“Rabbi,” one of them finally reluctantly began, “I’m not exactly sure how to tell you this, but….”
These are a sample of the text messages I get each week from one community’s eiruv checkers, the men in charge of making sure the eiruv is up and running on a weekly basis. And these texts make me want to proclaim the brachah of shehecheyanu every week anew.
In most cities, eiruv checking is currently a volunteer position. That is, the shemiras Shabbos of the community relies on the good hearts and donated time of a few dedicated individuals, who may or may not be well-versed in the relevant halachos. This city on the East Coast is no different from other frum communities in this respect. Its eiruv checkers come from across the Orthodox spectrum and have varying degrees of background knowledge of halachah.
Back in 2017, when I first started working with them, I had the eiruv checkers walk me around the eiruv so they could show me the boundaries. We walked three miles north and then two miles west as they pointed out the fences, poles, and wires that made up the eiruv. But then we got to a red light, and they stopped.
When the light turned green, I stepped forward, expecting the crew to keep moving with me. But the gentlemen were hanging back, looking unsure.
Create a free account to keep reading.
