Study Avodah Zarah folio 25B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אלא בתלתא. דכוותה גבי ישראל, בפרוצים מי שרי? והתנן: ״אבל אשה אחת מתייחדת עם שני אנשים״, ואמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל: לא שנו אלא בכשרים, אבל בפרוצים אפילו עשרה נמי לא. מעשה היה והוציאוה עשרה במטה!
Rather, the Mishnah is referring to a case in which a woman secludes herself with 3 non-Jews. The Talmud asks: Is this permitted in the corresponding situation involving Jews steeped in sexual immorality? But didn’t we learn in a Mishnah (Kiddushin 80b): But one woman may be secluded with two men; and Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: They taught this halakha only with regard to men of fit morals; but with regard to those steeped in sexual immorality, she may not be secluded even with 10 men. There was an incident where 10 men carried a woman out of the city on a bier, as though she were dead, and they had sex with her.
לא, צריכא באשתו עמו. גוי אין אשתו משמרתו, אבל ישראל אשתו משמרתו.
The Talmud answers: No, the ruling of the Mishnah here is necessary in a case where the non-Jew’s wife is with him. The difference between the two rulings is that in the case of a non-Jew, it is assumed that his wife does not guard him against sinning with another, but with regard to a Jew, his wife does guard him against sinning with another.
ותיפוק ליה משום שפיכות דמים! אמר רבי ירמיה: באשה חשובה עסקינן, דמירתתי מינה. רב אידי אמר: אשה כלי זיינה עליה.
§ The Mishnah teaches that a woman may not seclude herself with a non-Jew due to the concern that they might engage in illicit sex. The Talmud challenges: And let us derive that a woman may not seclude herself with a non-Jew due to the concern about murder. The Talmud cites two responses. R' Yirmeya says: We are dealing with a distinguished woman, whom non-Jews will not kill, as they are fearful of her status. Nevertheless, there is a concern with regard to illicit sex. Rav Idi bar Avin says: A woman carries her weapons upon her. In other words, there is no need to be concerned that a woman might be killed by non-Jews; rather, the very fact that she is a woman protects her, as they would most likely rape her and not kill her.