luria@ucbvax.UUCP (Marc Luria) (03/07/84)
An Eruv (the fence that Jews put around the community so that they can carry on the Sabbath) is as important a mitzvah, in that it part of the Halachah as carrying itself. The Eruv itself is not a holy object, the rabbi was correct in saying that it was a legal construct, however, the act of putting up and paying for an Eruv is a big Mitzvah according to the Gemara. Other Halachic sources go on at length at the virtues of those who help construct Eruvim. Though I agree with Andy that the reasons for any of the mitzvot are not important in considering whether or not a certain mitzvah should be followed, the Eruv makes the bounds of the Jewish community defined, and creates a feeling of community. In Israel every city has an Eruv, though one cannot carry between towns. The problems in Flatbush are due to a number of Halachic arguments between some Chasidic groups and the Flatbush community. One of the Chasidic claims is that Flatbush has a Reshut Harabim, or public area, passing through it. This is defined as a path which has more than 600,000 people passing through daily, derived from the time that wewere in the desert. This is Ocean Parkway. This is merely one of their disagreements. In our community in Berkeley we looked into the possibility of using the Berkeley Hills and the Bay as part of an Eruv, but unfortunately the Hills are not steep enough and the incline of depth of the Bay is not sharp enough. Eruvim have sort of become a women's lib issue among orthodox women with babies. In Cleveland, where I'm from, much of the impetus for the building of the Eruv there is women who want to go to synagogue on Shabbat.