Study Avodah Zarah folio 7B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
בפרהסיא — אין מקבלין אותן. רבי שמעון ורבי יהושע בן קרחה אומרים: בין כך ובין כך מקבלין, שנאמר: ״שובו בנים שובבים״. אמר רבי יצחק איש כפר עכו אמר רבי יוחנן: הלכתא כאותו הזוג.
But if they performed their sins in public, society does not accept them. R' Shimon and R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa say: Both in this case, where they sinned in private, and in that case, where they sinned in public, society accepts them, as it is stated: “Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings” (Jeremiah 3:22). R' Yitzḥak of the village of Akko says that R' Yoḥanan says: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of that pair, R' Shimon and R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa, i.e., penitents are accepted, regardless of whether they sinned in public or in private.
מתני׳ רבי ישמעאל אומר: שלשה לפניהם ושלשה לאחריהם — אסור, וחכמים אומרים: לפני אידיהן — אסור, לאחר אידיהן — מותר.
Mishnah: R' Yishmael says: On the 3 days before the festivals of non-Jews and on the 3 days after them, it is prohibited to engage in business with those non-Jews. And the Rabbis say: It is prohibited to engage in business with them before their festivals, but it is permitted to engage in business with them after their festivals.
גמ׳ אמר רב תחליפא בר אבדימי אמר שמואל: נוצרי, לדברי רבי ישמעאל לעולם אסור.
Talmud: Rav Taḥlifa bar Avdimi says that Shmuel says: With regard to a Christian, according to the statement of R' Yishmael it is always prohibited for a Jew to engage in business with him. Since his festival takes place every Sunday and the 3 days before and after Sunday constitute the entire week, one cannot engage in business with a Christian on any day of the week.
וחכמים אומרים: לפני אידיהן אסור, לאחר אידיהן מותר כו׳. חכמים היינו תנא קמא! הן בלא אידיהן איכא בינייהו, תנא קמא סבר: הן בלא אידיהן, ורבנן בתראי סברי: הן ואידיהן.
The Mishnah teaches: And the Rabbis say: It is prohibited to engage in business with them before their festivals, but it is permitted to engage in business with them after their festivals. The Talmud raises a difficulty: The statement of the Rabbis is identical to the statement of the first tanna in the Mishnah on 2a, who said that it is prohibited to engage in business with non-Jews during the 3 days before their festival. The Talmud answers: The difference between them is with regard to the question of whether the 3 days includes only them, i.e., the 3 days, without their festival, or if the festival is counted as one of the 3 days. The first tanna holds that the 3 days is referring to them, the days preceding the festival, without their festivals, and the later Rabbis cited in this Mishnah hold that the 3 days include them and their festivals.