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Avodah Zarah 31b

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Babylonian Talmud · folio map

Avodah Zarah 31b

Avodah Zarah 31b. The full printed text of this folio side — 12 numbered segments, about 276 words — with the classic commentaries printed on the page.

Original text

Segment 1

הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ חָבִית שֶׁל יַיִן בְּיַד כּוּתִי, וְשֶׁל צִיר וְשֶׁל מוּרְיָיס בְּיַד גּוֹי, אִם מַכִּיר חוֹתָמוֹ וּסְתָמוֹ — מוּתָּר, אִם לָאו — אָסוּר!

from the following baraita : With regard to one who sends a barrel of wine in the hands of a Samaritan, or a barrel of fish brine or a barrel of fish stew in the hands of a gentile, if he recognizes his seal and his manner of closing the barrel, it is permitted; if he does not recognize them, it is prohibited. Apparently, a sealed barrel is permitted only when it is recognizable.

Segment 2

אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: לָא קַשְׁיָא — כָּאן בָּעִיר, כָּאן בַּדֶּרֶךְ.

Rabbi Zeira said that this is not difficult. Here, the first baraita is referring to barrels located in a city; there, the second baraita is referring to barrels that the Samaritan carries on the road. Sealed barrels are permitted in a city because the Samaritan is careful to ensure that gentiles do not touch them in front of anyone, so that he does not forfeit the business of Jews. While traveling he is not concerned, as he assumes that no one will discover that the gentile came into contact with the wine.

Segment 3

מַתְקֵיף לַהּ רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: מִידֵּי הָנָךְ דְּעִיר לָא בְּדֶרֶךְ אָתוּ? אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: בֵּין הַגִּיתּוֹת שָׁנִינוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא אָפְכִי, מִירְתַת, אֲמַר: הַשְׁתָּא אִי חָזוּ לִי מַפְסְדוּ לִי.

Rabbi Yirmeya objects to this: Didn’t these barrels located in the city come by the road as well? Rather, Rabbi Yirmeya says: We learned the baraita that permits sealed barrels only in reference to those that are located between the winepresses. Since everyone is found there, the Samaritan is apprehensive, as he says to himself: Now, if someone sees me allowing a gentile to handle the wine they will cause me to lose my profit, as Jews will not purchase it.

Segment 4

אִתְּמַר: מִפְּנֵי מָה אָסְרוּ שֵׁכָר שֶׁל גּוֹיִם? רָמֵי בַּר חָמָא אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִשּׁוּם חַתְנוּת, רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר: מִשּׁוּם גִּילּוּי.

It was stated: For what reason did the Sages prohibit the beer of gentiles? Rami bar Ḥama says that Rabbi Yitzḥak says: It is due to the concern that Jews will befriend gentiles while drinking with them, which might lead to marriage with gentiles. Rav Naḥman said: It is due to the concern of exposure.

Segment 5

אַגִּילּוּי דְּמַאי? אִילֵּימָא גִּילּוּי דְּנַזְיָיתָא — אֲנַן נָמֵי מְגַלֵּינַן! וְאֶלָּא דְּחָבִיתָא — אֲנַן נָמֵי מְגַלֵּינַן! לָא צְרִיכָא, בְּאַתְרָא דִּמְצַלּוּ מַיָּא.

The Gemara asks: With regard to what form of exposure is there a concern? If we say that the concern is with regard to exposure of the vat, we too expose the vat, and there is no reason to prohibit gentiles’ beer more than that of Jews. And if you say: Rather, the concern is for exposure of the barrel, we also expose barrels. The Gemara answers: No, it is necessary to prohibit the beer in a place where the water used to brew it is allowed to settle.

Segment 6

אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה יָשָׁן תִּשְׁתְּרֵי! דְּאָמַר רַבִּי: יָשָׁן מוּתָּר — אֵין מַנִּיחוֹ לְיַישֵּׁן, הֶחְמִיץ מוּתָּר — אֵין מַנִּיחוֹ לְהַחְמִיץ. גְּזֵירָה יָשָׁן אַטּוּ חָדָשׁ.

The Gemara asks: If that is so, aged beer should be permitted, as Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: A substance that might contain exposed water but has aged is permitted, since the poison does not allow it to age, as it goes bad before it grows old. Similarly, if it soured it is permitted, because the poison impairs the taste but does not allow it to sour. Why, then, is all beer prohibited? The Gemara answers: The Sages issued a rabbinic decree with regard to aged beer due to the concern with regard to new beer.

Segment 7

רַב פָּפָּא מַפְּיקִין לֵיהּ (לאבבא) [אַבָּבָא] דְּחָנוּתָא, וְשָׁתֵי. רַב אַחַאי מַיְיתוּ לֵיהּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ, וְשָׁתֵי. וְתַרְוַיְיהוּ מִשּׁוּם חַתְנוּת, רַב אַחַאי עָבֵיד הַרְחָקָה יַתִּירְתָּא.

