Posted by Bible Probe on July 04, 2005 at 08:37:38:
Is it just a way to circumvent the "spirit" of the Old Testament Sabbath Law for convenience? Can Rabbis interpret anything anyway they want?
The theory behind the eruv, drawn from legal principles in the Talmud, or the codes of Jewish law, is that the poles and wires that surround it form abstract doorways to the outside world. Everything inside the eruv is considered an extension of the home, where carrying items on the Sabbath is permissible. In a sense, the eruv is a big backyard. The word ''eruv" means ''to mix" or ''to join together."
The Hebrew word "eruv" means to mix or join together. The purpose of a community eruv is to allow the carrying of permitted items on Shabbat. An Eruv is a legal construct that turns a public domain into a private one, thereby permitting observant Jews to carry objects within the designated area on the Sabbath.
According to halacha (Jewish law), the carrying or moving of objects in a public domain on Shabbat is forbidden. This includes a prohibition of carrying even on one's own lawn or driveway unless it is enclosed by a proper mechitza or eruv. Since the area within an eruv is halachically considered a private domain, objects that are permissible to be carried in one's home on Shabbos may also be transported within the boundaries of the eruv.
Traditional Jews believe that one of the purposes of the Jewish Sabbath is to be reminded that while the efforts and achievements of humanity do impact our surroundings, ultimately we are not in complete control of our world and we must depend on God. One day a week, on the Sabbath day, observant Jews do not perform any creative tasks that alter the state of the world, as a symbol of deference to God. Moving objects from one domain to another is considered one of these prohibited tasks. However the construction of an Eruv metaphorically unites a public domain and permits observant Jews to carry and move objects within the enclosed area. Several communities around the country as well as on college campuses have constructed Eruvs for this purpose.
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