[Avodah] Hurricanes and eruvin

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Zev Sero asked:

> Question: The eye of Hurricane Irene isn't expected to hit NYC
> until Sunday afternoon, but the leading edge is expected 24
> hours earlier. Does anyone have any idea whether this would
> invalidate the chezkas kashrus of an eruv, and if so from
> when?  From when the heavy rain starts?  From when one first
> notices a ruach she'eina metzuya?  Or can one assume it will
> last at least until after Shabbos?

It is difficult for me to imagine how any posek might give a general answer to this question, that is, an answer which would apply to all eruvin irrespective of how they are built. Some eruvin are extremely sturdy; others are built in a more flimsy manner, though they are just as kosher, provided they're still up. It seems self-evident to me that this is a question to be answered only by the Rav Hamachshir of each eruv, in accordance with his knowledge of the construction of that eruv.

After composing the above, I found the following in "The Contemporary Eruv" (Feldheim, 2002), by listmember Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer. On page 89, in discussing the natural wall created by a sufficiently steep river bank or hillside, he writes:

   "It is unclear how often the slope must be surveyed. Riverbanks and hillsides are obviously susceptible to natural erosion and artificial alteration. Professional surveys are extended and expensive projects. It is thus impractical to survey slopes weekly. The parameters of various eruvin are liable to differ significantly. The hillsides and riverbanks into some eruvin may tend to remain stable over long periods of time, while in other eruvin they may be subject to frequent natural and artificial forces that are liable to the diminished diminish their gradients. It seems that the Rav Ha'Machshir (certifying rabbinic authority) of an eruv must set specific guidelines for every eruv differently, based on the specific situation in that place at that time."

In the footnote to the above, he talks about inspections of eruvin in general:

   "181: It is customary to inspect municipal eruvin weekly. See Yesodei Yeshurun, ibid., pp. 331-332 for a discussion of the sources upon which the custom is based. I am indebted to Rabbi Ari Zivotofsky for the information that there are some communities that are very stringent when it comes to this inspection, to the extent that when Yom Tov falls on a Friday and precludes an effective inspection, these communities will not rely on an inspection conducted on Wednesday or Thursday before Yom Tov, and will assume the eruv to be invalid for the following Shabbos. Thus, the parameters of inspections are very subjective, and it is not necessarily possible to extrapolate from the guidelines of the community with an eruv that is subject to frequent manipulation by utility companies, etc., to a community with an eruv that is rarely disturbed, and vice versa."

Akiva Miller

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