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Avodah Zarah 56a

עבודה זרה נ״ו ע״א

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Topic

When grape juice counts as 'wine': the בור, קיפוי and barrel stages for מעשרות, and the stricter rule for יין נסך

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא. You may not help a Jew who makes his wine in טומאה, but you may harvest grapes with a נכרי. The גמרא then quotes the משנה: a נכרי's touch does not make juice into יין נסך until it goes down into the בור (collection vat). It challenges this with a teaching about מעשרות that says wine counts only from when it 'floats' (קיפוי). רבא answers that the two sources follow different opinions: the רבנן say the בור, and רבי עקיבא says floating. The גמרא proves that this floating happens in the בור, not in the barrel. Then רב זביד's version of the dispute moves both opinions one stage later. In that version the רבנן say the בור plus floating, and רבי עקיבא says once the wine is drawn into barrels. The גמרא adopts that reading. That seems to make our משנה a third opinion. The גמרא answers that יין נסך is different, because the חכמים were extra strict about it.

Opening lines

וְאֵין בּוֹצְרִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל

And one may not harvest grapes with a Jew

שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה פֵּירוֹתָיו בְּטוּמְאָה,

who makes his produce in a state of impurity,

וְכׇל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאֵין דּוֹרְכִין,

and all the more so one may not tread grapes with him,

אֲבָל בּוֹצְרִין עִם הַנׇּכְרִי בַּגַּת,

but one may harvest grapes into the winepress with the gentile,

The steps (11)

  1. StatementDo not help a Jew who makes his wine impure, but you may harvest with a נכרי
  2. StatementThe משנה's rule: no יין נסך until the juice reaches the vat
  3. ChallengeChallenge: another teaching says wine counts only from the 'floating' stage
  4. Resolutionרבא: the two sources follow two different opinions
  5. ProofThe source for the argument between the רבנן and רבי עקיבא
  6. QuestionWhat 'floating' does רבי עקיבא mean: in the vat or in the barrel?
  7. ResponseProof that the floating happens in the pit
  8. ChallengeA different version moves both opinions later
  9. ResolutionRead the first version like רב זביד's version
  10. ChallengeDoes the משנה make a third opinion?
  11. Resolutionיין נסך is different because of extra strictness