Eraser tool in Illustrator keeps erasing through multiple layers. How to erase a specific layer or object?

One of the problems I'm having with Adobe Illustrator is that when I use the eraser it will erase across every layer. The only solution I've found is to "lock" every layer that I'm not erasing on. However this is really a non solution. I'm having to jump hoops to do something simple that every other program I used doesn't do this. (Corell, Gimp, but basically every single other drawing program has this as a feature as opposed to 'auto on')

Its becoming really frustrating when I have 5-10 layers having to dig through the layers that are not locked just to erase. That isn't to mention sometimes even when they are locked it still effects other layers for some reason by dragging things that aren't on that layer.

Is there a way to simply make it so I am only operating on one layer at a time ever, that doesn't require me to lock every other layer in between uses?

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