Avodah Zarah 37b

סוּסְבִּיל, בְּרֹאשׁוֹ אָרוֹךְ — כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לָא פְּלִיגִי דְּאָסוּר, וְהָכָא בִּכְנָפָיו חוֹפִין אֶת רוּבּוֹ עַל יְדֵי הַדְּחָק קָמִיפַּלְגִי: מָר סָבַר רוּבָּא כֹּל דְּהוּ בָּעֵינַן, וּמָר סָבַר רוּבָּא דְּמִנְּכַר בָּעֵינַן.

it is a susbil , and accordingly, with regard to a long-headed locust, everyone agrees that it is prohibited. And here they disagree with regard to a locust whose wings barely cover most of its body: One Sage, Yosei ben Yo’ezer, holds that we require only a minimal majority of the locust’s body to be covered by its wings, and one Sage, the Rabbis, holds that we require a noticeable majority of the body to be covered.

וְעַל מַשְׁקֵה בֵּי מַטְבְּחַיָּא דְּכַן. מַאי ״דְּכַן״? רַב אָמַר: דְּכַן מַמָּשׁ, וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: דְּכַן מִלְּטַמֵּא אֲחֵרִים, אֲבָל טוּמְאַת עַצְמָן יֵשׁ בָּהֶן.

§ It was stated above: And Yosei ben Yo’ezer testified with regard to the liquids of the slaughterhouse in the Temple that they are ritually pure. The Gemara asks: What did Yosei ben Yo’ezer mean when he said they are pure? Rav says: He meant that they are actually ritually pure. And Shmuel says: They are pure in the sense that they do not impart ritual impurity to other substances; but they themselves can contract impurity.

רַב אָמַר: ״דְּכַן מַמָּשׁ״, קָסָבַר: טוּמְאַת מַשְׁקִין דְּרַבָּנַן, וְכִי גְּזוּר רַבָּנַן טוּמְאָה בְּמַשְׁקִין דְּעָלְמָא, אֲבָל בְּמַשְׁקֵה בֵּי מַטְבְּחַיָּא לָא גְּזַרוּ רַבָּנַן.

The Gemara explains the reasons for these opinions. Rav says that these liquids are actually pure, as he maintains that the ritual impurity of liquids applies by rabbinic law, and when the Sages decreed impurity upon liquids, they did so only with regard to ordinary liquids. But the Sages did not issue their decree with regard to the liquids of the slaughterhouse in the Temple.

וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: דְּכַן מִלְּטַמֵּא אֲחֵרִים, אֲבָל טוּמְאַת עַצְמָן יֵשׁ בָּהֶן, קָסָבַר: טוּמְאַת מַשְׁקִין דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא לְטַמֵּא אֲחֵרִים דְּרַבָּנַן, וְכִי גְּזַרוּ רַבָּנַן בְּמַשְׁקִין דְּעָלְמָא, בְּמַשְׁקִין בֵּי מַטְבְּחַיָּא לָא גְּזַרוּ.

And Shmuel says: The liquids are ritually pure in the sense that they do not impart impurity to other substances; but they themselves can contract impurity, as Shmuel maintains that the ritual impurity of liquids themselves is by Torah law, whereas their capacity to impart impurity to other substances is by rabbinic law. And when the Sages issued this decree, they did so only with regard to ordinary liquids. But they did not issue their decree with regard to the liquids of the slaughterhouse in the Temple.

וְעַל דְּיִקְרַב לְמִיתָא מְסָאַב, וְקָרוּ לֵיהּ ״יוֹסֵף שָׁרְיָא״. ״יוֹסֵף אָסְרָא״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ! וְעוֹד, דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא הִיא, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה בַּחֲלַל חֶרֶב אוֹ בְמֵת וְגוֹ׳״!

§ It was stated: And Yosei ben Yo’ezer testified with regard to one who touches a corpse that he is impure, and as a result they called him: Yosef the Permissive. The Gemara questions this: Since he issued a stringent ruling, they should have called him: Yosef the Prohibiting. And furthermore, this halakha is explicitly written in the Torah, as it is written: “And whosoever in the open field touches one that is slain with a sword, or one that is dead, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be impure seven days” (Numbers 19:16).

דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא, דְּיִקְרַב — טָמֵא, דְּיִקְרַב בִּדְיִקְרַב — טָהוֹר, וַאֲתוֹ אִינְהוּ וּגְזוּר אֲפִילּוּ דְּיִקְרַב בִּדְיִקְרַב, וַאֲתָא אִיהוּ וְאוֹקְמַהּ אַדְּאוֹרָיְיתָא.

