not intend to return, and changed his mind afterwards (383:1).
- They rent from him on Shabbos, then one renounces in favor of the other: the one who remains alone is permitted (seif א) — according to the Mishnah Berurah, the one in whose favor the domain was renounced; the one who renounced remains forbidden, unless the second one renounces back in his favor (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ז); rental alone does not restore the eruv (Mishnah Berurah, ס״ק ה; Shulchan Aruch HaRav 383:2).
- If he dies on Shabbos, all the more so one renounces in favor of the other (seif א); on the case it refers to, and on a rental made before Shabbos, the commentators diverge (section 5): consult your Rav.
- When in doubt — consult your Rav. In-depth pilpul — Level 2; Chabad shitah — Level 4.
📚 Recap of the study path
You have studied Siman שפ״ג in 3 levels:
You have studied Siman שפ״ג in 3 levels:
- 🌱 Level 1 — Foundations: the text of the Mechaber, a single seif with no gloss of the Rema, English translation, halakhic concepts
- ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan: Gemara sources, shittos of the Rishonim, machlokesim, nafka minos
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: axiom, mnemonic, decision tree, practical commandments