Study Avodah Zarah folio 57A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
דאי משכחנא תנא דאסר כרבי נתן, אוסריניה אפילו בהנאה. דתניא: מדדו, בין ביד בין ברגל — ימכר. רבי נתן אומר: ביד — אסור, ברגל — מותר.
I should delay my ruling, as if I find a tanna who prohibits the wine in accordance with the opinion of R' Natan, I will prohibit even deriving benefit from it; this is difficult. R' Natan prohibits one from deriving benefit from wine that was touched by a non-Jew, as it is taught in a baraita: If a non-Jew measured a Jew’s wine, whether he measured it with his hand or with his foot, it may be sold. R' Natan says: If he measured it with his hand it is prohibited, but if he measured it with his foot it is permitted.
אימר דאמר רבי נתן ביד, ברגל מי אמר? אלא דאי משכחנא תנא דשרי כרבי שמעון, אישרייה אפילו בשתייה.
The Talmud explains why the suggestion that Shmuel delayed his ruling because of the opinion of R' Natan is difficult: Say that R' Natan said that the wine is forbidden when the non-Jew measured it with his hand. Did he say that the wine is forbidden if he measured it with his foot? Rather, Shmuel delayed ruling on the matter because he thought to himself: If I find another tanna who permits the wine in accordance with the opinion of R' Shimon, who holds that if a non-Jew touches wine without intending to render it a libation, it is permitted, I will permit the wine even for drinking.
There was a certain incident in Biram that occurred as follows: There was a certain non-Jew who was climbing a palm tree and he brought down with him a palm branch. While he was descending from the tree he unintentionally touched some wine with the tip of the palm branch. Rav permitted the owners to sell the wine to non-Jews.