Avodah Zarah 26a

עבודה זרה כ״ו ע״א

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Topic

The end of רב מנשה's story with the thieves, the משנה and ברייתא on a Jewish woman delivering or nursing a נכרית's baby (and the reverse), and how far the concern of איבה reaches

Overview

This amud finishes the story of רב מנשה. He tricks thieves by naming a far-off destination, and when they insult his teacher רב יהודה, he puts them under רב יהודה's ban. The ban works: the thieves fail for 22 years, and the one who will not have it lifted is eaten by a lion. A new משנה then teaches that a Jewish woman may not deliver or nurse a נכרית's baby. A נכרית may help a Jewish woman, but she may nurse only in the Jewish woman's domain. In a ברייתא, רבי מאיר forbids a נכרית midwife or nurse even when others are watching, because she could kill the baby secretly. The חכמים permit it when others are watching, and the גמרא explains why both cases had to be taught. רב יוסף then allows delivering a נכרית's baby for pay because of איבה (hostility). He tries to stretch this to delivering on שבת, to nursing, and to pulling someone out of a pit. Each time אביי answers that a believable excuse prevents איבה. The amud ends as רבי אבהו begins a related teaching before רבי יוחנן, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. Statementרב מנשה outsmarts the thieves and curses them
2. StatementThe ban takes effect on the thieves
3. ConclusionThieves of בבל versus bandits of ארץ ישראל
4. Statementמשנה: delivering a baby
5. Statementמשנה: nursing a baby
6. Statementרבי מאיר forbids midwifery in both directions
7. StatementThe חכמים permit a נכרית midwife when others are watching
8. Statementרבי מאיר says watching women are not enough
9. ProofA story of a boasting midwife supports רבי מאיר
10. RejectionThe חכמים say she was only bragging
11. Statementרבי מאיר forbids nursing in both directions
12. StatementThe חכמים allow nursing when others are present
13. Statementרבי מאיר: poison on the breast cannot be seen
14. StatementWhy the midwife case alone would not be enough
15. ConclusionWhy the nursing case alone would not be enough
16. ChallengeA ברייתא allows delivering a non-Jewish baby for pay
17. Resolutionרב יוסף: pay makes it permitted because of hostility
18. Statementרב יוסף wants to permit delivering on שבת for pay
19. Rejectionאביי: she has an easy excuse about שבת
20. Statementרב יוסף wants to permit paid nursing
21. Rejectionאביי: she has an excuse whether single or married
22. Statementרב יוסף wants to permit pulling a non-Jew out of a pit for pay
23. Rejectionאביי: he can say he is busy
24. Statementרבי אבהו recites a teaching before רבי יוחנן about not raising certain people