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Avodah Zarah 20a

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Babylonian Talmud · folio map

Avodah Zarah 20a

Avodah Zarah 20a. The full printed text of this folio side — 12 numbered segments, about 312 words — with the classic commentaries printed on the page.

Original text

Segment 1

דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״, לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֲנָיָיה בַּקַּרְקַע. הַאי ״לָא תְחׇנֵּם״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָכִי קָאָמַר רַחֲמָנָא: לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן.

The source is that the verse states: “You should not show them mercy [ lo teḥonnem ]” (Deuteronomy 7:2), which is understood as meaning: You should not give them a chance to encamp [ ḥanayah ] in, i.e., to acquire land in, Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara asks: This phrase: “You should not show them mercy”; isn’t it necessary to teach that this is what the Merciful one is saying: You should not give them favor [ ḥen ] by praising them?

Segment 2

אִם כֵּן, לֵימָא קְרָא ״לֹא תְחוּנֵּם״, מַאי ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ תַּרְתֵּי.

The Gemara answers: If that were so, let the verse say: Lo teḥunnem , with the letter vav , as then it would be evident that this is a form of the root ḥet , vav , nun , which means favor. What is the reason that the verse instead states: Lo teḥonnem , without the letter vav ? Conclude two conclusions from it, that one may not praise them and also that one may not allow them to acquire land.

Segment 3

וְאַכַּתִּי מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָכִי אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא: לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מַתְּנַת (שֶׁל) חִנָּם! אִם כֵּן, לֵימָא קְרָא ״לֹא תְחִינֵּם״, מַאי ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ כּוּלְּהוּ.

The Gemara asks: But still, isn’t the phrase “You should not show them mercy” necessary to teach the halakha that this is what the Merciful One states: You should not give them an undeserved [ ḥinnam ] gift? The Gemara answers: If that were so, let the verse say: Lo teḥinnem . What is the reason that it is spelled without the letter yud , as: Lo teḥonnem ? Learn from it all of these three halakhot .

Segment 4

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֲנָיָיה בַּקַּרְקַע, דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן, דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מַתְּנַת חִנָּם.

This is also taught in a baraita : “You should not show them mercy”; this teaches that you should not give them a chance to encamp in the land of Eretz Yisrael. Another matter: “You should not show them mercy”; this indicates that you should not give them favor. Another matter: “You should not show them mercy”; this teaches that you should not give them an undeserved gift.

Segment 5

וּמַתְּנַת חִנָּם גּוּפַהּ תַּנָּאֵי הִיא, דְּתַנְיָא: ״לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כׇּל נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנׇכְרִי״, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא לְגֵר בִּנְתִינָה וּלְגוֹי בִּמְכִירָה, לְגֵר בִּמְכִירָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״תִּתְּנֶנָּה... אוֹ מָכֹר״.

The Gemara notes: And this issue of an undeserved gift to a gentile is itself a dispute between tanna’im . As it is taught in a baraita : “You shall not eat of any unslaughtered animal carcass; you may give it to the resident alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a sacred people to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:21). I have derived only that it is permitted to a resident alien through giving and to a gentile through selling. From where do I derive that it is permitted to transfer an unslaughtered animal to a resident alien through selling? The verse states: “You may give it … or you may sell it,” meaning that one has the option to do either of these.

Segment 6

לְגוֹי בִּנְתִינָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנׇכְרִי״, נִמְצָא אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: אֶחָד גֵּר וְאֶחָד גּוֹי בֵּין בִּנְתִינָה בֵּין בִּמְכִירָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן, לְגֵר בִּנְתִינָה, וּלְגוֹי בִּמְכִירָה.

The baraita continues: From where is it derived that it is permitted to a gentile through giving and one is not required to sell it to him? The verse states: “You may give it … that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner.” Therefore, you may say that he may transfer it to both a resident alien and a gentile, both through giving and through selling. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: These matters are to be understood as they are written; one may transfer an unslaughtered animal carcass to a resident alien only through giving, and to a gentile only through selling, as it is prohibited to give an undeserved gift to a gentile.

Segment 7

שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר לָךְ: אִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ כִּדְקָאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, לִכְתּוֹב רַחֲמָנָא ״תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ ומָכֹר״, ״אוֹ״ לְמָה לִי? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ לִדְבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן הוּא דַּאֲתָא.

