Avodah Zarah 8a (ח.) — the Talmud in English

Rabbi Yehoshua held: We derive this

—we learn from the conduct of

Moses

to arrange the praise of the Omnipresent first. Therefore, he holds that a person asks for his needs only after he has recited the Eighteen Benedictions—

whereas

Rabbi Eliezer held: We do not derive this from Moses, because Moses is different:

he is different,

for his stature was exceedingly great,

the greatness of his deeds and his wisdom were immense, and it was fitting for him to offer praise beforehand and to give precedence to praising the King of kings. But when another person does so, it appears as arrogance [“it appears to be presumptuous”].

Therefore, Rabbi Eliezer holds that a person should first ask for his needs, and afterward pray.

These are the statements of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua.

Whereas

the Sages say: It is not as either one of these said,

neither before the prayer nor after the prayer.

Rather, a person asks for his needs

within the prayer, in the blessing

Who hears prayer.

And they are the “great cedars,” whose ruling we follow.

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: The halakha

has been decided:

A person asks for his needs in Who hears prayer,

in accordance with the view of the Sages.

Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheila, said in the name of Rav: Even though they said that a person asks for his needs in Who hears prayer,

that applies specifically to his other needs.

But if he wishes to say at the conclusion of each and every blessing something resembling

a request similar

to each and every blessing, he may say it.

For example, if he had forgotten his learning, he may ask to remember it [in whatever wording he wishes] in the blessing “You graciously grant knowledge”; and if he is a penitent, he may lengthen his request in “Restore us.” And similarly in each and every blessing.

Rav Hiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: Even though they said that a person asks for his needs in Who hears prayer, if he has a sick person in his home, he says

his supplication

in the blessing

“Heal us,” which is the blessing of

the sick.

And if he requires a livelihood, he says it in the blessing

“Bless

the years.”

And similarly in each and every blessing.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even though they said that a person asks

his other

needs in Who hears prayer, and not within the prayer, that applies specifically within the prayer.

But if he wishes to say it after his prayer,

But if he wishes to say it after his prayer, even

an extended prayer

like the order of Yom Kippur, he may say it.

Mishna:

After we learned the prohibition against buying and selling before their festivals, the Mishna comes to teach us which are the festivals of the gentiles that the gentiles observed in the days of the Sages of the Mishna.

The Mishna also explains which of them are prohibited for the three days preceding them, and which are prohibited only on that day.

And these

are

the festivals of the idolaters

before which business dealings are prohibited for three days:

Kalenda, Saturnalia, and Kratesis [they are explained in the Gemara ], and

are explained in the Gemara ],

the day of the genusia of kings,

the day of the king’s coronation, on which the gentiles observe a festival every year;

and the day of his birth,

the king’s birthday, every year;

and the day of his death,

the day of the previous king’s death, on which the gentiles observe a festival of idol worship every year during the days of his son [the reading of the Bach in Rashi: “throughout all the days of his mourning”],

the words of Rabbi Meir.

But the Sages disagree with Rabbi Meir, who stated “the day of death” without distinction:

And the Sages say: Any death

of a king

that involves burning,

when the vessels used by the king were burned for him, as was customary among kings,

involves idol worship,

and business dealings are prohibited.

But

a death

that does not involve burning—

does not involve idol worship.

Until this point, the discussion concerns festivals common to all the inhabitants of the country.

The Mishna now explains the private festivals of each individual, on which it is prohibited to buy and sell with that individual on that day.

But

a private festival that is

the day of shaving his beard,

each gentile on his own day, and likewise the day of shaving

his lock of hair,

because when a gentile has his hair cut, he often leaves a lock at the back of his head and shaves it from year to year, and on this day he makes a festival of it;

and

likewise

the day on which he emerged from the sea, and the day on which he was released from prison,

on which days he offers sacrifices in gratitude for his rescue;

and an idolater who makes a feast

for the marriage

of his son.

On all these private festival days,

business dealings are not prohibited

with them

except on that day,

and not for the three days preceding it, because these are not sufficiently important festivals.

And

business dealings are likewise prohibited only with

that individual alone.

