Question:
- Are members of a community required to contribute to a community eruv in order to use it?
- What in the city would disqualify having an eruv?
Answer:
- Generally, all residents should contribute towards such communal needs as a shul, a sefer Torah, and chessed funds. Even if one were to claim that he has no need for the eiruv, as he/she or household members have no need to carry or push a stroller, nevertheless, they are responsible to contribute towards the need of the community.[1]There may be valid reasons why a person may be exempt were the community make such a request of him. For example, if the resident is of the opinion that the eiruv is not valid and he is knowledgeable enough to make such a claim, he may be able to avoid contributing towards the project. Often it is wisest to address communal matters to the local rabbonim and askonim who can best assess the merits of the specific case on hand. This online general response can start your search in the sources mentioned below but should not be considered a definitive answer for a specific location.
- Perhaps the most common disqualification for a city to have an eiruv would be if the city had a thoroughfare going through it. If the thoroughfare qualifies as reshus horabim the city would not be able to simply have a string eiruv around it. In such a case it may still be made into area that one may carry within its borders if doors were installed on the perimeters near the reshus horabim. Often, however, this is impractical.
Sources:
[1] This is found in Baba Basra 7b and S.A. C.M. 162:1.
שולחן ערוך חושן משפט הלכות שותפים בקרקע סימן קסב סעיף א
בני מבוי כופין זה את זה לעשות לחי וקורה למבוי.
