Avodah Zarah 58b

עבודה זרה נ״ח ע״ב

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Topic

A גוי's pouring and mixing of wine (כחו שלא בכוונה, the fence of the נזיר), and ריש לקיש's rulings in בצרה

Overview

The amud opens in the middle of a story about רבנן who had a גוי pour drinks for them. One opinion forbade the drink, because the גוי would assume great רבנן drink wine and may have offered it to his idol. The other opinion permitted it, because the גוי would assume רבנן would never ask a non-Jew to pour wine, so it must be beer. The גמרא defends the permitting view against three questions. He could not see it because it was night. He could not smell it because it was new wine. He did not touch it, because he only poured it, and the רבנן made no decree about כחו שלא בכוונה. Next, רבי אסי asks רבי יוחנן about wine a גוי mixed with water. After a short exchange about the right word (לשון תורה לעצמה, לשון חכמים לעצמו), רבי יוחנן forbids it as a fence, like a נזיר who is told to stay away from the vineyard. A story about רבי ירמיה and a formal statement confirm this ruling. Finally, ריש לקיש forbids untithed fruit and worshipped water in בצרה, and רבי יוחנן tells him to take back both rulings: בצרה is not the Torah's בצר, and public water cannot become forbidden. The amud ends by noting that רבי יוחנן is following his own reasoning, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. StatementWhy the one who forbade was right
2. StatementWhy the one who permitted was right
3. ChallengeCouldn't the non-Jew just see it was wine?
4. ResolutionIt was at night
5. ChallengeCouldn't he smell it was wine?
6. ResolutionIt was new wine
7. ChallengeHe touched the wine with the pail
8. ResolutionHe only poured it, and there is no decree on that
9. Questionרבי אסי asks about wine a non-Jew mixed
10. Challengeרבי יוחנן objects to the word 'מסכו'
11. Resolutionרבי אסי: I'm using the word from the פסוק
12. RejectionThe Torah's language is separate from the חכמים' language
13. ResponseWine mixed by a non-Jew is forbidden as a safeguard
14. Proofרבי ירמיה forbids mixed wine in סבתא
15. ProofA formal statement of the same ruling
16. Statementריש לקיש forbids things in בצרה
17. Rejectionרבי יוחנן tells ריש לקיש to take back both rulings
18. Statementרבי יוחנן follows his own reasoning