THE ERUV BOUNDARY

Continuing my research for my major project Boundaries within Boundaries. I have been looking at the boundary that is called Eruv a Jewish religious boundary. This truly is a boundary within a boundary. Here is some facts about the Eruv, I find this sort of thing fasinating, I hope you get something from it as well.

THIS IS THE ERUV BOUNDARY LINE OUTSIDE GOLDERS HILL PARK IN HAMSTEAD

GOLDERS HILL PARK FALLS WITHIN THE ERUV BOUNDARY.
THIS GATE INTO THE PARK FORMS PART OF THE ERUV.

An Eruv (plural Eruvin) is a technical enclosure, which falls around both a private domain and extends to a public domain, enclosing both, and thus creating a larger private domain, in which Jews can observe Shabbat. 

Theoretically, the Eruv should be a wall, but it does not have to be ‘solid’.  For example a telephone pole can constitute part of the wall; the vertical post becoming the doorpost and existing cables strung between the pole, acting as a lintel and doorframe.  This idea is extended upon, so that other poles and wires are erected where gaps occur.

One of the web definitions I came across was this:

A ritual aggregation of properties that allows Jews observing traditional Shabbat rules to carry burdens across property lines.

From what I can gather, the area enclosed by the Eruv, becomes special or sacred and allows Jews to have the freedom to carry or push certain objects, outside the home, on the Jewish Sabbath (which runs from sunset on a Friday to sunset on a Saturday) in a ‘public’ or outside domain’, without violating a prohibitive Jewish law.  The Eruv is recognised by the Jewish Court.  However, Eruv are boundaries more to do with the secular world (not mentioned in Talmudi or Rabbinic literature at all) and there have been several court cases against the erection of such boundaries.

The purpose of the Eruv is to allow certain basic things, such a Tallit (prayer book), house keys, clothing, removable clothing, reading glasses etc to be carried or pushed over and outside of normal property boundaries.  However, some items such as umbrellas (mustn’t be opened or closed, as it’s tantamount to erecting and dismantling a tent!) are not permitted to be carried at all, anywhere, on the Shabbat.

In Britain, the first religious boundary, or Eruv, was devised in 2003.  It covers an area of 6.5 miles, is 11 miles long and includes:- Hendon, Golders Green, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Parts of Childs Hill, Cricklewood, Finchley and Mill Hill (It was within area I visited recently to take some pictures of the Eruv).

A second Eruv was created in Edgware, in 2006, and a third, in Borehamwood, in March 2007.

There are over 200 Eruvin in the world today.

In another place the definition of an Eruv is described as being an enclosed area within which observant Jews have the freedom to do things they would not normally be allowed to do.  By erecting this boundary, an outside space can become part of a home space.  This means that a group of houses, in an area, can grouped together and converted to constitute what is, figuratively speaking, one big house.  It is usually large enough to include entire neighbourhoods, with houses and synagogues.  However, this area is restricted to 600,000 people (Jewish and non Jewish).  After that the Eruv becomes obsolete.

It is interesting to note that whenever an Eruv includes multiple residences, in addition to the physical boundary marking out and enclosing the area, the inhabitants must also be conjoined to form one body through the joint ownership of food.

So, an Eruv isn’t a purpose-built wall/boundary as such.  It uses existing features, such as railways lines, telephone poles, walls, parks, roads etc to enclose a certain area and, where a natural gap/space occurs, this is filled, by erecting two poles and a wire (nylon fishing line) threaded in between.  These form a series of doorways in the boundary.  If a Jew is in any doubt about where the boundary begins and ends, or whether the boundary is continuous i.e. no break, they can seek advice by either phoning a certain number or looking online. Please click on the link for an example....

http://www.eboreruv.org/map.asp

By creating the Eruv, Jews completely enclose a domain, thus mixing private and public space.  This must be overseen by an expert Rabbi.

The fragile parts of the Eruv are inspected, every week of the year, to ensure that the boundary remains intact and that any repair necessary to a damaged part or to that which has fallen down, can be carried out, swiftly, before Sabbath begins.

THE SHADOW OF ERUV POLE.