Avodah Zarah 29b — the Talmud in English

Until now we have dealt with the laws of distancing that one must maintain from the gentiles themselves, so as not to come to danger to life or danger of forbidden relations as a result of being in their company.

Now the Mishna discusses the things of the gentiles that are forbidden in benefit, so that we should not stumble in forbidden matters, and likewise to prevent excessive closeness between us and them.

Mishna:

1.

These are the things of the idolaters

that are forbidden to an Israelite,

and their prohibition is a prohibition of benefit [

the Gemara below explains why specifically these things are forbidden]:

The wine, and the vinegar of the idolaters, which was

this vinegar

originally wine

and became vinegar.

And Hadrianic earthenware [

earthenware of the Emperor Hadrian ].

And lobe-cut hides,

they would make a hole in the hide of the animal and remove the heart through it, and this was the manner of doing it for idolatry; therefore these hides are forbidden on account of “sacrifices of the dead.” That is, sacrifices of idolatry.

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says: When its tear,

through which they removed the heart,

is round,

it is

forbidden

in benefit. Because its shape proves that it was made for idolatry.

But if it is

drawn out,

lengthwise, not in the shape of a circle—

it is permitted.

For this proves that it was not made for idolatry. 2.

Flesh entering a house of idolatry,

that is, when the gentile wishes to bring it in and offer it, and the Israelite takes the flesh immediately after it entered there, before they offered it —

it is permitted

in benefit.

And

this flesh

that emerges

from there—

it is forbidden, because it is

as though it had already been offered and had become

a sacrifice of the dead [

a sacrifice that was offered and slaughtered for idolatry is called a sacrifice of the dead]—the words of Rabbi Akiva.

3. Gentiles

going

to Tarput

to a distant place of idolatry, and an Israelite encounters them on their way, it is forbidden for him to engage in business dealings with them, because we are concerned that the gentile will go and thank his deity for the profits that he earned in his business dealings with the Israelite.

And

those

who come

from there—

are permitted

in business dealings, since this concern no longer exists.

4.

Leather wineskins,

leather vessels of

the idolaters, and their jars,

made of earthenware,

with the wine of an Israelite gathered in them

for a long time—

are forbidden. And their prohibition is a prohibition of benefit—

the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say: The prohibition of these is not

a prohibition of benefit,

but only a prohibition of eating. But to derive other benefits from these things is permitted.

5.

The grape seeds,

the seeds of the grapes,

and the grape skins,

the skins of the grapes

of the idolaters

that remain after they made wine from them,

are forbidden. And their prohibition is a prohibition of benefit—

the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say: If they were

the grape seeds and the grape skins moist, meaning that they are still within twelve months and still contain moisture—

they are forbidden.

But if they were

dry,

for twelve months had already passed over them—

they are permitted.

6.

Fish sauce,

the fat that flows from fish,

and the cheese of Beit Unayki [

the name of the village from which the cheeses came, and other cheeses are not included in this matter]

of the idolaters are forbidden. And their prohibition—

a prohibition of benefit, the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say: Their prohibition is not a prohibition of benefit

but they are forbidden only in eating.

Rabbi Yehuda said: Rabbi Yishmael asked Rabbi Yehoshua when they were walking on the road,

and thus

he said to him,

he asked him:

Why did they prohibit

the Sages who disagree with Rabbi Meir

the cheese of the idolaters

in eating, even though they did not prohibit it in benefit?

He said to him,

Rabbi Yehoshua:

Because they set it

the cheese

with the stomach of an unslaughtered animal,

so that the secretion of the stomach juices would congeal the milk and improve the cheese; for this reason this cheese is forbidden.

He said to him,

Rabbi Yishmael:

But is not the stomach of

a sacrifice

of an elevation-offering more stringent

than

the stomach of an unslaughtered animal?

For an elevation-offering is forbidden in benefit, and if one derives benefit from it, he commits misuse!

Nevertheless,

they said [

and it is not known who said this], that

a koen whose “mind is sound,”

who is not fastidious and is not disgusted or repelled by sucking the stomach,

burns it,

sucks the secretion of the juice gathered inside it [which resembles milk], and swallows it while the stomach is

alive,

and not after they cooked it.

But the Sages did not agree

with the words of the one who permitted sucking the stomach.

But they said,

at the same time they agreed that, on the one hand,

one may not derive benefit,

by rabbinic law, from that juice gathered in the stomach of the elevation-offering, but on the other hand—

one does not commit misuse.

One who transgressed and derived benefit has not committed misuse of a sacrifice, and is not liable to bring a sacrifice for misuse.

He returned and

said to him

Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabbi Yishmael: The reason that these cheeses, which were set with the stomach of an unslaughtered animal, are forbidden is

because they set them with the stomachs of calves of idolatry.

For even the stomach and the excrement gathered inside it are included in the prohibition of the animal.

He said to him,

Rabbi Yishmael:

If so,

if there is concern that they set it with the stomach of calves of idolatry, and because of this they are forbidden in eating,

why did they not prohibit it in benefit,

as is the law of all idolatry?

7.

He diverted

Rabbi Yehoshua transferred Rabbi Yishmael

to

discuss

another matter,

and did not wish to reveal a clear answer to him on this.

And thus

he said to him,

Rabbi Yehoshua:

Yishmael, how do you read

the words of the verse in Song of Songs [1:2]? Do you read

“For your love is better

than wine”

in the masculine form,

or “For your love is better”

in the feminine form?

He said to him,

Rabbi Yishmael: We read it thus:

“For your love is better,”

in the feminine form.

