Accessibility TB Eruvin 33

Admittedly today’s daf TB Eruvin 33 is difficult. If I had to describe today’s topic in one word that word would be accessibility. For an eruv tekhumim to be effective, it has to be accessible on Shabbat. One can’t put it in a private domain while his new “home” (makom shevitah- מקום שביתה) is in the public domain. That specific eruv tekhumim is inaccessible because one is forbidden to transfer from one domain to another.

 “The Gemara cites the source of the disagreement (between Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and the rabbis): As it was taught in the Tosefta: If one placed his eiruv in a tree above ten handbreadths from the ground, his eiruv is not a valid eiruv. If he placed it below ten handbreadths, his eiruv is a valid eiruv, but he is prohibited to take it on Shabbat in order to eat it because it is prohibited to use the tree on Shabbat. However, if the eiruv is within three handbreadths of the ground, he is permitted to take it because it is considered as though it were on the ground and not in a tree. If one placed the eiruv in a basket and hung it on a tree, even above ten handbreadths, his eiruv is a valid eiruv; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. And the Rabbis disagree and say: In any situation in which the eiruv was placed in a location where it is prohibited to take it, his eiruv is not a valid eiruv.” (Sefaria.org translation)

 Take my word, the Gemara deciphering these positions becomes more complex and difficult. Yet the idea of accessibility has ramifications for us beyond trees, poles, baskets, and an eruv tekhumim. We need to make Judaism or Yiddishkeit as accessible to the modern Jew who has little or no background. For many of them even walking into a synagogue is a great barrier. Perhaps they’ve had a previously bad experience. Or perhaps they will feel judged for not knowing as much or observing as much as they think the people around them know or do.

 Larger congregations have now hired a rabbi or a family educator to outreach to these Jews and not necessarily bring them into the synagogue. They meet them where they are. Sometimes where they are is at home and sometimes they are in a bar and that’s okay. Most synagogues have tried to become more welcoming. Take mine for example. I am the Rabbi of Marathon Jewish Community Center. On a regular pre Covid 19 Shabbat through the chanting of the haftorah I am a greeter to welcome people into the sanctuary and assist them in any way I can. I only sit on the bimah after we returned the Torah to the ark. Although we use Siddur Sim Shalom, my synagogue provides the prayer book Eit Ratzon. This prayer book makes the service accessible. All Hebrew words are transliterated into English. This prayer book teaches the flow of the entire service with its goals and includes commentary on specific prayers as well as meditations that riff on the theme of the prayer for those people who find this more meaningful than the traditional prayers themselves.

This is only the start. We also have to think how accessible synagogues are to those who are handicapped. We have a lot of work yet to do to make Judaism and Yiddishkeit accessible. We need more easy access entrances then exit doors.