[Avodah] Seeing G'zeiros Everywhere

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

RRW wrote:
> RHS ignored RYBS's prohibition Re: Eruv in Manhattan and re-opened
> the issue and revised the p'saq and certified an eruv around YU.

and the R' Arie Folger wrote:
> FYI, there is an eruv around at least parts of YU, and RHS
> supports it (or at least, there was such an eruv there when I
> was there, and reportedly, it has expanded since).

RAF is correct. The eruv is still there. Anyone who wants more info can go to http://www.yueruv.org

But the main point of my post is to point out that I am very unclear on exactly what was said about Manhattan. I'm also unclear about who said it: Did RRW really mean to write "RYBS", or did he mean RMF?

In any case, "revised the p'saq" might be very inaccurate, because it's not only the p'saq which changed, but also the circumstances: Part of the YU Eruv involves actual doors which they have installed and endeavor to close at least once a year, thus rendering the area into (AIUI) a karmelis by all shitos, and thus eligible for an eruv by all shitos.

If so, the the following must be asked about those of the previous generations who are said to have prohibited a Manhattan eruv: Were they simply observing (=paskening) that the Reshus Harabim nature of Manhattan was so pervasive and extensive that a purely lechi-and-tzuras-hapesach sort of eruv wouldn't work under the then-current circumstances? Or were they decreeing (=gozer) that for whatever reason, it is forever forbidden to make *any* sort of eruv in Manhattan?

I believe the above question to be valid and important for the taxonomy which RRW is currently working on. It is very easy to say that those communites whose leaders don't want to even investigate the possibility of an eruv view it as a gezera. As regards those who have established eruvin in Manhattan, I'd much prefer to say that they see themselves as working under changed circumstances which the old p'sak did not address (than to accuse them of violating a gezera).

Akiva Miller

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