He said to him,

Rabbi Yehoshua:

This is not so, for its companion,

the verse adjacent to it,

teaches concerning it.

As it is stated in the following verse:

“For the fragrance of your oils is good...

therefore maidens love you.” And the expression “maidens love you” must certainly be read in the masculine form.

Gemara:

Wine that they poured as an offering to idolatry is forbidden by Torah law in drinking and in benefit, as the law of an “idolatrous offering.” And the Sages decreed not to drink or derive benefit from all wine of a gentile, even when it is not known that he poured it as an offering to idolatry. This wine is called stam yeinam. As part of this decree, they also decreed concerning the wine of an Israelite that a gentile touched.

And it is not only that the Sages prohibited stam yeinam, but they applied to it all the laws of actual libation wine, as will be explained in the course of the sugya and by the Rishonim. [

Indeed, in our times, when it is not the practice of the gentiles to pour wine as an offering to idolatry, the Rishonim disputed the law of wine touched by a gentile. See the Tur and the Rema, Yoreh Deah 123:1. And the ruling of the Rema there is that when there is a great loss if the wine is prohibited because of the gentile’s touch, one should be lenient and rely on those who permit it].

We learned in our Mishna: These are the things of the gentiles that are forbidden, and their prohibition is a prohibition of benefit—

wine!

The Gemara asks:

From where do we know

that wine is forbidden?

Rabba bar Avuha said:

This matter is learned from that which the verse says [Deuteronomy 32:38]:

“Who would eat the fat of their sacrifices, would drink the wine of their libations.”

And the teaching is as follows:

Just as a sacrifice

of idolatry

is forbidden in benefit, so too wine

of idolatry mentioned later in the verse,

also,

it too

is forbidden in benefit.

And

the sacrifice

of idolatry

itself

itself,

from where do we know

that it is forbidden in benefit?

For it is written,

when David listed in Psalms [106:28] the sins committed by the Children of Israel from the day they left Egypt—

“They joined themselves to Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead.”

The verse teaches:

Just as a dead person is forbidden in benefit,

so too a sacrifice

of idolatry, as was the case there,

also

it too is

forbidden in benefit.

And a dead person itself

itself,

from where do we know

that it is forbidden in benefit?

It is derived,

we learn this through a gezera shava from the words

“there, there,” from the decapitated heifer.

It is written here

with regard to a dead person [Numbers 20:1]

“And Miriam died there.” And it is written there

with regard to the prohibition of benefit from the decapitated heifer [Deuteronomy 21:4]

“And they shall break the heifer’s neck there, in the valley.”

For in these two verses, “there” is stated. And from this gzera shava we learn:

As there

concerning the beheaded heifer,

the matter is forbidden

for benefit,

so here too,

a corpse

also

it too

is forbidden for benefit.

And there, concerning the beheaded heifer,

from where do we know

that it is forbidden for benefit?

The school of Rabbi Yannai said,

in the study hall of Rabbi Yannai:

“Atonement” is written concerning it

concerning the beheaded heifer [Deuteronomy 21:8: “Atone for Your people Israel”]]

like consecrated offerings.

Since it effects atonement like the atonement of consecrated offerings, its law is like that of consecrated offerings, which are forbidden for benefit.

We learned in our Mishna:

And the vinegar of idolaters that was wine at the outset

it too is forbidden.

The Gemara asks:

It is obvious,

it is certainly forbidden! Is it that

because it became vinegar

the wine became sour and became vinegar,

its prohibition has lapsed?

Rav Ashi said:

Indeed, certainly its law is the law of wine and it is forbidden. Rather,

this is what it came to teach us,

this is what the tanna in the Mishna came to teach us, that

vinegar

of ours,

which we deposit

in the hand of an idolater does not need

to be sealed and closed with

a seal within a seal,

with two identifying marks. [Wine that one deposits with a gentile must be sealed and closed with two seals (identifying marks), so that the gentile cannot exchange it for his own wine. If the wine is sealed and closed with two identifying marks, it is difficult for him to counterfeit the Jew’s closure, and he will refrain from opening the barrel].

And the reason that vinegar does not need a seal within a seal like wine is that

if it is on account of libation,

if the concern with wine is that perhaps he poured it as a libation, then there is no such concern with vinegar, since vinegar

is not used for libation.

And if it is on account of exchange,

if the concern is that perhaps the gentile exchanged it for his vinegar, which is inferior to this vinegar, there is no need for concern!

For

since there is

something that is

a seal

that closes the barrel,

he will not trouble himself to counterfeit it.

The gentile will not trouble himself to open the closure of the barrel, remove the vinegar from there, put other vinegar in its place, and counterfeit another seal in order to close and seal the barrel exactly as the Jew did, since exchanging the vinegar does not justify so much trouble!

Rabbi Ilaa said: We learned—

cooked wine

of idolaters that was wine at the outset

is forbidden!

And the Gemara was astonished:

It is obvious,

it is certainly forbidden.

Is it that because it was cooked,

this wine was cooked,

its prohibition has lapsed

its prohibition lapsed?

Rav Ashi said:

Indeed, certainly the law of wine cooked by a gentile is like the law of all wine, and it is forbidden.

And

this is what it came to teach us,

and this is what the tanna of the Mishna came to teach us, that

our cooked wine,

which we deposited

in the hand of idolaters does not need

to be sealed with

a seal within a seal,

and it does not become forbidden for benefit through its being in the domain of the gentile.

And the reason for this is:

if

the concern is

on account of libation,

that perhaps the gentile will pour it as a libation, there is no need for concern, because cooked wine

is not used for libation.

And for this reason it does not become forbidden through a gentile’s touching it.