38 Eiruvin 1/10 & 2/1-3

(י) מקיפין בקנים, ובלבד שלא יהא בין קנה לחברו שלשה טפחים. בשירא דברו - דברי רבי יהודה. וחכמים אומרים: לא דברו בשירא אלא בהווה. כל מחצה שאינה של שתי ושל ערב, אינה מחצה - דברי רבי יוסי בר רבי יהודה. וחכמים אומרים: אחד משני דברים. ארבעה דברים פטרו במחנה: מביאין עצים מכל מקום, ופטורים מרחיצת ידים, ומדמאי , ומלערב.

(10) We surround an area with reeds, but only if there is not [a gap of] three tefachim between one reed and another. They spoke [about allowing these leniencies specifically] concerning a caravan - so says Rabbi Yehuda. The Sages say, "They were only talking about a caravan in the present case [as an example]." Any mechitza [legal partition] which is not [made of] vertical and horizontal [parts] is not a mechitza - so says Rabbi Yose ben Rabbi Yehuda. The Sages say, "[Only] one of [those] two things [is required]." [The Rabbis] gave dispensation for four things in an army camp: We can take wood from any place, we are exempt from hand-washing; from [the prohibition to eat] demai [produce from which it is uncertain whether tithes were already taken]; and from the requirement to make an eruv [halachic merging of separate domains by means of setting aside an amount of food in a designated place][in order to carry within the camp].

(א) עושין פסין לביראות ארבעה דיומדין נראין כשמונה - דברי רבי יהודה. רבי מאיר אומר: שמונה נראין כשנים עשר, ארבעה דיומדין וארבעה פשוטין. גבהן עשרה טפחים, ורחבן ששה, ועבין כל שהוא, וביניהן כמלא שתי רבקות של שלש שלש בקר, דברי רבי מאיר. רבי יהודה אומר: של ארבע ארבע, קשורות ולא מותרות, אחת נכנסת ואחת יוצאת.

(ב) מותר להקריב לבאר, ובלבד שתהא פרה ראשה ורובה בפנים ושותה. מותר להרחיק כל שהוא, ובלבד שירבה בפסין.

(ג) רבי יהודה אומר: עד בית סאתים. אמרו לו: לא אמרו בית סאתים אלא לגנה ולקרפף, אבל אם היה דיר או סחר או מוקצה או חצר, אפלו בית חמשת כורין, אפלו בית עשרת כורין - מותר. ומותר להרחיק כל שהוא, ובלבד שירבה בפסין.

(1) We [may] make pasin [L-shaped quasi-partitions which permit drawing water from wells in the public domain] for wells [in order for the the well and the area around it to be considered a single domain: the pasin must be made of] four double boards, [placed at the corners of the well so] that [they] appear like eight - so says Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says, "Eight [boards must be used], which appear like twelve, [namely] four double boards and four single ones." Their height must be ten tefachim [a specific unit of length] and their width six [tefachim], and their thickness anything and [the gap] between them [must not be wider] than the width of two teams of cattle, each team consisting of three cattle - so says Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says, "[Each team] of four." [The width is the space taken by cattle] yoked together and not unyoked, [in such a way that when] one [team] enters, [the other] one exits.

(2) It is permitted to move the [pasin] closer to the well, but only if the cow's head and the greater part of its body is within [them] as it drinks. It is permitted to move [the pasin] away from the well, but only if one adds more pasin.

(3) Rabbi Yehuda said, "[The distance from the well, at which it is permitted to place the pasin is] up until beit se'atayim [a measure of area, equivalent to that area of land large enough to require a se'atayim of seeds to sow it]." [The Sages] said to him, "They didn't say beit se'atayim except concerning a garden or a karpef [an enclosed area outside of a town or village], but if [the area that was being enclosed] was a pen or a fold or a field [behind the house] or a yard [in front of the house], even if is five beit kor [the same as a beit se'atayim but for a kor of seeds], even if it is ten beit kor, it is permissible [to set up pasin around it]. It is permitted to distance [the pasin] any amount, but only if one adds more pasin."