Nope, that web of wires you might notice above your head while wandering through Manhattan are not all for carrying electricity.

There are actually 18 miles(!) of translucent wire that run throughout the borough called an eruv. The eruv (or eruvin) is there because of the Jewish Sabbath. A day of rest in the Jewish tradition, people observing the Sabbath aren't permitted to do any sort of work in public places, which includes carrying things like groceries, laundry, or books.

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