Avodah Zarah 73a

עבודה זרה ע״ג ע״א

Learn Avodah Zarah 73a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Avodah Zarah 73a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How יין נסך forbids mixtures, when a stream of it is nullified bit by bit, and when water in a wine pit can nullify it.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the previous discussion: one version says רבה בר רב הונא himself drank from a קנישקנין. A new משנה then teaches that יין נסך forbids a mixture of its own kind (wine in wine, water in water) in any amount. A mixture of a different kind (wine in water, water in wine) is forbidden only if the forbidden liquid adds taste. רב דימי reports in the name of רבי יוחנן that יין נסך poured from a barrel into a cistern of kosher wine is nullified bit by bit as it falls in. The גמרא defends this against the משנה by reading the whole משנה as permitted liquid falling into forbidden liquid. רב יצחק בר יוסף reports the rule differently: it works only with the thin stream of a small canteen, not a barrel. רבין then reports that if water also falls into the wine pit, we ignore the permitted wine, and the water, if it is more, nullifies the forbidden wine. Two versions of רב שמואל בר יהודה's teaching disagree about whether the water must fall in first. The amud ends by setting up a new איתמר about this same case, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. StatementAnother version: רבה בר רב הונא drank from a קנישקנין himself
2. Statementמשנה: same-kind mixtures forbidden in any amount, different-kind only by taste
3. Statementמשנה's general principle: same kind in any amount, different kind by taste
4. Statementרבי יוחנן: a stream of יין נסך poured into a cistern is nullified bit by bit
5. ChallengeChallenge from the משנה: any amount of יין נסך forbids
6. ResolutionThe משנה means permitted falling into forbidden
7. ChallengeSecond challenge: wine in water forbids by taste
8. ResolutionWine in water means permitted wine into forbidden water
9. ChallengeChallenge from the second half: water in wine
10. ResolutionThe whole משנה is permitted falling into forbidden
11. Statementרב יצחק בר יוסף's version: from a small canteen
12. StatementOnly a small canteen, not a barrel
13. Statementרבין's report: water can nullify forbidden wine in a wine pit
14. StatementThe rule works only if the water fell in first
15. StatementA second version places the rule on the משנה
16. QuestionWhat difference do the two versions make?
17. ResponseThe difference: whether the water must fall in first
18. StatementSetting up the case of forbidden wine and water falling into a pit