The Gemara explains: By Torah law one who touches a corpse is ritually impure, but one who touches another who has touched a corpse is pure. And the Sages came and decreed that even one who touches another who has touched a corpse is also impure. And Yosei ben Yo’ezer came and established the halakha in accordance with the original, more lenient Torah law.

דְּיִקְרַב בִּדְיִקְרַב נָמֵי דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא הוּא, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בּוֹ הַטָּמֵא יִטְמָא״!

The Gemara raises a difficulty: One who touches another who has touched a corpse is also rendered impure by Torah law, as it is written: “And whatsoever the impure person touches shall be impure” (Numbers 19:22).

אַמְרוּהָ רַבָּנַן קַמֵּיהּ דְּרָבָא, מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּמָר זוּטְרָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן, דְּאָמַר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן: דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא דְּיִקְרַב בִּדְיִקְרַב, בְּחִיבּוּרִין — טוּמְאַת שִׁבְעָה, שֶׁלֹּא בְּחִיבּוּרִין — טוּמְאַת עֶרֶב, וַאֲתוֹ אִינְהוּ וּגְזוּר אֲפִילּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּחִיבּוּרִין טוּמְאַת שִׁבְעָה, וַאֲתָא אִיהוּ וְאוֹקְמַהּ אַדְּאוֹרָיְיתָא.

The Sages stated this difficulty before Rava in the name of Mar Zutra, the son of Rav Naḥman, who said a response in the name of Rav Naḥman: By Torah law, one who touches another who touches a corpse while the second individual is in concurrent contact with the corpse is impure with seven- day impurity. If this occurs while the second individual is not in concurrent contact with the corpse, he contracts impurity until the evening. And the Sages came and decreed that even where there is no concurrent contact, one still contracts seven- day impurity when he touches someone who touched a corpse. And subsequently Yosei ben Yo’ezer came and established the halakha in accordance with the original Torah law.

דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא מַאי הִיא? דִּכְתִיב: ״הַנֹּגֵעַ בְּמֵת לְכׇל נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם וְטָמֵא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים״, וּכְתִיב: ״וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בּוֹ הַטָּמֵא יִטְמָא״, וּכְתִיב: ״וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ הַנֹּגַעַת תִּטְמָא עַד הָעָרֶב״, הָא כֵּיצַד?

The Gemara asks: What is the source of this halakha , prescribed by Torah law? As it is written: “He that touches the dead, even any man’s dead body, shall be impure seven days” (Numbers 19:11), and it is written: “And whatsoever the impure person touches shall be impure” (Numbers 19:22). These two verses indicate that one contracts ritual impurity for seven days. And yet it is also written: “And the soul that touches him shall be impure until evening” (Numbers 19:22). How can these texts be reconciled?

כָּאן בְּחִיבּוּרִין, כָּאן שֶׁלֹּא בְּחִיבּוּרִין.

The Gemara answers: Here, in the first two verses, the Torah is discussing concurrent contact, which results in impurity of seven days; there, in the last verse, it is discussing a case where there is no concurrent contact, and therefore the individual in question is impure only until the evening.

אֲמַר לְהוּ רָבָא: לָאו אָמֵינָא לְכוּ לָא תִּתְלוֹ בֵּיהּ בּוּקֵי סְרִיקֵי בְּרַב נַחְמָן? הָכִי אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: סְפֵק טוּמְאָה בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הִתִּיר לָהֶן.

Rava said to the Sages who suggested that explanation citing Rav Naḥman: Didn’t I tell you not to hang empty pitchers [ bukei ] upon Rav Naḥman, i.e., not to attribute incorrect statements to him? Rather, this is what Rav Naḥman said: Yosei ben Yo’ezer permitted for them a case of uncertain impurity contracted in a public domain. In other words, Yosei ben Yo’ezer ruled leniently that one who is unsure whether or not he came in contact with a corpse in the public domain is ritually pure.

וְהָא הִלְכְתָא מִסּוֹטָה גָּמְרִינַן לַהּ, מָה סוֹטָה רְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד, אַף טוּמְאָה רְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד!

The Gemara raises a difficulty: But didn’t we learn this halakha from the case of a woman suspected by her husband of having been unfaithful [ sota ]: Just as a sota can be made to drink the bitter waters only when she is suspected of engaging in adultery in a private domain, so too, uncertain ritual impurity is considered impure only when one suspects that he came into contact with it in a private domain? This shows that even by Torah law one who is unsure whether or not he touched a corpse in the public domain remains pure.

