Come and hear: the very same seven statements that were made on Shabbat morning before Rav Chisda in Sura were made toward the end of Shabbat before Rava in Pumbedita.Who conveyed them?Was it not Eliyahu HaNavi?(Sura and Pumbedita were two Babylonian cities located a great distance from one another; a person could not physically travel that distance from morning until evening. According to the law of the Shabbat boundary, one could not travel more than 2,000 cubits from Sura. Eliyahu HaNavi, as a heavenly being, travels above the earth at a height of more than ten handbreadths.)It follows from this that above a height of ten handbreadths there is no Shabbat boundary.Come and hear: a person who vows, saying, “I will be a nazirite on the day when the son of David (Mashiach) comes,” is permitted to drink wine on Shabbat and Festivals, but is forbidden to drink wine on all weekdays.If you say that there is a Shabbat boundary even above a height of ten handbreadths, then it is understandable why drinking wine is permitted on Shabbat and Festivals. But if there is no Shabbat boundary above a height of ten handbreadths, why is it permitted?[It follows that there is a Shabbat boundary!]Here it is different, for Scripture says:“Behold, I am sending you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the day of the L-rd.” (Malachi 3:23) Eliyahu did not come on the eve [of Shabbat or a Festival], [which means that the son of David (Mashiach) will not come on Shabbat or a Festival].But if so, then drinking wine should also be permitted on any weekday, since Eliyahu did not come on the preceding day, [and therefore the son of David will not come on that day either]! But one could say that [Eliyahu] came to the Heavenly Tribunal, [while everyone else is unaware of it, and therefore drinking wine is forbidden on a weekday]. In that case, the same could be said here, [concerning Shabbat and Festivals]: [Eliyahu] came to the Heavenly Tribunal, [while everyone else is unaware of it, and therefore drinking wine should be forbidden on those days as well].Israel was promised that Eliyahu the prophet would not come either on the eve of Shabbat or on the eve of a Festival, so as not to burden them [while they are preparing for Shabbat or the Festival].You might conclude that if Eliyahu the prophet does not come, then Mashiach will not come either [on the eve of Shabbat or on the eve of a Festival]. But in that case, drinking wine should be permitted [to one who made such a vow] on the eve of Shabbat and Festivals.Eliyahu will not come, but Mashiach may come, because when Mashiach comes, Israel will have many servants, [who will assist with the preparations for Shabbat or the Festival].(Silatehilim, based on Ein Yaakov by Rabbi Yaakov ibn Habib, Eruvin, ch. 4)
Was this helpful?
100% of readers found this article helpful (20 votes).
Please note: some articles on our site contain the holy Names of the Almighty. If you print these articles, they may not be thrown away or destroyed. Please handle printed copies with care and respect.
Material from our site may be copied for the purpose of spreading Torah, provided a link to Silatehilim.com is included. Any use of the site's material in print publications or for commercial purposes is prohibited without the rights holder's consent.
