Study Avodah Zarah folio 36A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
זליפתן של כלים טמאים אוסרתן. אטו כולי עלמא אוכלי טהרות נינהו? אלא, זליפתן של כלים אסורין אוסרתן.
The secretion of ritually impure vessels prohibits the oil that non-Jews pour into them. The Talmud asks: Is that to say that all people are consumers of only ritually pure substances? Since it is common practice to eat ritually impure foods, why should the secretion of impure vessels render the oil prohibited? The Talmud emends Shmuel’s statement: Rather, the secretion of prohibited vessels prohibits the oil, as it absorbs the prohibited substances.
אמר ליה שמואל לרב: בשלמא לדידי דאמינא זליפתן של כלים אסורין אוסרתן, היינו דכי אתא רב יצחק בר שמואל בר מרתא ואמר: דריש רבי שמלאי בנציבין: שמן, רבי יהודה ובית דינו נמנו עליו והתירוהו.
Shmuel said to Rav: Granted, according to my opinion, as I say that the secretion of prohibited vessels prohibits the oil, this is how one can understand that when Rav Yitzḥak bar Shmuel bar Marta came, he said that R' Simlai taught in Netzivin: With regard to oil, R' Yehuda HaNasi and his court were counted, i.e., voted, on this matter and permitted it.
קסבר: נותן טעם לפגם — מותר.
Shmuel elaborates: It can be explained that R' Yehuda HaNasi holds: A prohibited substance that imparts flavor to the detriment of the mixture is permitted. According to Shmuel’s explanation, the prohibition was revoked because the taste absorbed by the oil would have impaired its flavor rather than enhanced it.
אלא לדידך דאמרת דניאל גזר עליו, דניאל גזר ואתא רבי יהודה הנשיא ומבטל ליה? והתנן: אין בית דין יכול לבטל דברי בית דין חבירו, אלא אם כן גדול הימנו בחכמה ובמנין!
But according to you, Rav, who said that Daniel decreed a prohibition upon the oil of non-Jews, how can this be understood? Can it be said that Daniel decreed it, and R' Yehuda HaNasi came and voided the decree? But didn’t we learn in a Mishnah (Eduyyot 1:5): A court cannot void the statements of another court, unless it is greater than it in wisdom and in number? According to Rav, how could R' Yehuda HaNasi void a decree issued by Daniel?