§ The Gemara cites the opinions of various Sages with regard to beer. Rav Pappa had them bring out the beer belonging to gentiles from the store to the entrance of the store, and he would drink it outside the store. Rav Aḥai had them bring the beer to his house, and he would drink it there. And both of them drank the beer away from the presence of gentiles due to concern about marriage with gentiles. The Gemara notes that Rav Aḥai established an extreme preventive measure for himself beyond what is required by halakha .

Segment 8

רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר בִּיסְנָא אִיקְּלַע לְמַרְגְּוָאן, אַיְיתוֹ לֵיהּ חַמְרָא וְלָא אִשְׁתִּי, אַיְיתוֹ לֵיהּ שִׁיכְרָא וְלָא אִשְׁתִּי. בִּשְׁלָמָא חַמְרָא מִשּׁוּם שִׁימְצָא, שִׁיכְרָא מִשּׁוּם מַאי? מִשּׁוּם שִׁימְצָא דְּשִׁימְצָא.

The Gemara relates that Rav Shmuel bar Bisna happened to come to Marguan, and they brought him wine but he did not drink it. Next they brought him beer but he did not drink it. The Gemara asks: Granted, he did not drink the wine due to the trace [ shimtza ] of libations, but due to what reason did he refrain from drinking beer? It was due to concern for the trace of a trace, i.e., he did not drink beer due to concern about drinking wine.

Segment 9

אָמַר רַב: הַאי שִׁיכְרָא דַּאֲרַמָּאָה שְׁרֵי, וְחִיָּיא בְּרִי לָא נִישְׁתֵּי מִינֵּיהּ. מָה נַפְשָׁךְ? אִי שְׁרֵי — לְכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא שְׁרֵי, אִי אֲסִיר — לְכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא אֲסִיר!

Rav says: This Aramean beer is permitted, but my son Ḥiyya does not drink from it. The Gemara asks: Whichever way you look at this matter, Rav’s statement is difficult: If the beer is permitted, then it is permitted to everyone, and there is no reason for his son to refrain from drinking it. And if it is prohibited, it is prohibited to everyone, and why would Rav say it is permitted?

Segment 10

אֶלָּא, רַב סָבַר מִשּׁוּם גִּילּוּיָא, וְאָזֵיל מְרוֹרָא דִּכְשׁוּתָא וְקָלֵי לֵיהּ זִיהֲרֵיהּ, וְדִלְקֵי מַלְקֵי לֵיהּ טְפֵי, וְחִיָּיא בְּרִי הוֹאִיל וּלְקֵי לָא נִישְׁתֵּי מִינֵּיהּ.

The Gemara explains: Rather, Rav holds that the prohibition is due to exposure, but the bitterness of the hops in the beer goes and impairs the snake’s venom, so that it is safe for an average person to drink. But a person of weak constitution is weakened further by the impaired venom, and Rav was saying: In the case of my son Ḥiyya, since he is weak, he does not drink from it.

Segment 11

אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: כׇּל הַשְּׁרָצִים יֵשׁ לָהֶן אֶרֶס, שֶׁל נָחָשׁ מֵמִית, שֶׁל שְׁרָצִים אֵינוֹ מֵמִית. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמוּאֵל לְחִיָּיא בַּר רַב: בַּר אַרְיָא, תָּא וְאֵימָא לָךְ מִילְּתָא מְעַלְּיָיתָא דַּהֲוָה אָמַר רַב אֲבוּךְ, הָכִי אָמַר אֲבוּךְ: הָנֵי אַרַמָּאֵי זוּקָאנֵי — (דַּהֲווֹ שָׁתוּ) [מִשּׁוּם דְּשָׁתוּ] גִּילּוּיָא, (וְלָא מִתוּ) [וְהַאי דְּלָא מָיְיתִי] — אַיְּידֵי דְּאָכְלִי שְׁקָצִים וּרְמָשִׂים חֲבִיל גּוּפַיְיהוּ.

Shmuel says: All creeping animals possess venom; that of a snake kills, whereas the venom of other creeping animals does not kill. Shmuel said to Ḥiyya bar Rav: Son of a lion! Come and I will say to you a superior matter that your father, Rav, said. This is what your father said: These Arameans are swollen [ zukanei ] because they drink exposed liquids, but they did not die from doing so since they eat repugnant creatures and creeping animals, which heat their bodies and thereby render them less susceptible to the venom.

Segment 12

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף:

Rav Yosef says:

Avodah Zarah 31b

Avodah Zarah 31b

Rashi

Tosafot

Rabbeinu Chananel

Rashba

Ritva

Meiri

Maharsha (Chidushei Halachot)

Maharam

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