Avodah Zarah 25b (כה:) — the Talmud in English

Rather,

our Mishna is speaking of a case where it is forbidden to be secluded

with three,

with three gentiles.

However, one must still ask: Is

a comparable case,

such a form of seclusion,

with regard to unrestrained Jews,

with unrestrained Jews,

permitted,

is it permitted?! [

And the Gemara proves that even three unrestrained Jews may not be secluded with a woman.]

But didn’t we learn in the Mishna: However, one woman may be secluded with two men

who are fit?.

And Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: They taught

that she is permitted to be secluded with them

only

when the seclusion takes place

with

men

who are fit.

But with unrestrained men, even ten as well

also

not

permitted.

And similarly,

there was an incident

involving a certain prostitute,

and ten men carried her out

unrestrained men

on a bier

of a dead person, outside the city, and made it appear as though she had died, accompanying her for burial. But when they left, they sinned with her! This proves that seclusion with unrestrained Jews is also forbidden. Certainly, seclusion with gentiles is forbidden, as all of them are considered unrestrained and suspected of such conduct.

The Gemara answers: The law of our Mishna

is necessary,

for it is necessary only to prohibit the seclusion of a woman with a gentile even

in

a situation in which

his wife

the gentile’s wife

is with him.

With regard to a Jew, however, a man may be secluded with another woman when his wife is with him, because

with regard to a gentile, there is no

presence of

his wife guarding him

from licentiousness. But

a Jew —

his wife

guards him!

The Gemara asks: Why is it necessary to give the reason that gentiles are unrestrained, and therefore it is forbidden to be secluded with them?

And let it be derived

that it is forbidden to be secluded with them

because

they are suspected of

bloodshed,

as explained in the Mishna?

The Gemara answers:

Rabbi Yirmeya said—

we are dealing with an important woman

[the case under discussion].

She is important among other people because she is close to the government, and she is also considered important among women because she is beautiful.

Because of

her importance and proximity to the government,

they are afraid of her.

They fear killing her. Therefore, there is no danger in her being secluded with them,

but since she is beautiful, there is still concern that the woman may be enticed and engage in intercourse with them. For this reason, she is forbidden to be secluded with them.

Rav Idi said:

Any

woman,

even if she is neither important nor beautiful—

her weapon

[her weapon of war]

is upon her,

and she is not in danger. Since she is a woman, the gentile will not kill her; rather, he will have intercourse with her. And once he has had intercourse with her, he will not kill her.

Therefore, the sole reason to prohibit her from being secluded with the gentile is the concern of forbidden sexual relations!

The Gemara discusses this:

What is the practical difference between them,

what practical difference is there between the explanations of Rabbi Yirmeya and Rav Idi?

It answers:

There is a difference between them;

there is a practical difference between their reasons. It is:

A woman who is important among men,

meaning that she is well connected and close to the government,

but who is not important among women,

meaning that she is not beautiful.

The difference between the views of the amoraim is as follows: According to Rabbi Yirmeya, who holds that the prohibition of seclusion stated in the Mishna applies only to a woman who is close to the government and whose life is not in danger, but who is beautiful and therefore might be enticed— -

in the case of a woman who is important but not beautiful, there is no concern at all, since they will not kill her on account of her importance. Conversely, they will not engage in intercourse with her either, since she is unattractive.

Therefore, this woman is permitted to be secluded with the gentile!

According to Rav Idi, however, there is no indication that a distinction is made between a beautiful woman and an unattractive one. Since every woman has her weapon upon her, Rav Idi does not distinguish between a beautiful woman and an unattractive one. With regard to every woman, regardless of her appearance, there is concern that she may engage in intercourse!

The Gemara proves this:

It was taught in a beraita in accordance with the opinion of

like

that of

Rav

Idi bar Avin: A woman, even though she is secure,

she is always secure and there is no concern for her life, since her weapon is upon her,

nevertheless,

may not be secluded with them

with the gentiles.

Because—

they are suspected of forbidden sexual relations!

We learned in our Mishna: “And

a person may not be secluded with them,

with the gentiles, because of the concern of bloodshed.”

The Sages taught:

A Jew

who

went and

encountered

a gentile on the road should place him on his right.

He should arrange for the gentile to walk on his right, so that if the gentile wishes to kill him, he can prevent him by seizing him with his right hand.

Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka, says:

If the gentile was girded

with a sword,

on his left side [since the sword is customarily held on the left side of the person holding it].

He should place him

the Jew should position him

on

the

right side.

This is so that if the gentile reaches for the sword, the Jew can seize his hand with his right hand.

And if the gentile was armed

with a staff—

he should place him on his left.

Then, when the gentile raises his right hand, which is holding the staff, the Jew can immediately seize it with his right hand.

If both of them

the Jew and the gentile

were ascending a slope

of a mountain on their way,

or

if they were

descending a descent,

the Jew should conduct himself as follows:

The Jew should not be below

with the gentile above him

ahead of him.

Rather,

the

Jew should be above, and

the

gentile

should be

below.

And

even if they are walking on level ground,

the Jew should not bend down

the Jew

before him

before the gentile,

lest he run

and crush

his skull.

And if the gentile and the Jew met on the road and

asked

the gentile asked the Jew:

Where

are you

going? -

He should not tell him exactly where he is going. Rather,

he should extend

and lengthen

for him

the Jew should extend

the journey.

For example, if he needs to travel one parsa, he should tell him: “I am traveling two parsaot.” This is so that the gentile will wait before striking him until the midpoint of the journey; then, when they reach the place where the Jew needs to turn off, he will separate from the gentile and escape.

And this is

in the manner in which our forefather Jacob dealt with the wicked Esau.

As it is written

[when Jacob met Esau—Genesis 33:14]: “I will proceed slowly, at the pace of the work that is before me and at the pace of the children,

until I come to my lord in Seir.”

And

later

it is written

[Genesis 33:16–17]: “So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir,

and Jacob traveled to Sukkot.”

We see that although Jacob said to Esau, “I will come to my lord in Seir,” which is a distant place, he went only as far as Sukkot. He did all this so that Esau would not fight him at the beginning of the journey, but would wait. Jacob, meanwhile, would separate from him already at Sukkot.

The Gemara further recounts an incident concerning this:

There was an incident involving the students of Rabbi Akiva, who were traveling to Kuziba. They encountered

met

bandits.

The bandits said to them

the bandits:

“Where are you going?” They said to them

the students of Rabbi Akiva: “We are going

to Acre.”

When they reached

the students of Rabbi Akiva and the bandits who had accompanied them

at Kuziba,

which is closer than Acre,

they separated

the students of Rabbi Akiva turned toward Kuziba.

The bandits said to them

the bandits:

“Whose students are you?”

They said to them: “We are the students of Rabbi Akiva,”

they replied.

The bandits said to them

the bandits:

“Fortunate is Rabbi Akiva and his students, for no wicked person has ever harmed them.”

Since they act wisely and outwit the bandits, they are therefore not harmed by them.