Ask Rabbi LJ -- Eruv Edition

[gnomi]

Can anyone out there tell me if it is OK to anchor the pole on which you have your eruv string to a tree? This is for an eruv for a private residence where there is not a metropolitan eruv.

ETA: It appears that it is permissable providing that you first establish the pole as a separate entity prior to lashing it to the tree for anchoring.

Comments

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

When do you need to know this by? Rabbi Alec doesn't get out of work at the prison until 8 pm and I hate to ring him there.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Actually, I just got off the phone with the person who submitted the AskNomi question; she got an answer, so she's all good. :-) But thanks!

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

Cool. Although I do like having a rabbi-on-call for these pesky questions.

What was the answer?

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I just edited with the answer. Yes, provided you establish the pole as its own entity first.

[pisicutsa.livejournal.com]

What's an eruv string? I obviously don't know the answer to your question, but I'm curious as to what it is. :)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

OK, some brief explanation before the actual answer to your question...thus is the way with many Jewish topics. :-)

On Shabbat, one is not allowed to carry from the private domain (such as one's home) into the public domain (such as the street). To make the public domain fall under the same laws as the private domain, and thus allow people to carry, an eruv (http://www.pjvoice.com/v15/15703eruv.html) can be built. Frequently, the eruv consists of poles connected by pieces of string. So the "eruv string" is the piece of string that actually forms part of the eruv.

[angwantibo.livejournal.com]

As an eruv checker, I know some of these things. Unfortunately, I'm out of the country and not checking the blogs regularly.

The short answer is no, but you can attach the string to the top of a lechi which is nailed to the tree. Technically, an eruv is a series of doorways as walls are harder to erect. The idea is to construct these doorways. The top of which cannot sag more than 4 hand-breadths and must be afixed to the top of the doorposts. These doorposts must be at an angle of 45-90 degrees. There are other rules, but that's the gist of it. The interesting thing is that an eruv for your house cannot be afixed directly to the house. It must be attached to the top of a lechi which is either very close to or attached to the house.

Feel free to e-mail me questions such as these. :)