The wire that transforms much of Manhattan into one big, symbolic home (2017)

What an eruv is and why it exists

• Commenters clarify that, in Jewish law, “work” on the Sabbath includes carrying objects between domains.
• Urban space often falls into a gray “in-between” category, neither clearly public nor private.
• An eruv reclassifies this ambiguous space as “private domain,” allowing carrying items like keys, canes, and babies without violating Sabbath rules.
• Some frame it less as “tricking God” and more as a codified legal mechanism long debated in the Talmud, with substantial technical detail and constraints (e.g., limits on traffic, continuity).

Loophole vs. law: is this ‘cheating’?

• Many non‑religious commenters see the wire as a loophole or “hack,” equating it to game cheats or semantic tricks.
• Others argue that in Jewish thought, law is intentionally textual and legalistic: if a loophole exists, an omniscient God meant it to be there.
• Some Jews reportedly see finding such workarounds as part of the religious “game,” comparable to common-law reasoning.
• Critics counter that this ignores the “spirit of the law” and resembles Pharisaical legalism denounced in Christian scripture.

Who benefits: ‘vulnerable people’ and gender

• Several comments explain the “vulnerable” as those especially constrained without an eruv: caregivers with young children, the elderly, disabled people who need mobility aids, and strict adherents who would otherwise be homebound.
• One thread suggests this mainly eases burdens on women in conservative communities who handle childcare.

Maps, geography, and implementation

• Commenters share updated Manhattan eruv maps and note that coverage has expanded over time.
• Discussion touches on why areas like Times Square or Hell’s Kitchen were once excluded: high traffic, construction, or practical routing constraints.
• Some report difficulty visually locating wires where maps claim they exist and mention rerouting during construction.

Technology, safety, and secular conflicts

• Examples of Sabbath workarounds: automatic elevators, traffic lights that change without button presses, timers for electrical devices, “Sabbath goy” arrangements.
• A contentious sidebar describes alleged opposition to installing automated fire safety systems in some buildings, with others insisting Jewish law allows—and even mandates—violating Sabbath rules to save life (pikuach nefesh).
• There is light technical discussion of how one might electronically monitor eruv continuity, and whether energizing the wire would raise regulatory or utility concerns.

Comparisons to other religions and law

• Numerous parallels are drawn to:
  • Christian canon law, fasting, and Lenten meat classifications (e.g., beaver or alligator as “fish”).
  • Islamic jurisprudence and debates over literal vs. “spirit of the law” readings.
  • Eastern Orthodox “oikonomia” and Catholic “dispensations” as mechanisms for relaxing strict rules.
• Some commenters liken eruv reasoning to secular legal interpretation and common-law evolution; others warn that excessive “creative reinterpretation” can erode trust in any legal system.

Theology, absurdity, and meta‑debate

• Threads debate whether any religious rules come from God at all, or are purely human constructs responding to ancient conditions (e.g., food safety).
• Skeptics mock the idea of outwitting an omniscient deity; defenders reply that God cannot be “fooled,” only obeyed through the law as written.
• Hypothetical extensions (a wire around the whole planet, or tiny loops in a drawer) are used both to satirize the concept and to probe its logical limits.