Carry On   

The eiruv is a ubiquitous feature of many frum communities, allowing people to carry on Shabbos. But few are aware of the complex halachic issues inherent in installing and maintaining a kosher eiruv. Rabbi Mordechai Paretzky is committed to raising awareness and upgrading standards, and whether he is perched on his bucket truck, rowing a pontoon, or scaling fences, he is always determined to carry on

ON a sunny January morning in Tampa, Florida, motorists slow down to safely pass a utility bucket truck parked off to the side. Half of the hulking vehicle is on the shoulder while the remainder protrudes out into the road. Perched in the truck’s bucket some 20 feet up in the air is a man dressed like your run-of-the-mill utility worker, complete with reflective gear, a hard construction hat, and a yellow bandana hanging out the back of the hat to shield his neck from the sun’s blaze.

Down on the ground is another worker, similarly outfitted sans the vest.

“Send me up a U-guard!” the first man shouts to his colleague below, referring to those unassuming, elongated U-shaped metal or plastic covers that inconspicuously grace utility poles, shielding the cables and wires affixed to them from exposure to the elements.

On cue, a ten-foot-long U-guard is produced from the truck’s bed and sent up. After three minutes of drilling, it’s secured and fastened in place, running from directly beneath the telephone wire connected to the utility pole and ending about halfway down the pole.