Avodah Zarah 13b

עבודה זרה י״ג ע״ב

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Topic

Destroying a consecrated animal nowadays, buying slaves and goods at an idolatrous fair, and items that may not be sold to a גוי

Overview

Earlier the גמרא explained that an animal bought at an idol-worship fair must be destroyed by cutting its hooves (עיקור). This amud opens with the end of a ברייתא about consecrating property nowadays, which says a holy animal is instead locked in until it dies. אביי explains that הקדש is different because cutting its hooves would be בזיון קדשים. Slaughtering it could lead to a תקלה, and mutilating it is forbidden by the פסוק 'לא תעשון כן'. רבא says instead that cutting the hooves only looks like putting a מום on קדשים, since with no בית המקדש the animal has no use at all. Next, רבי עילאי rules that a gentile slave bought at the fair may not be harmed. The גמרא then discusses whether a gentile slave may be bought there; רב אשי permits it because buying reduces the idolaters' property. A story about רבי יעקב and רבי ירמיה shows that buying from a private seller who pays no tax is allowed, especially from an occasional seller. Finally a new משנה lists items, like frankincense and a white rooster, that may never be sold to a גוי, along with the views of רבי יהודה and רבי מאיר.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. ChallengeThe ברייתא says to destroy a consecrated animal by locking it in
2. Resolutionאביי: consecrated animals are different because of degrading holy things
3. ChallengeWhy not just slaughter the consecrated animal?
4. ResolutionSlaughtering could lead someone to eat it by mistake
5. ChallengeWhy not mutilate it so it can't be eaten?
6. Resolutionאביי: a פסוק forbids actively destroying holy things
7. Resolutionרבא: cutting hooves looks like putting a blemish on קדשים
8. ChallengeWhy only 'looks like'? It's a real blemish!
9. ResolutionToday, with no בית המקדש, it's only an appearance
10. ChallengeIsn't this like blemishing an already-blemished animal?
11. ResolutionA blemished animal still has value; ours has none
12. QuestionWhat about a slave bought at the fair?
13. ResponseWe may not actively kill idolaters
14. QuestionWhich slaves may be bought at the fair?
15. Responseרבי זירא: only a Jewish slave
16. Statementריש לקיש: even a gentile slave
17. ChallengeThat reason doesn't fit animals
18. ConclusionThe real reason: buying reduces the gentiles' property
19. StatementTwo rabbis buy at the fair and tease each other
20. ResolutionBoth bought from a private seller
21. ProofSource: the ban applies only to buying from a merchant
22. StatementIn a fully taxed place, רבי יוחנן would forbid even a private seller
23. ChallengeThen how did the two rabbis buy?
24. ResolutionThey bought from an occasional private seller
25. Statementמשנה: items that may not be sold to a גוי
26. Statementרבי יהודה: when a white rooster may be sold
27. StatementOther items: allowed unless the buyer says what they are for
28. Statementרבי מאיר adds more forbidden items