Shabbat 83A

ורבי עקיבא למאי הלכתא איתקש לנדה? למשא, לוקשיה לנבלה! אין, הכי נמי. אלא: מה נדה אינה לאברין, אף עבודה זרה אינה לאברין. אלא הא דבעי רב חמא בר גוריא: עבודה זרה ישנה לאברים או אינה לאברים ⁠— תיפשוט ליה מהא בין לרבנן בין לרבי עקיבא דאינה לאברים! רב חמא בר גוריא כרבה מתני, ובעי לה אליבא דרבי עקיבא.

And according to the opinion of R' Akiva, with regard to what halakha was idolatry juxtaposed to a menstruating woman? If it was to teach the halakha of impurity imparted by carrying, let it be juxtaposed to an animal carcass and not to a menstruating woman and creeping animals. The Talmud answers: Yes, it is indeed so. However, the juxtaposition to a menstruating woman teaches: Just as a menstruating woman does not transmit impurity through her limbs, as a menstruating woman who leans on an object by a single limb does not transmit impurity imparted by carrying (Ra’avad), so too, an idol does not transmit impurity through its limbs, and a section of an idol does not transmit impurity. The Talmud asks: But that which Rav Ḥama bar Guria raised as a dilemma: Does idolatry have the capacity to transmit impurity through limbs or does it not have the capacity to transmit impurity through its limbs; resolve the dilemma from this, as according to both the Rabbis and R' Akiva, it does not transmit impurity through limbs. According to this explanation, R' Akiva agrees with the Rabbis. The Talmud rejects this: Rav Ḥama bar Guria taught in accordance with the explanation of Rabba and raised the dilemma in accordance with the opinion of R' Akiva.

מיתיבי: עבודה זרה כשרץ ומשמשיה כשרץ. רבי עקיבא אומר: עבודה זרה כנדה ומשמשיה כשרץ. בשלמא לרבי אלעזר ניחא, אלא לרבה קשיא! אמר לך רבה: מי אלימא ממתניתין, דקתני: ״עציו ואבניו ועפריו מטמאין כשרץ״, ואוקימנא, מאי כשרץ ⁠— דלא מטמא באבן מסמא, הכא נמי דלא מטמא באבן מסמא.

The Talmud now clarifies the explanations of Rabba and R' Elazar in light of other sources. The Talmud raises an objection from that which was taught in a baraita: The ritual impurity of idolatry is like that of a creeping animal, and the ritual impurity of its accessories is like that of a creeping animal. R' Akiva says: The ritual impurity of idolatry is like that of a menstruating woman, and the ritual impurity of its accessories is like that of a creeping animal. Granted, according to the opinion of R' Elazar, it works out well. However, according to the opinion of Rabba, it is difficult. The dispute between R' Akiva and the Rabbis in this baraita is whether idolatry is likened to a creeping animal and does not transmit impurity imparted by carrying or whether it is likened to a menstruating woman and it does transmit impurity imparted by carrying. According to Rabba, the Rabbis agree that it does transmit impurity imparted by carrying. Rabba could have said to you: Is the proof from this baraita stronger than the Mishnah in tractate Avoda Zara, which taught: Its wood and stones and dirt transmit impurity like a creeping animal? With regard to that Mishnah we established: What is the meaning of like a creeping animal? It means that it is like a creeping animal in the sense that it does not transmit impurity by means of a very heavy stone. Here too, the analogy to a creeping animal in the baraita is in the sense that it does not transmit impurity via a very heavy stone.