Earlier this year, a kuntres titled Laleches Bidrachav Betikun Eiruvin, was published by Rabbi Shmuel Zajac, a Maggid Shiur at Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Morristown, NJ, explaining the complex topic of eruvin according to the Halachic positions of the Tzemach Tzedek.
Rabbi Zajac has now released a second Kuntres under the same title, where he illuminates the opinion of the Alter Rebbe on the building of a large city eruv.
In addition to his role as a Maggid Shiur, Rabbi Zajac is also a prolific writer. He has authored two authoritative seforim on the Halachic opinions of the Alter Rebbe and has published many Torah articles in various venues.
In his new Kuntres, Rabbi Zajac demonstrates that the 600,000 people required for a city to have the halachic status of a reshus horabim (public domain), do not need to be found on one particular street. Rather, any city with a general population of 600,000 people, is considered a reshus horabim and therefore it would be forbidden to construct an eruv there. The Kuntres points out that this is also evident from a letter of the Rebbe regarding building an eruv in Manhattan.
The Kuntres also clarifies that any city with a population of 600,000 is considered a reshus horabim even if its streets are not straight. The requirement for streets to be straight is only in effect when the city is surrounded by walls.
Rabbi Zajac concludes that the Alter Rebbe would rule that Brooklyn is a reshus horabim (public domain) and it would therefore be forbidden to construct an eruv there.
This kuntres is being published as a supplement to the Kovetz Haaros, which was published by Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Morristown NJ, in honor of Yud Aleph Nisan 5782.
DOWNLOAD: click here
קונטרס ללכת בדרכיו חלק ב
מזל טוב בעד גמר העירוב בשעה טובה ומוצלחת, ויהי רצון שעל ידי פעולה זו הנוספת בעניני שמירת שבת יתקרב עוד יותר זמן גאולתנו בפועל.
He is speaking about a specific case, a large city and how you count ששים ריבוא, so throwing around a letter without responding to the kovetz, is nothing more than זריית חול בעיניים and not דרכה של תורה
In סימן שמ”ה the alter Rebbe describes the qualifications of רשות הרבים and therefore we clearly don’t have them in cities since it’s not מפולש and don’t ששים ריבוא בוראים on one מבוי street and it’s mostly walled with מחיצות הבתים.
where does the alter rebbe write about מחיצות הבּתים ……..
סימן שס”ג סעיף כ”ז.
שהוא רשות היחיד על ידי כבלי הבתים וכו’
Reb Zajac quotes the Alter Rebbe and then says that alter Rebbe means the opposite then quotes the tzemach tzedek and says the tzemach tzedek means the opposite then quotes the Rebbe and says the Rebbe means the opposite.
anyone that understands the topic and can read loshon hakodesh can see how this is incorrect.
its unfortunate that this is being published and people are just grabbing headlines.
Who are the members of this “vaad haeiruv”?
There seem to be outright distortions of the Rebbe’s words – by some.
See: http://www.collive.com/you-can-build-an-eruv-its-just-not-approved-by-the-rebbe
The Rebbe says (in this sicha) ששים רבוא בעיר and NOT ברחוב
all rishonin and almost all achronim including the alter rebbe and tzemach tzedek and its a clear rashi in eruvin daf vov amud beis that drisas (walking) shishim ribu is on road that is a straight across that city.
even Reb moshe chidush that argues with with all poskim doesn’t say we count the whole city just to combine multiple roads.
Response from the Rebbe to the Rabbonim in Melbourne Australia:
“My view is public knowledge that in our generation an individual or organization that is recognized and involved in constructing an Eruv, if they know that ultimately the Eruv will become public knowledge – a dreadful tragedy can occur. It is inevitable that one Shabbos the Eruv will become invalid. Once one becomes accustomed to carry on Shabbos, no announcement or notice of the disqualification of the Eruv will prevent them from carrying. One should not make an Eruv unless it is made discreetly”.
