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Avodah Zarah 76b

עבודה זרה ע״ו ע״ב

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Topic

Koshering a vessel's rim (כבולעו כך פולטו), making a non-Jew's knife usable by שפה and נעיצה, the story of שבור מלכא, and the end of מסכת עבודה זרה

Overview

The גמרא first finishes a story about koshering the rim of a vessel. A ring of dough was built around the rim, and the vessel was filled with water and boiled, so drops of boiling water reached the rim. רבא praises רב עקביא for this idea and explains it with the rule כבולעו כך פולטו: the rim took in the forbidden taste through small drops, so small drops can release it. Then the גמרא turns to the משנה's rule that polishing a knife (שפה) makes it usable. The אמוראים add details: stick it into the ground ten times, use hard untilled earth, and use only a smooth knife with no notches. A ברייתא backs this up, and רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע says this method works only for eating cold food. A story shows the method in action: שבור מלכא thrust his knife into the ground ten times before cutting an אתרוג for מר יהודה, but not for באטי בר טובי, whom he did not trust to be careful. The amud closes with the הדרן for פרק השוכר את הפועל, which ends מסכת עבודה זרה.

Opening lines

גְּדָנְפָא דְּלַיְשָׁא אַפּוּמַּאּ,

a rim of dough around its mouth,

וּמַלְּיַוהּ מַיָּא וְאַרְתְּחַהּ.

and filled it with water and boiled it.

אָמַר רָבָא: מַאן חַכִּים

Rava said: Who is clever enough

לְמֶעְבַּד כִּי הָא מִילְּתָא,

to do such a thing,

The steps (13)

  1. StatementA dough rim lets the boiling water reach the vessel's lip
  2. Statementרבא praises רב עקביא and explains why the method works
  3. StatementThe משנה: polishing a knife makes it usable
  4. StatementSticking the knife into the ground ten times
  5. StatementThe ground must be hard, untilled earth
  6. StatementOnly a smooth knife without notches
  7. ProofA ברייתא supports these rules
  8. StatementThis method is only for cold food
  9. Proofשבור מלכא cleans the knife before cutting for מר יהודה
  10. Questionבאטי בר טובי asks why he was treated differently
  11. ResponseThe king: I trust that one is careful, not you
  12. ResponseAnother version: 'Remember what you did last night'
  13. ConclusionHadran — Closing השוכר את הפועל and finishing מסכת עבודה זרה