Beitzah 39

Today’s gem is that the opening ceremony to the Olympics might be inspired by laws around Shabbat, the eiruv, and how to pass a flame.

We have been reading that the owner of an item’s feet determine how far that object is allowed to travel on Shabbat or a festival. What does this mean? We learned in Eruvin all about the limits of travel on Shabbat and how you have to mark your eruv (travel limits) before Shabbat commences. So, whatever you can carry, can also only be carried where you, personally, can walk.

But now we get the exception:

A coal that one borrowed from another on the Festival is as the feet of the owner, and it may be carried on the Festival to any place where its owner may walk. Since it has substance, it is associated with its owner. But a flame that one lit from another’s flame may be taken anywhere . . . Similarly, one who takes out a coal from a private domain to the public domain on Shabbat is liable for the prohibited labor of carrying, but one who takes out a flame is exempt.

Are you also picturing people passing flames from Shabbat limit to Shabbat limit Olympic games style?

Well, now you are.