General Issues in Merging Areas for Inter-area transportation on Shabbat
Overarching Legal Issues
The law follows the lenient opinion in cases of merging areas: Eruvin 46a-b
We don't follow a sage's view for law in cases of merging areas if his position incorporates two stringent positions in which he disagreed with the other sages: Eruvin 71b
The essential establishment of merging yards with a meal [or, possibly, of merging yards if the residents have already merged as part of a larger alley their yard abuts - see Tosafot Eruvin 46b s.v. Shelo] was created so that children would not forget about the principle of merging areas: Eruvin 46b, 80b
The law always follows Rabbi Yehudah on these issues: Eruvin 81b, 95a
Issues specific to houses abutting a joint yard
Is the basis of merging yards that the contributors acquire space in the area where they put their food, or is it that they are 'living there' through Shabbat: Eruvin 49a-b, 71b-72a
Whether the meal creating "joint yards" must be placed in a house bordering the yard: Succah 3b
Does the donation have to come from each individual resident, through their entrance abutting the yard, or may one resident donate it for the use of all of the residents: Eruvin 73b
What happens if one of the proprietors annuls his share of the yard to the general yard, but not his house: Eruvin 26b, 68b, 69b
Whether multiple residents of a single dwelling must individually donate to the merging meal, or not: Eruvin 72a-b
Connecting two boats owned by different people: Shabbat 101b
Connecting two boats if the enclosing border around the boats was split and then re-tied: Shabbat 101b
The connection between the two boats has to be of something which will hold them together: Shabbat 101b
Issues specific to properties abutting a joint alley
What the person establishing the meal says: Eruvin 79b
Whether the meal creating "joint alleys" must be placed in a yard bordering the alley: Succah 3b
Does the donation have to come from each individual resident, through their entrance abutting the alley, or may an individual donate it for the use of all of the residents: Eruvin 73b, 79b
Having the donor give the meal to a minor, or to a Eved Kenaani, to accept it on behalf of the other residents: Eruvin 79b
Having the donor give the meal to one of his adult children, or to a Eved Ivri, to accept it on behalf of the other residents: Eruvin 79b
Having the donor's wife accept the meal on behalf of the other residents: Eruvin 79b
Requiring that the donated meal be lifted one handbreadth into the air by the person claiming it on behalf of the recipients, as a form of acquisition: Eruvin 79b-80a
Merging individual alleys and their adjoining properties, in a town which contains many such alleys as well as a public thoroughfare: Eruvin 59a-b
Whether one may merge an entire town, or one must leave an area un-merged [Shiyyur Mata]: Eruvin 59a-60a
How much of a town one should leave unmerged: Eruvin 60a
Merging an alley which has two sides lined with houses, and two sides which are open [Mefulash]: Eruvin 95a