Gemara:

The Gemara explains the two festivals, “Kalenda and Saturnalia”: when they occur and for what reason the gentiles established them as festival days.

Rav Hanan bar Rava said: “Kalenda”

is

eight

consecutive days

after the solstice—

the winter solstice; and

“Saturnalia”

is

eight days before the solstice.

And

the following verse

is your mnemonic,

so that one should not err and say that Kalenda is before the solstice, since it is mentioned first in the Mishna:

It is stated in the book of Psalms [139]:

“You have fashioned me behind and before,”

and in this verse, too, the later item is mentioned first.

The Sages taught: When Adam, the first man, saw

from Tishrei, in which he was created, until Tevet, the

day progressively diminishing, he said: “Woe is me! Perhaps because I sinned—

I sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge—

the world is becoming dark for me, and

the world

is returning to chaos and disorder, and this is the death that was decreed upon me from Heaven.”

Therefore, he

arose,

imposing this upon himself,

and observed an eight-day fast

and prayer.

When he saw the winter solstice, and saw

the

day progressively lengthening, he said: “This is the way of the world!” He went and observed eight festival days.

The following year, he made both these and those

—the days before the solstice and those after the solstice—

festival days.

He,

Adam, the first man,

established them for the sake of Heaven

to give thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He.

But they,

the idolaters,

established them for the sake of idol worship.

The Gemara asks:

Granted,

this exposition is understandable

according to

the opinion of

the one who says that the world was created in Tishrei,

for at first

he saw the short days,

he saw the days that were short and becoming progressively shorter, but

the long days he had not yet seen,

as he had not yet seen the days becoming longer and longer.

But according to

the opinion of

the one who says that the world was created in Nisan,

this is difficult:

he had already seen it,

for he had already seen

the short days,

the short days during the period of Nisan,

and the long days,

the long days during the period of Tammuz. He should therefore have known that this was the way of the world; why, then, did he think that the world was becoming dark for him?

And we answer: Although he had seen short days during the period of Nisan,

those were

not so very short,

as short as during the period of Tevet.

He had not seen

that. Therefore, he thought that the world was becoming dark for him.

The Gemara cites a beraita that says that even on the first day of his creation, Adam thought that the sun was setting because of his sin.

The Sages taught: On the day on which Adam, the first man, was created, when

the sun set upon him,

at sunset,

he said: “Woe is me! Because I sinned—

the world is becoming dark for me, and the world will return to chaos and disorder, and this is the death that was decreed upon me from Heaven.”

Therefore,

he sat

in fasting

and wept throughout the entire night, and Eve

his wife

wept opposite him.

When dawn rose, he said: “This is the way of the world!”

for the Holy One, blessed be He, rolls light before darkness and darkness before light—

he arose and offered a bull

that had been created during the six days of Creation,

whose horns preceded its hooves.

That is, every bull is born with its hooves, and its horns grow afterward. This bull, however, was created fully formed, in its completed state. Since its head emerged from the earth first, it follows that its horns were created before its hooves—

as it is stated

[Psalms 69]; King David said: “I will praise the name of God with song, and I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

And it shall be more pleasing to the Lord than a bullock, a bull with horns and hooves.”

That is, my thanksgiving to the Lord will be more pleasing than the offering of Adam, the first man, for that bull was created fully formed, like a three-year-old bullock. And so it says first, “with horns,” and afterward, “with hooves.”

The Gemara offers another exposition of the verse, “And it shall be more pleasing to the Lord than a bullock, a bull with horns and hooves.”

What is the meaning of

“with horns”?

And

according to the reading of the Bach,

he said:

Rav Yehuda said

in the name of Shmuel: The bull that Adam, the first man, offered had one horn

for him

in its forehead. As it is stated: “And it shall be more pleasing to the Lord than a bullock, a bull with horns and hooves.”

And we expound “with horns” in the singular, to indicate that it had only one horn.

The Gemara objects: But

“with horns” implies two,

as it is a plural expression!

