From today’s NY Times: Jews living in a large area of Manhattan who regularly observe the Sabbath will have a much easier time of it today. An eruv, a line that delineates the concept of domestic space for Orthodox Jews and dictates where they may carry items on the day of rest, has been extended from Midtown to Houston Street.
Technically, an observant Jew is not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath. In the Orthodox tradition, the definition of “work” includes carrying almost anything. An eruv symbolically extends the boundaries of a home and gives adherents a free pass to carry things in that area.
“It is something that will serve the Jewish community in a very positive way,” said Rabbi Gideon Shloush, of Adereth El, an Orthodox synagogue in Murray Hill. “People who are concerned about these laws will be able to observe the Sabbath in a much more meaningful way.”
Most large American cities have eruvin, delineated by things like wires, walls and shorelines. In New York, Brooklyn has many. Manhattan got its first eruv on the Upper West Side in 1994, and it was later extended east to the East River and south to the 50s.
Bad weather can break a thread or construction can alter a building’s wall, so a rabbi needs to check the boundary every week.
“The eruv is presumed down, unless it is checked,” said Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, of the Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University, who began the campaign about two years ago to extend the eruv farther south.
The change may be most significant for young congregants starting a family. Many are unwilling to push a stroller or carry a diaper bag outside their home on the Sabbath, except within an eruv. Until now, if young couples there wanted to observe Jewish law, the mother had little choice but to stay home with the children.
Jonathan S. Nachmani, a trustee at Magen David of Union Square synagogue, which helped organize the project, said the expansion could help keep the religious community vibrant. “Synagogue is going to be more of a social center for young married couples,” he said.
Rabbi Sarna, an Orthodox Jew, said that Reform congregations helped with the project. He said he feels the boundary has a symbolic beauty, creating shared space.
When he was growing up in Montreal, his rabbi let people know if the eruv was operational with a traffic light outside the synagogue. Today, Rabbi Sarna is integrating the eruv with Google Maps, and organizing an e-mail list to spread the word.
“What I see as a common religious struggle in the United States,” he said, “is how, on one hand, to be loyal to one’s traditions but also to be fully engaged in modern life.”
(Editors Note: YeshivaWorld is in possession of a letter signed by Gedolim of the previous generation forbidding any Eruv in Manhattan; including Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Ahron Kotler, Rav Yackov Kaminetsky, Rav Gedalia Schorr, Rav Chaim Bick and many others.)
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Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, Rav Menachem Kasher, Rav Hershel Schachter. And see Rav Mordechai Willig’s recent Am Mordechai on Shabbos, the section on Eruvin.
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Actually, most poskim supported an eruv in 1962. In 1905 some of the biggest Gedolim from Europe supported an eruv in Manhattan.
to sammygol:
since when are you a posek, to question something you have no idea about.
If you question a kosher eruv, just because its called eruv, you are nothing but a TZIDOKI!
Actually, Rav Moshe zt”l writes in Igros Moshe that he did not want to support the eiruv in Manhattan, but did not oppose it because great Rabbonim were involved with it.
However, iirc, he said that perhaps there is some good it in for those people who would carry anyway, and now would not be carrying because of the eiruv.
This eruv is supervised by Rav Shraga Klein of Mechon L’hoyroa in Monsey. See the Fifth Ave. Synagogue’s website for a more detailed discussion of the technical aspects of the Eruv.
The rabbonim of K’hal Adath Jeshurun of Washington Heights paskened that any Eruv in Manhattan is OSSUR based on the p’sak of many gedolim of the last and current generation
Anyone who is a shomer Torah u mitzvohs and is a yerai-Shomayim will NOT carry outside and rely on this eruv on Shabbos.
Proud KAJ-WH TIDE Guy,
When you say “any”, do you mean even within a single neighborhood of Manhattan, or are you talking about an eruv around the entire island.
The relevant question to those who have read the teshuvot of some of the gedolim opposed to a particular manhattan eruv, only a thorough am haEretz would generalize, is what about the eiruvin in a number of large european cities?
Many Brisker do not rely on the Eiruvin in Yerushalaim, but none the less, many (most) of us carry walking to the Kotel.
And saying that every eruv that would be built anywhere in manhattan is pasul, as someone suggested, might be akin to never eating chicken because great gedolim once paskened a particular chicken treif. only a few gedolim considered all of manhattan incapable of ever having an eiruv (like turkey according to some poskim – to continue the analogy) and even their psak would not necessarily invalidate every conceivable eiruv if built properly.
to kaj
i guuess rav henkin wasnt a yirai shomayim
By the way, its R moshe Bick z”l.
the former / only / partially recognized chief rabbi of new york is responsible for the early eruv, in manhattan (almost the entire island, excluding a small part no jew would be caught dead in; i.e., a part of east harlem where the bridge doesnt have a proper zurat hapetach; anyone, no jew would be caught there, esp on shabat)
and r’ moshe feinstein said the (manhattan) eruv “taluy b’ashlei ravrevei”
To KAJ:
Regarding the eruv in your area at least I can personally attest that at least a part of it is possul lechol hadaos. I viewed a lechi attached by a peg to a sheer rock face and it is not appearing to be on the top of a korah as a lechi is required to be.
From this arises my commentary on the situation that even if you hold an eruv MAY be constructed in Manhattan it is worthless to build a “rogue” eruv as this will require it be constructed and checked by those who are possibly ignorant in the details of the complex halchos of eruv.
To Bupkis: Thank you for explaining the p’sak. The rabbonim not only made a total eruv around Manhattan ossur,but even neighborhood local set-ups since all streets are connected to Broadway and the highways leading in and out.