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Avodah Zarah 49a

עבודה זרה מ״ט ע״א

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Topic

Does רבי יוסי treat עבודה זרה differently from other prohibitions when a forbidden thing and a permitted thing together produce a result (זה וזה גורם)?

Overview

The amud opens with the end of a source: growth from planting, sinking or grafting an ערלה tree is permitted, which shows that רבי יוסי allows a result caused by a forbidden and a permitted thing together (זה וזה גורם). The גמרא suggests that רבי יוסי might be stricter with עבודה זרה. It challenges this with two ברייתות that disagree about a field fertilized with עבודה זרה dung and a cow fattened on עבודה זרה vetches. To save the suggestion, the גמרא tries to give the ברייתות to רבי אליעזר and the רבנן instead. First it points to their dispute about leaven of תרומה, but that fails because רבי אליעזר may simply follow the last leaven. Then it points to their dispute about bread baked with אשרה wood, but no group of רבנן can be the lenient side. So the גמרא concludes that the lenient ברייתא is רבי יוסי after all. It explains that his strict-sounding ruling in the משנה was said only according to the רבנן's view, and shows how the רבנן answer him using רב מרי's rule. The הלכה follows רבי יוסי, and רב יוסף applies this to a real garden fertilized with עבודה זרה dung.

Opening lines

שֶׁאִם נָטַע וְהִבְרִיךְ וְהִרְכִּיב — מוּתָּר.

that if one planted, or sank a shoot, or grafted, it is permitted.

וְכִי תֵּימָא,

And if you would say,

שָׁנֵי לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי

Rabbi Yosei makes a distinction

בֵּין שְׁאָר אִיסּוּרִין לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה,

between other prohibitions and idol worship,

The steps (22)

  1. StatementPlanting, sinking or grafting gives permitted growth
  2. ResolutionMaybe רבי יוסי is stricter with עבודה זרה
  3. ChallengeTwo ברייתות about dung and vetches of idol worship
  4. ChallengeThe lenient ברייתא must be רבי יוסי
  5. RejectionNo, the dispute is רבי אליעזר and the רבנן
  6. QuestionWhich dispute of רבי אליעזר and the רבנן?
  7. ResponseFirst suggestion: the dispute about leaven
  8. ProofThe משנה about leaven of תרומה and חולין
  9. Statementאביי explains רבי אליעזר: the forbidden leaven must be removed first
  10. RejectionMaybe רבי אליעזר simply follows the last leaven
  11. ResponseA new suggestion: the dispute about wood
  12. ProofThe משנה about wood from an אשרה: oven and bread
  13. ProofThe dispute about bread that got mixed in
  14. ChallengeWho are the רבנן who disagree with רבי אליעזר?
  15. RejectionThe רבנן of the wood case cannot be the lenient opinion
  16. RejectionThe רבנן of the leaven case do not help either
  17. ResolutionOne ברייתא is רבי יוסי and the other is the רבנן
  18. Resolutionרבי יוסי's strict ruling was only according to the רבנן
  19. Challengeרבי יוסי pushes the רבנן with their own rule
  20. ResolutionHow the רבנן answer רבי יוסי
  21. ConclusionThe הלכה follows רבי יוסי
  22. ProofA garden fertilized with dung of עבודה זרה