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Avodah Zarah 45a

עבודה זרה מ״ה ע״א

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Topic

Worshipped mountains, hills and trees, and how רבי יוסי הגלילי differs from the תנא קמא (עבודה זרה 45a)

Overview

The משנה teaches that mountains and hills worshipped by idolaters stay permitted, but things placed on them are forbidden. רבי יוסי הגלילי learns this from a פסוק: 'their gods on the mountains', not mountains that are their gods. The משנה then asks why an אשירה (a worshipped tree) is forbidden. It answers that anything people had a hand in is forbidden. רבי עקיבא reads the same פסוק differently: it simply tells us where idol worship is usually found. The גמרא then asks why רבי יוסי הגלילי is listed separately, since he seems to say the same thing as the תנא קמא. רמי בר חמא, quoting ריש לקיש, answers that they disagree about a mountain's coating: is it treated like the mountain itself? רב שׁשׁת rejects this and says everyone agrees the coating is not like the mountain. His own explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳

MISHNA:

הַגּוֹיִם הָעוֹבְדִים אֶת הֶהָרִים

The gentiles who worship the mountains

וְאֶת הַגְּבָעוֹת

and the hills

— הֵן מוּתָּרִין,

they (the mountains and hills) are permitted,

The steps (8)

  1. StatementWorshipped mountains and hills are permitted, but what is on them is forbidden
  2. Statementרבי יוסי הגלילי learns the rule from 'their gods on the mountains'
  3. ChallengeThen why is a worshipped tree forbidden?
  4. ResolutionA tree touched by human hands is forbidden
  5. Statementרבי עקיבא: the פסוק only describes where idol worship is found
  6. ChallengeIsn't רבי יוסי הגלילי saying the same thing as the תנא קמא?
  7. ResolutionThey disagree about the coating of a mountain
  8. RejectionEveryone agrees the coating is not like the mountain