Study Avodah Zarah folio 69B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
בבא להם דרך עקלתון. אי הכי, סיפא נמי? כיון דאמר להם ״לכו ואני בא אחריכם״, סמכא דעתייהו.
It is a case where he came to them in a roundabout way, such that they would not know from where he might appear, and they would be afraid to tamper with the goods because he might catch them in the act. The Talmud objects: If that is so, this can apply to the latter clause also. The Talmud answers: In the case of the latter clause, since he said to them: Go and I will come after you, their minds are at ease that he will not surprise them.
המניח נכרי בחנותו כו׳. המניח יינו בקרון או בספינה כו׳. וצריכא, דאי תנא נכרי — דסבר: דלמא אתי וחזי ליה, אבל בקרון או בספינה — אימא דמפליג לה לספינתיה ועביד מאי דבעי.
§ The Mishnah teaches similar cases, including the case of one who left a non-Jew in his shop, and the case of one who placed his wine in a wagon or on a ship. The Talmud explains: And it is necessary for the Mishnah to cite all these cases, even though they appear similar, as, had the Mishnah taught only the case of the non-Jew transporting a Jew’s jugs, one might assume that the reason there is no concern that the non-Jew used the wine in that case is because he thinks that perhaps the owner will come and see him. But in a wagon or on a ship, one might say that he can take his ship far off and do what he desires in such a way that the owner cannot see him.
ואי תנא בקרון או בספינה, משום דסבר: דלמא אתי באורחא אחריתי וקאי אגודא וחזי לי, אבל נכרי בחנותו אימא: אחיד לה לבבא ועביד כל דבעי, קא משמע לן.
And had the Mishnah taught only the case where the Jew placed his wine in a wagon or on a ship, one might assume that the concern there is because the non-Jew thinks: Perhaps he will come on a different road or stand on the bank of the river and see me. But in the case of a non-Jew in his shop, one might say that he can hold the door closed and do whatever he desires with no concern of being seen. Therefore, the Mishnah teaches us that in all of these cases the same ruling applies, and there is no concern unless the Jew informed the non-Jew that he is going a great distance away.