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Q:

I left my house in my neighborhood development to go to shul Shabbos morning as usual, and then met a neighbor who informed me that the eiruv was down. What should I have done with my siddur? Dropped it?

A:

In all likelihood, your neighbor shared this information with you after you had already stopped walking. Since you may not start to walk again while carrying the siddur, your best option is to wait until a non-Jew or a child under six walks by (or ask someone who is passing by to call them), and then instruct them to carry the siddur to the closet safe place available. If this option isn’t practical, then you may carry the siddur with a shinui, e.g., put it underneath your shirt, and walk to the closest safe place and leave the siddur there.

In retrospect, it’s questionable if your neighbor did the right and smart thing by informing you of the eiruv breakdown. For reasons beyond the scope of this article, it’s sometimes better to remain discreet about an eiruv that was discovered on Shabbos as being invalid, especially in the scenario described in this question. Since every case and situation is different, a sh’eilah should always be asked before notifying people about a downed eiruv on Shabbos.

Q:

My brother doesn’t use our city’s eiruv, but he lets his wife use it. Where does this discrepancy come from?

A:

There are many different views and opinions when it comes to the validity of a citywide eiruv, and it is quite difficult to find an eiruv that is perfect according to all views. Thus, some people accept upon themselves not to use a citywide eiruv at all, especially since they can easily get along without using it. But since doing so is a personal stringency, not a requirement, some people accept the stringency on themselves but still permit their family members to follow the basic halachah that permits using the eiruv, especially if the family members have a greater need for it.

Q:

I’ve never understood why walking with my baby’s carriage constitutes carrying. I’m just pushing the carriage.

A:

“Carrying” means transferring an item from one halachic domain to another, or moving it more than seven feet in a public street. It makes no difference if the transfer is being done via your hands, inside your pockets, or with the force of your body.