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(continued)
One of the 39 weekday activities (see What are the 39 Melachot?) that the Torah bans on Shabbat is “carrying” or “transfer of objects.” “Carrying” is achieved by lifting an object from one area and placing it down in another or by throwing or dragging an article from one location to another. If you have something in your pocket, you “lift” it as you begin walking and “place it down” the moment you stand still.
This law hinges on four “domains”.1 Once you understand what each of these is, you should find it relatively easy to determine where, what and how you can carry on Shabbat.
1) Reshut HaYachid a.k.a. Private property
Your home, garden, and even your car (while parked on the street) qualify as a “private domain”. The legal definition of such a property requires that it:
Shabbat is a breather from the mundane things in life - to allow us to focus on our spiritual side
If you own two adjoining properties, you’re allowed to carry objects from one to the other. On the other hand, if you stay in a hotel (where each guest’s room is their own for the duration of their stay) or an apartment building, you may not carry anything out of your hotel room or apartment.
Tenants or hotel residents can organize an Eruv Chatzerot to allow them to carry in these areas. This procedure comprises taking some food (usually Matzah) from each tenant and storing it in a central location. Alternatively, one representative can purchase a box of matzah on behalf of the other tenants. One representative makes the relevant blessing over the Eruv, followed by a declaration that this Eruv permits all tenants to carry throughout the building on Shabbat. (See What is an Eruv?)
2) Reshut HaRabim a.k.a. The Public domain
Times Square or the Autobahn might qualify for this title. To be considered a real public domain, an area must:
Some authorities say that a Reshut HaRabim needs to handle a daily traffic flow of 600,000 people. (That’s because when the Torah introduced the concept of a Reshut HaRabim, it referred to the Jewish camp in the desert .6 The official census of that group equaled 600,000.)
The Torah stipulates that you may not transfer any object from a Reshut HaYachid to a Reshut HaRabim or vice-versa on Shabbat. You are not even allowed to carry an object for more than four Amot (6.3 ft. or 1.92 m) within a Reshut HaRabim on Shabbat.7
3) Carmelit a.k.a. what average people consider public property
From what you’ve read so far, you’re probably wondering why we may not carry our Talit, purse or baby’s bag to Shul on Shabbat. After all, our suburban streets hardly qualify for Reshut HaRabim status, so the Torah would apparently have no problem with our carrying into or through these areas.
To avoid this issue, the Sages introduced the Carmelit principle. According to this rule, all public properties assume the same status on Shabbat.
This means that they forbade you to carry anything from your home (or any other Reshut HaYachid) into the street, shopping mall, park, or any other Carmelit. Neither may you transfer an object from a Reshut HaRabim to a Carmelit, or vice-versa. And, just like you’re not allowed to carry something for 4 Amot in a Reshut HaRabim, you may not do so in a Carmelit.
It is important to note that this Rabbinic law has the full force of a Torah law and may not be neglected.
There is one important caveat:
Since the Sages devised this law, they also devised a system to circumvent it. Remember: The Carmelit law was introduced because public areas resemble a classical Reshut HaRabim. So, if you can make the Carmelit area resemble a Reshut HaYachid, nobody will make the mistake of confusing the two - and there would be no problem carrying in the Carmelit.
So, let’s say you’re walking home from shul on Shabbat and discover a piece of paper in your pocket. The best way to avoid desecrating Shabbat would be to place it on the nearest street sign or mound of soil
You make an Eruv.8
You create an eruv by demarcating an area or suburb with symbolic partitions (usually poles with wire strung from the top of the one to the top of the other, to represent doorways. These would typically need to be placed wherever the area has no existing walls). The residents would then leave food at a specified location to render the entire area the common property of the residents.
This way, an entire neighborhood is made to resemble a private home - with a partition all the way around, and a centralized ownership (represented by the common food).
The exact procedure for establishing such an eiruv is highly complex and a competent rabbi needs to oversee the process.
4) Mekom Petur a.k.a. no man’s land
There are certain places that, according to Jewish law do not qualify as a domain per se. Practically, this means that you are allowed to move an object from such a place to a Reshut HaYachid, Carmelit or even a Reshut HaRabim or vice-versa.
A mekom petur would include any place inside a public area that is less than 4 sq. Tefachim and higher than three Tefachim (9.45 in. or 24cm).9
So, let’s say you’re walking home from shul on Shabbat and discover a piece of paper in your pocket. The best way to avoid desecrating Shabbat would be to place it on the nearest street sign or mound of soil (or other mekom petur).
Today, many established Jewish communities have an Eruv in their neighborhoods. This makes life easier for people who live in those communities. If you live in an area with an Eruv, make sure you know the rules of carrying on Shabbat for when you spend Shabbat in a hotel, vacation resort or a community that does not have an Eruv.
Footnotes
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