The Gemara answers:

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: “With a horn” is written,

for although the vocalized reading is with a yod, nevertheless, the written form is without a yod, and it can be read mekeren, “with a horn,” implying one horn.

The Gemara now discusses the towns near Rome, which were subjugated to it and brought it tribute, but did not observe its festivals, asking whether they were prohibited along with the inhabitants of Rome.

The reason to prohibit them, although they did not observe its festivals, would be the concern that the items they purchased might be brought to Rome, where the Romans would offer them. The reason not to prohibit them would be that they themselves did not offer sacrifices.

Rav Mattana said

according to another version,

he asked:

Rome

observed Kalenda, and all the towns adjacent to it were subjugated to it—

are those towns prohibited or permitted?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Kalenda—

is prohibited to everyone,

including the adjacent towns.

Rabbi Yohanan said: It is prohibited only to those who worship it,

the inhabitants of Rome,

alone.

It was taught in a beraita in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yohanan: Although they said that Rome observed Kalenda, and all the towns adjacent to it were subjugated to it—

it itself,

the very object of the prohibition,

is prohibited only to those who worship it alone.

The beraita continues [and this will be explained later in the Gemara]:

Saturnalia

[a variant of Saturnalia]

and Kratesis,

and the genusia of their kings, and the day on which a king was crowned—

before it, business dealings are prohibited; after it, they are permitted.

And an idolater who made a feast

for a wedding

for his son,

and worships his idol on that day—

business dealings are prohibited only on that day and only with that individual.

Rav Ashi supports Rabbi Yohanan, who holds that the subjugated towns are permitted.

Rav Ashi said: We, too, have learned this,

as we have learned in our Mishna in accordance with Rabbi Yohanan.

And Rav Ashi proves:

as it teaches

in our Mishna:

“the day of his beard and forelock being shaved, the day on which he emerged from the sea, and the day on which he left prison” [

Bach’s version:

“and a gentile who made a banquet for his son” ] —

“one is prohibited only on that day and with regard to that man.”

And Rav Ashi infers:

Granted,

what they said,

“that day,”

means

to exclude the days before and after it,

on which the prohibition does not apply.

But,

what they said,

“that man,”

is obvious! Why would another person who neither shaved nor made a banquet for his son be prohibited? If so,

to exclude what

does the phrase “that man alone” come?

Is it

no, to exclude his subjects,

the people subjugated to that man, who celebrates a festival for the shaving of his hair or the like? For it might have been thought that his subjects should also be prohibited, because of the concern that they would bring gifts to him and he would offer them to idols. Therefore, the Mishna teaches us that the Sages did not prohibit his subjects.

This proves

support for the statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan, that the subjects are not prohibited.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yishmael says: Jews who live outside Eretz Yisrael —

are idolaters in a state of ritual purity.

That is, they serve idolatry unintentionally and do not pay attention to the matter —

How so? —

A gentile who made a banquet for his son and invited

the

entire Jewish population of his city, even though

they eat their own food and drink their own beverages,

and do not defile themselves with gentile refuse or yayin nesekh,

and their attendant

the Jews’

stands before them

and serves them, nevertheless

the verse considers them

as

though they had eaten from “sacrifices of the dead,”

the offerings brought to idols.

As it is stated

[Exodus 34]: “Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land, and they stray after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods.

And he will invite you, and you will eat from his sacrifice.”

And we raise an objection:

But perhaps

one is not called to have eaten “sacrifices of the dead”

until he eats

actual offerings brought to idolatry. But if he eats his own food, Jewish food, the Torah does not call him “and you will eat from his sacrifice,” despite his eating at the gentile’s banquet?

And we answer:

Rava said: If so,

according to your argument, that the Torah was concerned only with eating the gentiles’ sacrifices,

let the verse say

that it would have sufficed for the Torah to say

“and you will eat from his sacrifice” —

what,

why did the Torah say,

“and he will invite you”?

Rather, the verse comes to teach us that

from the moment of the invitation

the verse considers it as though the gentile sacrifices to idolatry, and the Jew who responds to his invitation and joins him at the banquet is considered to have eaten from his sacrifices, even though he eats Jewish food.