Study Temurah folio 29A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
וכלי שרת, וכלי אשירה, ועצי אשירה, ומוקצה, ונעבד.
and the prohibition against sacrificing without service vessels; and the prohibition against utilizing vessels that had been previously used for the service of a tree worshipped as idolatry [asheira]; and the prohibition against using the wood of an asheira, as God commanded Gideon to sacrifice the burnt offering with the wood of an asheira that he will cut down (Judges 6:26); and the prohibition of sacrificing an animal set aside for idolatry; and the prohibition against using an animal that was worshipped as an idol.
אמר רב טובי בר מתנה, אמר רבי יאשיה: מנין למוקצה מן התורה? שנאמר ״תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו״ — כל שעושין לו שימור.
§ The Talmud continues to discuss the halakha of an animal set aside for idol worship. Rav Tovi bar Mattana says that R' Yoshiya says: From where is the halakha of set-aside derived in the Torah? As it is stated with regard to the offerings: “My food that is presented to Me for offerings made by fire, of a pleasing aroma to Me, you should safeguard it to sacrifice to Me in its due season” (Numbers 28:2), which refers to anything that is safeguarded. The Talmud initially assumes that R' Yoshiya meant that any sacrifice must be safeguarded, i.e., set aside and not sacrificed immediately after its consecration.
מתקיף לה אביי: אלא מעתה, (אייתית) [אייתי] אימרא דצומא, ולא עביד ליה שימור, הכי נמי דלא חזי להקרבה? אמר ליה: אנא ״תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו״ קאמינא — ״לי״ ולא לאדון אחר, ואיזהו אחר שמקריבין לו? הוי אומר: זו עבודה זרה.
Abaye objects to this: If that is so, then in a case where one brought a lamb that was weak as an offering, and its owner clearly did not safeguard it, so too will you say that it is unfit for sacrifice? Nowhere is it stated that an animal is disqualified for the altar because it has not been treated well. R' Yoshiya said to Abaye: You misunderstood my intention; I say that the verse: “You should safeguard it to sacrifice to Me in its due season,” should be interpreted as follows: You should safeguard it only for Me, but not to another master. And which is this other master to which one could sacrifice? You must say that this is an object of idol worship.