BH, Shalom Aleichem.
I wanted to ask what exactly is an ir shel yachid according to Rashi. I heard a shiur that said it is a walled city with a population less than 600,000 people.
However, in Rashi DH "lechi mikan" he says it is a city that is not walled.
Can you please clarify this for me?
Thank you, Yomtov Massre, Brooklyn, NY
Sholom Rav! Rashi on the Mishnah on Daf 59a (and 26a DH Arsiyasa) defines an Ir Shel Yachid as a town that does not have six hundred thousand people passing through it regularly, so that its main street is not similar to a Reshus ha'Rabim.
The reason the city needs a wall, is in order to permit making a single Eruv Chatzeros for the entire city, as though it is a single district. Although Rashi DH Lechi mi'Kan writes that the city has no wall, the Gemara emphasizes that the city has Lechi's at the end of its streets, which take the place of a wall for this purpose.
The Bartenura, on the other hand, following in the footsteps of the Rambam, explains that an Ir Shel Yachis is a town that is owned by a single person, who rents out its houses to others.
Be'Virchas Kol Tuv
Eliezer Chrysler.
Shalom Rabbi Kornfeld. Thank you for the clarification. I would like to repeat it in order to make sure I have it clear.
The ir shel yachid in the Mishna on daf 59A is walled.
The ir shel yachid in the Baraita at the bottom of daf 59A is not walled. Therefore, the lechi's are needed.
And the ir sel rabim that remained an ir shel rabim in that same Baraita is walled with only one entrance into the city.
Thank you for you time,
All the best Yomtov Massre
Let us clarify what Rashi means.
(a) To qualify as a Reshus ha'Rabim mid'Oraisa (according to Rashi), a city must have 600,000 traveling through it regurlarly, and it must also have 16-Amah wide streets, the ends of which lead out into open land (i.e. they are not walled in). That is why Rashi explains that the case of the Beraisa (which refers to a Reshus ha'Rabim mid'Oraisa running through a city) involves a city without a wall.
(b) Any Mavoy or Chatzer that has three walls, requires a fourth "virtual" wall mid'Rabanan (besides an Eruv Chatzeros or Shituf) in order to carry within the confines of the Mavoy or Chatzer. This virtual wall is made with a Lechi, Korah or Pas. If the Mavoy is open at two ends, a virtual wall is required at both ends. If the Mavoy is a Reshus ha'Rabim (as defined in the previous paragraph), Rebbi Yehudah holds that virtual walls suffice. The Rabanan argue and say that we do not permit carrying in a Reshus ha'Rabim by using virtual walls.
In either case, we do not permit carrying in a Chatzer or Mavoy unless the entire area is surrounded by walls or virtual walls. Thus, if all of the Mavoys of a city are joined into a single Eruv, there must be a virtual or actual wall surrounding the entire periphery of the city. That is why you heard that the Mishnah is discussing a walled city.
(c) To qualify as an "Ir Shel Rabim," 600,000 passersby suffice (even if there are no wide streets).
In an Ir Shel Rabim, we do not allow the entire city to join in a single Eruv (even if there is no Reshus ha'Rabim in the city, and even if the city is surrounded by walls). Therefore each Mavoy must make its own Eruv/Shituf.
Whenever each Mavoy uses a separate Shituf, each Mavoys must close itself off from the rest of the city by making virtual walls (Lechi/Korah) at the ends of the Mavoy that are open to other streets. That is what Rashi means at the end of DH Lechi mi'Kan when he writes that each of the Mavoys in an Ir Shel Rabim require Lechi/Korah (since they cannot join into a single Eruv).
On the other hand, in an Ir Shel Yachid, where a single Eruv may be used to join together the entire city, the ends of the Mavoys may be open to each other. It is sufficient that the periphery of the city as a whole is walled off, or otherwise cut off virtually, from the rest of the world. That is what Rashi means in the Mishnah (DH Me'arvin) when he writes that in an Ir Shel Yachid it is not necessary to have a Lechi/Korah at the entrance to each Mavoy.
(d) In an Ir Shel Yachid, the inhabitants have become accustomed to using a single Eruv for the entire city. Therefore, if one Mavoy decides to make its own Eruv and to cut itself off from the others with a Lechi/Korah - it ruins the Eruv of the entire city.
That is, since they are accustomed to making an Eruv together, they cannot be split up. This is what Rashi means in 59a DH v'Ein Me'arvin Osah la'Chatza'in, and on 59b DH Mavoy Nami.
I hope this makes things clearer. Best regards,
Mordecai Kornfeld