About this episode
Study Guide Eruvin 96 A week of learning is dedicated by Lisa Malik in memory of her father, David Malik, David ben Aharon Tzvi v' Shaindel z"l on his first yahrzeit. The gemara brings two more possibilities to understand the debate between Tana Kama and Rabban Gamliel regarding how many pairs of tefillin can one wear at a time in order to bring them from the field into the city of Shabbat? According to the gemara's conclusion, at least Tana Kama holds that one wears tefillin on Shabbat and therefore the gemara tries to find who is the tana who holds that way? The gemara brings four suggestions. One of them is from a source regarding Michal daughter to Cushi (King Saul) who wore tefillin and the rabbis didn't protest. They assume it's because he held that one is obligated even on Shabbat and therefore it is not time bound, in which case women would be obligated. Despite the fact that the gemara rejects this, claiming that the rabbis didn't protest because women are allowed to opt in to commandments they are not commanded to do, in the end the gemara brings a proof from a different source that Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda in fact hold this position. An interesting question is raised regarding women opting in - is it forbidden to do a commandment one is not obligated to? Is it bal tosif (one cannot add to what the Torah commanded)? If one finds techlelet -dyed wool strips or thread, can one assume they were dyed for tzitzit. It depends in what form as one can assume that one wouldn't burden themselves to do thing sin a complicated manner just for clothing and therefore it must have been for tzitzit. Rava questions this from our mishna regarding one confusing an amulet and tefillin - would one bother to make an amulet like tefillin - it is compliccated to make it in that way!