Study Avodah Zarah folio 59B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ובדודורין, אף על פי שהיין מזלף עליהן — מותר. אמר ליה: ״הביא״ קאמרת? אנא לכתחלה קאמינא!
and in small jugs, even though the grapes are squashed in the process and the wine, i.e., the juice, sprays onto the grapes, nevertheless they are permitted. Rav Kahana said to Rav Yeimar: Are you saying that this is the halakha where the non-Jew already brought the grapes? The baraita is discussing whether the grapes are prohibited after the fact, whereas I am saying that one should not permit a non-Jew to bring the grapes ab initio.
ההוא אתרוגא דנפל לחביתא דחמרא, אידרי גוי ושקליה. אמר להו רב אשי: נקטוה לידיה כי היכי דלא לשכשיך ביה, וברצוה עד דשייפא.
The Talmud relates: There was a certain etrog that fell into a jug of wine. A non-Jew jumped up to take it out of the jug, thereby unintentionally touching the wine. Rav Ashi said to the people standing there: Hold his hand still, so that he does not stir the wine and render it prohibited, and tip the jug until the wine is drained into another vessel, and then he may take the etrog.
אמר רב אשי: האי גוי דנסכיה לחמרא דישראל בכוונה, אף על גב דלזבוניה לגוי אחרינא אסור, שרי ליה למישקל דמיה מההוא גוי. מאי טעמא? מיקלא קלייה.
§ Rav Ashi says: In the case of this non-Jew who intentionally poured a Jew’s wine as a libation in order to render it prohibited, even though it is prohibited to sell it to another non-Jew, as one may not derive benefit from it, nevertheless, it is permitted for him to collect its monetary value from that non-Jew. What is the reason for this? It is considered as though the non-Jew burned the wine and destroyed it, and he is required to pay for the damage.
אמר רב אשי: מנא אמינא לה? דתניא: גוי שנסך יינו של ישראל שלא בפני עבודה זרה — אסור, ורבי יהודה בן בבא ורבי יהודה בן בתירא מתירין משום שני דברים: אחד — שאין מנסכין יין אלא בפני עבודה זרה, ואחד — שאומר לו: לא כל הימנך שתאסור ייני לאונסי.
Rav Ashi says: From where do I say that this is the halakha? This halakha is derived as it is taught in a baraita: In the case of a non-Jew who poured a Jew’s wine as an idolatrous libation but not before an object of idol worship, the wine is prohibited, but R' Yehuda ben Bava and R' Yehuda ben Beteira deem it permitted due to two factors: One is that idol worshippers pour wine as an idolatrous libation only before an object of idol worship. And the other one is that the Jew says to the non-Jew: It is not in your power to render my wine prohibited against my will. Rav Ashi rules in accordance with the opinion of the first tanna. Nevertheless, he derives from the reasoning of R' Yehuda ben Bava and R' Yehuda ben Beteira that one may collect compensation from the non-Jew, whose actions were against the will of the owner.