Avodah Zarah 41a

עבודה זרה מ״א ע״א

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Topic

Which statues count as עבודה זרה, what objects in their hands signify, and whether found fragments are permitted

Overview

The amud opens with רבה limiting the משנה's dispute about statues. His first version says the argument is only about village statues. The גמרא objects that village statues are obviously made for worship. So it restates his teaching: the argument is about city statues, which might be decorative, and village statues are forbidden by everyone. The גמרא then explains that a staff, bird, or orb in a statue's hand shows the idol's claimed rule over the world. A ברייתא adds a sword, a crown, and a ring to that list. For רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, even a pebble or a twig in the hand is enough. רב אשי asks about a statue holding excrement, and the question stays unresolved (תיקו). A new משנה permits found broken pieces of statues but forbids hand or foot shapes. שמואל extends the permission even to pieces of a real idol, and the גמרא begins to challenge him from the hand-and-foot ruling, a challenge that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (14)

1. Statementרבה limits the dispute to village statues
2. ChallengeVillage statues are surely made for worship
3. Resolutionרבה's statement restated: the dispute is about city statues
4. StatementWhy a staff, bird, or orb shows the statue is an idol
5. StatementA ברייתא adds three more items: sword, crown, and ring
6. StatementWhy each added item was first ignored and later counted
7. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: even a pebble or a twig
8. Questionרב אשי asks about a statue holding excrement
9. ConclusionThe question stays unanswered
10. Statementמשנה: broken statue pieces are permitted, but hand or foot shapes are forbidden
11. Statementשמואל: even pieces of a real idol are permitted
12. ChallengeBut the משנה only said 'statues'
13. ResolutionThe word 'statues' was chosen to set up the last clause
14. ChallengeWhy is a found hand or foot shape forbidden?