הָא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: הֲלָכָה וְאֵין מוֹרִין כֵּן, וַאֲתָא אִיהוּ וְאוֹרִי לֵיהּ אוֹרוֹיֵי.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in explanation: This is the halakha , but a public ruling is not issued to that effect. Consequently, the masses treated this matter with stringency. And Yosei ben Yo’ezer came and instructed the masses to follow the original instruction of the Torah. Therefore, his ruling was in fact a leniency.

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, קוֹרוֹת נָעַץ לָהֶם, וְאָמַר: עַד כָּאן רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, עַד כָּאן רְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד. כִּי אֲתוֹ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יַנַּאי, אֲמַר לְהוּ: הָא מַיָּא בְּשִׁיקַעְתָּא דִּבְנַהֲרָא, זִילוּ טְבוּלוּ.

The Gemara provides support for Rabbi Yoḥanan’s explanation. This is also taught in a baraita : Rabbi Yehuda says that Yosei ben Yo’ezer drove stakes into the ground for the people and said: Until here is the public domain, and until there is the private domain, so that they would know the halakha if they suspected that they had touched a corpse. The Gemara relates that when people came before Rabbi Yannai because they suspected that they might have come into contact with a source of impurity in the public domain, he said to them: Why involve yourselves in matters of uncertainty? There is deep water in the river; go immerse yourselves in it, and resolve the problem in this manner.

וְהַשְּׁלָקוֹת. מְנָהָנֵי מִילֵּי? אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אָמַר קְרָא ״אֹכֶל בַּכֶּסֶף תַּשְׁבִּרֵנִי וְאָכַלְתִּי וּמַיִם בַּכֶּסֶף תִּתֶּן לִי וְשָׁתִיתִי״, כַּמָּיִם — מָה מַיִם שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנּוּ, אַף אוֹכֶל שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנָּה.

§ The mishna teaches: And boiled vegetables prepared by gentiles are prohibited. The Gemara asks: From where is this matter derived? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The verse states that when Moses asked Sihon, King of the Amorites, for passage through his land, he said: “You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink” (Deuteronomy 2:28). By juxtaposing food and water, the verse teaches that food is like water: Just as Moses wished to purchase water that was unchanged, so too, he wished to purchase food that was unchanged, i.e., uncooked. Evidently, this is because foods cooked by gentiles are prohibited.

אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה, חִטִּין וַעֲשָׂאָן קְלָיוֹת — הָכִי נָמֵי דַּאֲסוּרִין? וְכִי תֵּימָא הָכִי נָמֵי, וְהָתַנְיָא: חִיטִּין וַעֲשָׂאָן קְלָיוֹת — מוּתָּרִין! אֶלָּא, כְּמַיִם — מָה מַיִם שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנּוּ מִבְּרִיָּיתָן, אַף אוֹכֶל שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנָּה מִבְּרִיָּיתוֹ.

The Gemara raises a difficulty: If that is so, then in a case where a gentile had wheat and made it into roasted grains by roasting it in the oven, the wheat should also be prohibited, as it was cooked. And if you would say: Indeed that is so, this cannot be the halakha , as isn’t it taught in baraita : If a gentile had wheat and made it into roasted grains, it is permitted? The Gemara suggests a different explanation: Rather, food is like water in the following manner: Just as Moses wished to purchase water that was not altered from its original state, so too, he wished to purchase food that was not altered from its original state. Roasting wheat kernels does not alter their original state.

אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה, חִיטִּין וּטְחָנָן הָכִי נָמֵי דַּאֲסוּרִין? וְכִי תֵּימָא הָכִי נָמֵי, וְהָתַנְיָא: חִיטִּין וַעֲשָׂאָן קְלָיוֹת, הַקְּמָחִים וְהַסְּלָתוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן מוּתָּרִין! אֶלָּא כַּמָּיִם — מָה מַיִם שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנּוּ מִבְּרִיָּיתָן עַל יְדֵי הָאוּר, אַף אוֹכֶל שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנָּה מִבְּרִיָּיתוֹ עַל יְדֵי הָאוּר.

The Gemara raises another difficulty: If that is so, then if a gentile had wheat and ground it into flour, the flour should also be prohibited, as the wheat has been altered from its original state. And if you would say: Indeed that is so, this cannot be the case, as isn’t it taught in baraita : If a gentile had wheat and made it into roasted grains, it is permitted; similarly, flours and fine flours belonging to gentiles are permitted? Rather, food is like water in the following manner: Just as Moses wished to purchase water that was not altered from its original state by fire, so too, he wished to purchase food that was not altered from its original state by fire. Although wheat ground into flour is altered from its original state, this change is not accomplished by means of fire.

מִידֵּי אוּר כְּתִיב?

The Gemara raises a difficulty: Is fire written in the verse? There is no mention of fire in the verse at all. How can it be assumed that this is the similarity between water and food?