Avodah Zarah 76b — the Talmud in English

Ta shma: concerning that cauldron

that same cauldron

that was

which was

in

in the house of

Rav Akavya,

and Rav Akavya wished to kasher it by boiling

he turned it around

and attached to it

a lump of dough around the mouth

a mass of dough around the mouth of the cauldron,

and filled it with water and boiled it

and filled it with water and boiled it, so that through the dough the water was absorbed into it and rose up to its rim.

Rava said: Who is wise enough to do such a thing

who is the wise man who does something like this, in finding a solution for kashering the cauldron,

if not

if not a man like

Rav Akavya, for he is a great man.

He held

Rav Akavya held that the manner of kashering the vessel is

as it absorbs

in the manner of its absorption,

so it expels

the prohibition. And

what

the rim of the vessel

absorbs in splashes

in sprays of drops of water that splashed onto its rim,

it likewise expels in splashes.

And by coating the rim of the cauldron with dough, he causes boiling water to be on the rim of the cauldron.

We learned in our Mishna:

the knife, he scrapes

he files and sharpens it —

and it is pure.

Rav Ukva bar Hama said: And he should thrust it ten

times into the ground,

even though he filed it.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said: And in ground that is not worked

that is, ground that has not yet been worked and plowed, and is still hard.

Rav Kahana said: And

this kashering is specifically

with a fine knife

and a smooth one,

in which there are no cavities

and therefore the rubbing against the ground is uniform and removes all the grease of the prohibition that adhered to the knife.

It was taught likewise: A fine knife in which there are no cavities, he thrusts it ten times into the ground.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said:

this kashering is effective only so that they may

eat cold food with it.

But if he wishes to use it for something hot, he requires kashering with boiling water and in a first vessel.

Like this

and as was the incident

of Mar Yehuda and Bati bar Tovi, who were sitting before

who were sitting before

King Shapur

Shapur the king.

They brought an etrog before them

they brought an etrog before them.

He cut and ate

the king cut from the etrog and ate.

He cut and gave it

he cut and gave

to Bati bar Tovi.

Afterward he thrust it ten times into the ground

the king again thrust the knife ten times into the ground, afterward

he cut

he cut from the etrog, and

gave it

and gave it

to Mar Yehuda.

Bati bar Tovi said to him

to the king:

And is that man not a son of Israel

and am I not Jewish and do I not need to eat with a kosher knife, and why does the king act this way only toward Mar Yehuda?

He said to him

the king said to him:

Master [

Mar Yehuda],

I know him

I know him to be meticulous concerning mitzvot, and therefore I am particular not to feed him something prohibited.

And

but if

master,

you,

I do not know you

I do not know you as someone who is indeed particular about such matters. Therefore I did not take care to kasher the knife for you.

Some say: He said to him

the king said to Bati bar Tovi:

Remember what you did last night!

remember what you did at night.

For it was the custom of the Persians that they would hand women over to lodging guests. And since this was so, the king sent a woman to Bati bar Tovi at night, and he accepted her. But Mar Yehuda did not accept her.

And therefore the king said to him, “Remember what you did at night,” and you should not raise an objection concerning the kashrut of the knife.

We will return to you, chapter The One Who Hires the Worker and the tractate Avoda Zara is concluded