Study Avodah Zarah folio 14B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
לא סתמן צריכא למימר דמזבנינן, ולא פירושן צריכא למימר דלא מזבנינן, אלא סתמן — דקאמר חיטי, פירושן — דקאמר חוורתא.
It does not need to be said that when he asks for the item without specification one may sell white wheat to him, and it does not need to be said that when he asks for it with specification one may not sell it to him, as he expressly stated that he will use it for idol worship. Rather, when the Mishnah says that he asks without specification, this is referring to a case where the non-Jew says that he wishes to buy wheat, in which case it is permitted to sell to him. If so, the case when he asks with specification is one where he says that he wants white wheat, which is an item used in idol worship, and the Mishnah teaches that it is prohibited to sell this to him.
מכלל דתרנגול, אפילו סתמן נמי לא! אמרי: לעולם סתמן — דקאמר חיטי חוורתא, פירושן — דקאמר לעבודה זרה.
By inference, this means that in the case of a rooster, referred to earlier in the Mishnah, even if the non-Jew requests without specification, i.e., without saying that he wants a white one, it is not permitted to sell it to him. This conclusion contradicts the opinion of R' Zeira. The Talmud rejects this argument: Say in response that actually, without specification is referring to a case where the non-Jew says that he wants to purchase white wheat, and with specification is referring to a case where he says that he needs it for idol worship.
ופירושן אצטריכא ליה, סלקא דעתך אמינא: האי גברא לאו לעבודה זרה קא בעי, אלא מיבק הוא דאביק בעבודה זרה, וסבר: כי היכי דההוא גברא אביק ביה, כולי עלמא נמי אביקו, אימא הכי כי היכי דליתבו לי, קא משמע לן.
And as for the objection that this ruling is superfluous, in fact it is necessary for the Mishnah to state the halakha in a case where he specified that he would use the item for idol worship. The Talmud elaborates: It might enter your mind to say that this man does not really need the wheat for his idol worship. Rather, he is deeply attached to idol worship, and he thought that just as that man, i.e., he himself, is so attached to it, everyone else is also attached to idol worship. Therefore, he reasoned: I will say this, that I intend to use the item for idol worship, so that they will give it to me. Consequently, it is necessary for the Mishnah to teach us that if he says that he intends to use the item for idol worship it is prohibited to sell it to him, as he might be telling the truth.