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Avodah Zarah 13a

עבודה זרה י״ג ע״א

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Topic

Whether causing benefit (מהנה) to עבודה זרה is forbidden: ריש לקיש vs. רבי יוחנן, רבי נתן's ברייתא, buying at a gentile fair, and the details of destroying a forbidden animal.

Overview

The amud asks whether it is forbidden only to get benefit from עבודה זרה (נהנה), or also to give it benefit (מהנה). ריש לקיש allows giving benefit. רבי יוחנן forbids it with a קל וחומר. The גמרא challenges ריש לקיש from a ברייתא of רבי נתן. In that ברייתא, a Jew facing an idol's tax break is trapped between benefiting and causing benefit, so goods from an idol's market must be destroyed. רב משרשיא answers that ריש לקיש follows the רבנן, who argue with רבי נתן, while רבי יוחנן holds they agree. A ברייתא that allows buying at a gentile fair seems to prove they argue. On the way, it teaches when a כהן may become impure to go to court, to learn תורה, or to marry, and the הלכה follows רבי יוסי. רבי יוחנן's side answers that רבי נתן speaks of a merchant who pays the idol's tax, and the other ברייתא of a homeowner who does not. The גמרא then defends the rule of maiming the animal against צער בעלי חיים, and begins comparing it with a ברייתא about הקדש nowadays, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֲבָל מְהַנֶּה שְׁרֵי.

but causing benefit is permitted.

וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר:

And Rabbi Yochanan says:

אֲפִילּוּ מְעוּטָּרוֹת בְּפֵירוֹת נָמֵי אָסוּר,

Even if they are decorated with fruit, it is also forbidden,

קַל וָחוֹמֶר: נֶהֱנֶה — אָסוּר,

a kal vachomer: deriving benefit is forbidden,

The steps (23)

  1. Statementריש לקיש: causing benefit is allowed
  2. Statementרבי יוחנן: causing benefit is surely forbidden
  3. ChallengeChallenge from Rabbi Natan: the idol's tax break
  4. ChallengeThe Jew's dilemma: benefiting or causing benefit
  5. StatementRuling: destroy what was bought in an idol's market
  6. QuestionHow is an animal crippled?
  7. ResponseCutting the hooves below the knee
  8. ChallengeThe punchline: the ברייתא forbids causing benefit too
  9. Resolutionריש לקיש follows the רבנן who argue with רבי נתן
  10. ChallengeChallenge: a ברייתא allows buying at a gentile fair
  11. ChallengeThe ברייתא continues: a כהן may become impure to go to court
  12. ChallengeA cemetery? That impurity is from the Torah
  13. ResolutionIt means a field of doubtful graves, impure only by the רבנן
  14. StatementA כהן may leave the Land to learn or marry; רבי יהודה limits this
  15. Statementרבי יוסי allows it even when there is a place to learn
  16. ProofThe story of יוסף הכהן who followed his teacher to צידון
  17. Conclusionרבי יוחנן rules like רבי יוסי
  18. ChallengeSo the Rabbis do disagree with Rabbi Natan
  19. ResolutionMerchant versus homeowner
  20. ChallengeDestroying the animal causes it suffering
  21. ResolutionThe Torah itself commanded maiming horses
  22. StatementHow the animal is destroyed
  23. ChallengeA contrasting source about הקדש today