(translation from Hebrew)
It’s clear that the rabbeim supported eruvin in cities and throughout, like the Rebbe mentioned many times כמו שפוסק אדמו”ר הזקן שאין רשות הרבים בזמן הזה.
Listen to this Sicha (link below) – where the Rebbe seems to say clearly that today, THERE are places that have a Reshus Horabim D’oraisa
http://www.chabad.org/554143
begins at 28:15 minutes into the sicha
Please donate and support the cause to keep the eruv going.
http://crownheightseruv.org/
Thank you rabbi zajac for the clear קונטרס, it is also worthy to note how it’s written with respect even regarding people he strongly disagrees with (unlike other people that wrote on this topic).
https://youtu.be/bOo5Oi6GkZY https://www.chabaderuv.com/pdf/sources%20for%20video1.pdf רציתי להעיר על כמה מהיסודות שעליהם בנה הרב שמואל זיינץ את הקונטרס שלו, ובאם היסודות לא נכונים כבר אין צורך לטרוח להגיב על המאה וחמישים עמודים שהוסיף על יסודות אלו. ראשון, מניח יסוד שבאם יש פרצות ברוחב ט”ז אמות החכמים מודים לרב יהודה שהרבים מבטלים את המחיצות, והביא שכן היא דעתו של המשכנות יעקב, ודחף את הפשט הזה לתוך דברי אדה”ז והצ”צ. אז ראשית כל זה מוכיח שלא למד את תשובות הבית אפרים והמשכנות יעקב בעצמו, ולכאורה רק לקח מן המלקטים. כי הרי הבית אפרים תקף את המשכנות יעקב שללמוד כך זה נגד גמרא מפורשת, ולכולי עלמא לדעת… Read more »
The two opinions presented are super imposed on the Alter Rebbe. They point about מפולש is clearly explained by the Tzemach Tsedek not the way it is presented by Rabbi Zajac.
The Rebbe’s opposition to Manhattan eiruv never was about שישים ריבוא, the eiruv was built using a system that the Alter Rebbe disqualifies
After reading what Rabbi zajac wrote, he leaves no room for doubting the fact you are real halachic difficulties with making an עירוב in Brooklyn according to our רביים, despite what some (who clearly didn’t go through the סוגיא in depth, but rather copy and paste what others wrote in the past, as if it’s their own חידושים) say.
I say this after reading what was said on both sides!
After reading what Rabbi zajac wrote, he leaves no room for doubting the fact you are real halachic difficulties with making an עירוב in Brooklyn according to our רביים, despite what some (who clearly didn’t go through the סוגיא in depth, but rather copy and paste what others wrote in the past, as if it’s their own חידושים) say.
I say this after reading what was said on both sides!
The Rebbe’s opinion is found in many other related sources: • ליקוטי שיחות חלק כ”א, page 384, towards the end of the letter to Rabbi Moskovitch: “I said to Rabbi Eisenstadt, congratulations to all those who are involved in this wonderful and great public benefit, but one should construct it (the Eruv) discreetly which thereby will remove many concerns.” • אגרות קודש חלק ט”ז אגרת ו”פד – Again, the rebbe wrote to Rabbi Moskovitch (see דף ש”ח ע”ב), “In my opinion you have a great Zechus (in reference to an Eruv in Manhattan) nevertheless it is clear in my absolute… Read more »
As someone who has been learning and looking into this topic for a few years, it is interesting to note that the distinction between large and small cities, which seems to be the premise on which this booklet is founded, is entirely absent from the Rebbe’s Torah.
Not “big” and “small.” The discussion is regarding ששים ריבוא, a specific number of oivrim vshovim b’yom are needed. It is worth noting that the Alter Rebbe, in the first sief of Hilchos Eiruvin, encourages people to personally follow the stricter opinion of an city with a big road (16 Amos) being possibly a Reshus HaRabim. The ones who want to build a lchatchila, aside from distorting the Alter Rebbe, are also distorting all of the Rabbeim, as many posted with sources. The Sicha of 12 Tammuz 5745 is clearest and most recent.