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Avodah Zarah 14a

עבודה זרה י״ד ע״א

Learn Avodah Zarah 14a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Defining the items in the משנה that may not be sold to עובדי עבודה זרה: איצטרובלין, בנות שוח, פטוטרות, לבונה, and the exception for selling a large חבילה.

Overview

The גמרא explains the hard words in the משנה's list of things you may not sell to an idol worshipper. איצטרובלין is first said to be תורניתא, but a ברייתא about שביעית rules that out, so רב ספרא and רבי אלעזר say it is cedar fruit. רבי יוחנן explains that בנות שוח are white figs and that פטוטרות means the fruits are forbidden only with their stems. ריש לקיש says לבונה means pure frankincense. A ברייתא allows selling any of these in a bundle of at least three מנים. אביי explains why possible resale is no concern: לפני עור only forbids helping the sinner directly. רבי יונה says a white rooster may be sold if the buyer just asks for 'a rooster.' The משנה seems to contradict him, and רב נחמן בר יצחק answers that the משנה is about a buyer who points to 'this one and that one.' A ברייתא supports this, and a clash about a son's feast is answered as a casual party. Finally the גמרא begins asking what 'without specifying' and 'with specifying' mean in the משנה, and this continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

<strong><big>גְּמָ׳</big></strong> מַאי ״אִיצְטְרוֹבְלִין״?

Gemara: What is 'itzterubalin'?

תּוּרְנִיתָא.

Torenita.

וּרְמִינְהוּ: הוֹסִיפוּ עֲלֵיהֶן

And they contrasted it: They added to them

אֲלֶכְסִין וְאִיצְטְרוֹבְלִין, מוֹכְסָסִין וּבְנוֹת שׁוּחַ,

alekesin and itzterubalin, mukhsasin and benot shuach,

The steps (24)

  1. QuestionWhat is איצטרובלין?
  2. ResponseFirst answer: it is תורניתא
  3. ChallengeA שביעית source contradicts the תורניתא answer
  4. Resolutionרב ספרא: it is the fruit of the cedar
  5. Proofרבי אלעזר says the same
  6. Statementבנות שוח are white figs
  7. Statementפטוטרות means 'with their stems'
  8. Statementלבונה means pure frankincense
  9. StatementA large bundle may be sold
  10. QuestionHow big is a bundle?
  11. ResponseAt least three מנים
  12. ChallengeWhat if the buyer resells it to someone who will offer it?
  13. Resolutionאביי: we are only commanded about the direct sinner
  14. Statementרבי יונה: what the non-Jew asks for decides it
  15. ChallengeQuoting רבי יהודה from the משנה
  16. QuestionWhat case is רבי יהודה talking about?
  17. RejectionIt cannot be when he asked for a white rooster
  18. ChallengeSo the תנא קמא forbids it even when he only asked for 'a rooster'
  19. ResolutionThe case is a buyer who points to several roosters
  20. ProofA ברייתא supports the 'this one and that one' reading
  21. ChallengeAnother teaching forbids dealing with him on the day of his son's feast
  22. ResolutionThe ברייתא means a casual party
  23. QuestionWhat do 'without specifying' and 'with specifying' mean?
  24. ResponseA first suggestion: 'white wheat' versus 'for idol worship'