The Gemara comments: Rabbi Meir is saying well, as the verse indicates that either method is acceptable. The Gemara explains: And Rabbi Yehuda could have said to you: If it enters your mind to understand the verse in accordance with that which Rabbi Meir says, then let the Merciful One write: You may give it to the resident alien who is within your gates that he may eat it, and also you may sell it to a foreigner. Why do I need the word “or” between these two options? Learn from it that it comes to teach that the matters are to be understood as they are written.

Segment 8

וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר? הָהוּא לְאַקְדּוֹמֵי נְתִינָה דְּגֵר לִמְכִירָה דְּגוֹי. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה: כֵּיוָן דְּגֵר אַתָּה מְצוֶּּוה לְהַחְיוֹתוֹ, וְגוֹי אִי אַתָּה מְצוֶּּוה לְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ — לְהַקְדִּים לָא צְרִיךְ קְרָא.

The Gemara asks: And how does Rabbi Meir explain the wording of the verse? The Gemara answers: That word, “or,” teaches that one should give precedence to giving to a resident alien over selling to a gentile. And Rabbi Yehuda holds that since you are commanded to sustain a resident alien, as it is stated: “And he shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:35), and you are not commanded to sustain a gentile, there is no need for a verse to teach that one should give precedence to a resident alien.

Segment 9

דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן. מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְרַב, דְּאָמַר רַב: אָסוּר לָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאמַר ״כַּמָּה נָאָה גּוֹיָה זוֹ״.

§ It is taught in the baraita cited earlier: Another matter: “You should not show them favor”; this teaches that you should not give them favor by praising them. The Gemara notes that this supports the opinion of Rav. As Rav says: It is prohibited for a person to say: How beautiful is this gentile woman!

Segment 10

מֵיתִיבִי: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁהָיָה עַל גַּבֵּי מַעֲלָה בְּהַר הַבַּיִת, וְרָאָה גּוֹיָה אַחַת נָאָה בְּיוֹתֵר, אָמַר: ״מַה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳״. וְאַף רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא רָאָה אֵשֶׁת טוֹרָנוּסְרוּפוּס הָרָשָׁע, רָק, שָׂחַק וּבָכָה. רָק — שֶׁהָיְתָה בָּאָה מִטִּיפָּה סְרוּחָה, שָׂחַק — דַּעֲתִידָה דְּמִגַּיְירָא וְנָסֵיב לַהּ, בָּכָה — דְּהַאי שׁוּפְרָא בָּלֵי עַפְרָא.

The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita : There was an incident involving Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who was on a step on the Temple mount, and he saw a certain gentile woman who was exceptionally beautiful and said: “How great are Your works, O Lord!” (Psalms 104:24). And Rabbi Akiva too, when he saw the wife of the wicked Turnus Rufus he spat, laughed, and cried. He spat, as she was created from a putrid drop; he laughed, as he foresaw that she was destined to convert and he would marry her; he cried, as this beauty would ultimately be consumed by dirt.

Segment 11

וְרַב, אוֹדוֹיֵי הוּא דְּקָא מוֹדֵה, דְּאָמַר מָר: הָרוֹאֶה בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ שֶׁכָּכָה בָּרָא בְּעוֹלָמוֹ״.

And how would Rav explain the incident involving Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who praised the beauty of a gentile? The Gemara answers: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was giving thanks to God for creating such beautiful people rather than praising the gentile herself. As the Master said: One who sees beautiful or otherwise outstanding creatures recites: Blessed be He, Who has created such in His world.

Segment 12

וּלְאִסְתַּכּוֹלֵי מִי שְׁרֵי? מֵיתִיבִי: ״וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע״ — שֶׁלֹּא יִסְתַּכֵּל אָדָם בְּאִשָּׁה נָאָה וַאֲפִילּוּ פְּנוּיָה, בְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ וַאֲפִילּוּ מְכוֹעֶרֶת,

But is it permitted to gaze upon a woman? The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita . The verse states: “And you shall keep yourself from every evil thing” (Deuteronomy 23:10); this teaches that a person should not gaze upon a beautiful woman, even if she is unmarried; and a person should not gaze upon a married woman, even if she is ugly;

Avodah Zarah 20a

Avodah Zarah 20a

Rashi

Tosafot

Rabbeinu Chananel

Ritva

Meiri

Maharsha (Chidushei Halachot)

Maharam

Gilyon HaShas

Ben Yehoyada

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