Avodah Zarah, Daf Lammed Zayin, Part 1
Introduction
Today s sugya discusses the court that permitted Jews to use non-Jewish oil.
מיסתמיך ואזיל ר’ יהודה נשיאה אכתפיה דרבי שמלאי שמעיה. א"ל שמלאי לא היית אמש בבית המדרש כשהתרנו את השמן? אמר לו בימינו תתיר אף את הפת. אמר לו א"כ קרו לן בית דינא שריא
R. Judah Nesi’a was once walking and leaning upon the shoulder of his attendant, R. Simlai, when he said to him, Simlai, you were not present yesterday at the Bet Midrash when we declared [Gentile] oil permitted. He replied, Would that in our days you permitted their bread also! He said to him, If we were to do that, they would call us the permitting Court.
This story offers us an excellent window into people s heads. Simlai, who is not a rabbi, is thrilled that R. Judah Nesi a allowed Jews to consume non-Jewish oil. He wants permission to eat non-Jewish bread as well. But Rabbi Judah Nesi a, the rabbi whose court allowed their oil, fears that if he is too lenient he will tarnish his reputation. No one wants to be called a permitting court.
דתנן העיד רבי יוסי בן יועזר איש צרידה על אייל קמצא דכן ועל משקה בית מטבחיא דכן ועל דיקרב למיתא מסאב וקרו ליה יוסף שריא
As we have learned: R. Yose b. Yo’ezer of Zeredah testified that the stag-locust is clean, that the flow [of blood and water] from the place of slaughter [in the Temple] is non-defiling, and that one who comes in contact with a corpse is defiled; and they called him "Joseph the permitter".
This is a mishnah from Avodah Zarah. It proves that when rabbis permit too many things they get the reputation of being permitters. Not something they wanted. The Talmud will explain the particular issues below.
אמר ליה התם שרא תלת ומר שרא חדא ואי שרי מר חדא אחריתי אכתי תרתין הוא דהויין
[R. Simlai] said to him, There he permitted three things, and the master has only permitted one; so that if he permits another there would still be only two! He replied, I have already permitted a second.
Evidently, permitting is like baseball. Three strikes and you are out!
א"ל אנא שראי אחריתי מאי היא דתנן זה גיטך אם לא באתי מכאן עד שנים עשר חודש ומת בתוך שנים עשר חודש אינו גט
ותני עלה ורבותינו התירוה לינשא ואמרינן מאן רבותינו אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בית דינא דשרו משחא סברי לה כר’ יוסי דאמר זמנו של שטר מוכיח עליו וא"ר אבא בריה דרבי חייא בר אבא ר’ יהודה הנשיא הורה ולא הודו לו כל שעתו ואמרי לה כל סייעתו
What is it? As we have learned: [If a husband said to his wife before a journey,] This is your bill of divorce should I not return within twelve months, and he died within twelve months, the divorce is invalid.
On this it was taught: And our Rabbis permitted her to remarry; and we asked, who is our Rabbis ? Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The Court which permitted [non-Jewish] oil; for they held the same view as R. Yose who said: The date of the document proves its intent.
R. Abba, son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said: R. Judah Nesi a taught this, but [the Rabbis] did not agree with him all his lifetime [sha’ato]. Another version is: All his colleagues [saya’to] [did not agree with him].
Rabbi Judah Nesi a also made a permissive ruling in the field of divorce law. According to the mishnah, if a husband stipulates that the divorce will be valid if he does not come back in twelve months, and then he dies, the divorce seems never had time to become valid. She will be a widow and potentially subject to levirate marriage (marriage with his brother if her husband did not have children). But R. Judah Nesi a ruled that the divorce was valid because of the date written on it. This date proves that the husband wanted it to become retroactively valid when he failed to come back. Thus when he fails to come back it is valid from the time it is written.
The other rabbis did not agree with Rabbi Judah Nesi a. And since he had used up two of his leniencies, he did not want to risk a third.