Avodah Zarah 71a

עבודה זרה ע״א ע״א

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Topic

Wartime wine, craftsmen paid with יין נסך, the wine tax, and when a גוי acquires wine bought from a Jew

Overview

This amud opens with a contradiction. The previous משנה said soldiers at war have no time to pour wine for עבודה זרה, yet a משנה in כתובות forbids all the כהנות in a captured city because soldiers may have violated them. רב מרי answers that pouring libations needs leisure, but lust acts even in a rush. A new משנה follows: Jewish craftsmen whom a גוי pays with a barrel of יין נסך may ask for its value in money, but only before the barrel enters their possession. רב then permits a Jew to ask a גוי to settle the king's wine tax for him. A ברייתא forbids saying 'go in my place,' but רב shows his case matches the ברייתא's permitted line, 'save me from the tax collector.' Another משנה rules that when a Jew sells wine to a גוי, the money is permitted if the price was set before the wine was measured out, and forbidden if it was measured first. אמימר and רב אשי argue about whether משיכה acquires for a גוי. רב אשי brings support from רב's advice to wine sellers to take payment before measuring. His proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (11)

1. ChallengeContradiction: soldiers do have time to sin
2. ResolutionNo time to pour wine, but time for lust
3. StatementCraftsmen paid with libation wine
4. StatementAsking a gentile to handle the king's tax
5. ChallengeA ברייתא seems to forbid it
6. Resolution'In my place' is different from 'save me'
7. StatementNew משנה: when the money from wine sold to a gentile is permitted
8. Statementאמימר: a gentile acquires by pulling
9. Rejectionרב אשי: a gentile does not acquire by pulling
10. Proofרב אשי's source: רב's advice to wine shopkeepers
11. ProofSetting up the inference: if pulling did acquire