Avodah Zarah 31b — the Talmud in English

And they raised an objection,

for seemingly there is a contradiction to this ruling, for we learned in the Tosefta:

one who sends a barrel of wine by the hand of a Samaritan, and

a barrel

of fish-brine

[the liquid that flows from pickled fish],

and of muryas

[a food made from fish fat]

by the hand of an idolater,

their law is as follows:

if

the Israelite

recognizes

its

seal and its closure,

the form of its sealing, and knows that it was not opened along the way

it is permitted.

But

if not

it is forbidden.

And from the fact that the wine in the hand of the Samaritan is forbidden, it follows that he is not particular about an idolater’s contact. And it is demonstrated that this is not in accordance with the earlier beraita, which says that the Samaritan is particular about an idolater’s contact?!

Rabbi Zeira said: It is not difficult.

Here, in the city,

the Samaritan is particular, because he is concerned that people will see the idolater’s contact and will not buy his wine.

But

here

it is speaking

on the road,

where no person sees. Therefore it is forbidden to take it from him.

Rabbi Yirmeya raised an objection to this: Are those of the city not brought along the road? [Are those who are in the city not brought along the road?] And if so, their law should be like that of the wines on the road?!

[Do those who are in the city not arrive by road as well?] If so, their law should be the same as that of the wines located on the road.

Rather, Rabbi Yirmeya said:

Even the wines in the city are subject to concern and are forbidden. But the permission concerning sealed barrels

between the winepresses

[the place where grapes are trodden]

is what we learned,

that it is permitted to take from the Samaritan.

And the reason is:

since everyone is present at the winepresses,

everyone is found there at the place of treading,

he is afraid

the Samaritan fears allowing an idolater to touch the wine. Since

he says

the Samaritan:

Now, if they see me,

now, if they see that I am allowing idolaters to touch the wine, they will not buy from me,

they will cause me a loss,

they will cause me a loss.

It was stated: For what reason did they forbid

the beer of idolaters?

Rami bar Hama said in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak: Because of intermarriage.

So that he should not accustom himself to drinking with idolaters, for through his great familiarity with them he will set his eyes upon their daughters, and they will come to intermarriage.

Rav Nahman said:

The reason that their beer is forbidden is

because of exposure,

because their beverages are exposed. And as we learned: An exposed beverage is forbidden.

The Gemara asks:

Exposure

of what?

To what are we concerned that it was exposed?

If you say

if we say that the concern is

exposure of the vat

[the vat in which the beer is made before they transfer it to barrels], then

we too expose them.

We too expose these vats and leave them exposed, and we are not concerned, since the snake does not drink beer.

But rather,

what shall we say: that they do not drink the beer of idolaters because of

exposure of the barrel,

for they expose the barrels in which they store the beer? Then

we too expose them,

we too expose them, and if so, why is specifically the beer of idolaters forbidden?

The Gemara answers:

It is not necessary;

indeed, the drinking of beer was forbidden only

in a place where they let water settle.

In a place where they would leave the water from which they would later make the beer for a long time in a vessel, so that all the sediment in the water would settle and the water would become clear.

And in this manner there is concern that the snake drank from this water, which had been exposed; therefore this beer is forbidden to drink.

The Gemara asks:

But from now,

if indeed the prohibition is only when they put into the beer water that had become clear, and we are concerned that perhaps the snake drank from it

old beer should be permitted,

let us permit drinking an old beverage.

For Rabbi said:

A beverage that is

old is permitted.

Because if there were snake venom in it, then this venom

does not allow it to age,

to grow old and remain in its state, but it would spoil.

And likewise, if it was new wine that was exposed and

it fermented

it is permitted

to drink it. Since certainly no snake drank from it and injected its venom into it, because if there were venom in this water, then the venom

would not allow it to ferment.

And if so, why was it not permitted?

The Gemara answers:

A decree:

They decree and forbid an

old

beverage

because of

a new beverage, so that people should not err and permit even a new beverage that was exposed.

Rav Pappa would have it brought out to the entrance of the shop,

the idolaters would bring his beer out to the entrance of the shop,

and he drank,

and he would drink it. And likewise

Rav Ahai would have it brought to his home,

they would bring his beer to his home,

and he drank,

he would drink it.

And both of them

held that the prohibition against drinking from idolaters is

because of intermarriage.

[But not because of the prohibition of exposure, since if so, it would have been forbidden for them to drink it everywhere.]

And for this reason, Rav Pappa and Rav Ahai did not drink at the idolaters’ shops, but distanced themselves from them.

Rav Ahai practiced

he practiced

an additional distancing

[an excessive one], and drank only at home. Whereas Rav Pappa distanced himself by drinking only at the entrance of the shop.

Rav Shmuel bar Bisna happened to come

to a place called

Marguan,

and the Israelites in that place were not careful concerning wine that idolaters had touched.

They brought him

they brought before him

wine

wine

, and he did not drink

he did not drink.

They brought him

they brought before him

beer

beer,

and he did not

drink

he did not drink.

And the Gemara discussed this:

Granted, wine

it is clear to us why he did not drink from the wine

because he would find

a concern that perhaps it was wine of libation. However,

beer

beer,

because of what

because of what did he not drink?

The answer:

Because of a concern upon a concern

[a concern on top of a concern]; he decreed not to drink their beer, so that they would be careful and would not come at all to drink their wine.

Rav said: This beer

this beer

of the Arameans

of idolaters

is permitted.

It is permitted. However,

and Hiyya, my son,

my son -

should not drink from it,

he should not drink from them.

And this is difficult:

Whichever way you look at it, if it is permitted for everyone,

if the matter is permitted for everyone

it is permitted,

and it is permitted even for Hiyya.

And if it is forbidden for everyone,

even for Hiyya

it is forbidden.

And how is it possible to permit it for everyone and forbid it for him?

Rather, Rav held

that there is concern in the beer of idolaters

because of exposure,

lest it was exposed, and the snake drank from it and injected its venom into it. Nevertheless, it is permitted for people who are physically healthy to drink it, because

the bitterness of the hops goes away and burns its poison.

The bitterness of the beer goes and burns the venom, although a little of the venom’s force remains in the beer. Therefore there is no danger in drinking it for healthy people, but

and it affects one who is afflicted more,

for one whose body is afflicted and who is ill, the remainder of the venom can harm him.

And Hiyya, my son,

my son,

since he is afflicted,

he is ill,

should not drink from it,

he should not drink from the beer of idolaters.

Shmuel said: All creeping creatures have venom.

But they differ from one another: the venom

of a snake kills,

whereas the venom

of creeping creatures does not kill.

Shmuel said to Hiyya bar Rav: Son of a lion, come and I shall tell you an excellent matter.

Son of a lion [that is, you are the son of a great man], come, and I shall tell you an excellent matter,

which your father Rav used to say,

which your father Rav used to say.

Thus your father said,

this is what your father said:

These Arameans, swollen ones, who would drink exposed [water] and did not die,

those idolaters swollen because they would drink exposed water containing snake venom, and they did not die from it—the reason for the matter is

since they ate creeping things and crawling creatures, their bodies became heated,

since they ate creeping things and crawling creatures, their bodies became heated, and the heat of their bodies weakened the force of the snake’s venom.