Avodah Zarah, Daf Mem Aleph, Part 3
Introduction
Today s mishnah begins to deal with the topic of fragments of images. Can a Jew use them, assuming that either they were never worshipped and that even if they were, they were nullified by being broken?
מתני׳ המוצא שברי צלמים הרי אלו מותרין מצא תבנית יד או תבנית רגל הרי אלו אסורין מפני שכיוצא בהן נעבד:
One who finds fragments of images, behold they are permitted.
If one found the figure of a hand or the figure of a foot, behold it is prohibited because such an object is worshipped.
One who finds a fragment of an image may make use of that fragment. The mishnah teaches that we may assume that the non-Jew intentionally broke the idol and thereby annulled it from its idolatrous use.
However, if one finds an entire hand of an image or a foot, it is prohibited, since there are non-Jews who use these parts in and of themselves as idols.
גמ׳ אמר שמואל אפי’ שברי עבודת כוכבים והאנן תנן שברי צלמים ה"ה דאפי’ שברי עבודת כוכבים והא דקתני שברי צלמים משום דקבעי למיתנא סיפא מצא תבנית יד תבנית רגל הרי אלו אסורין מפני שכיוצא בהן נעבד
GEMARA. Shmuel said: Even fragments of idols [are permitted].
But have we not learned: fragments of images?
The same law applies even to fragments of idols. And the reason the mishnah uses the phrase fragments of images is because it wants to teach the second clause, If one found the figure of a hand or the figure of a foot, behold it is prohibited because such an object is worshipped.
Idols are definitely worshipped. Images may or may not have been worshiped. According to Shmuel, even if the fragment is from an idol, meaning from something that was definitely worshipped, the fragment is permitted.
The problem is that the Mishnah says fragment of an image not fragment of an idol ! Shmuel answers that the mishnah used fragment of an image only because of the second clause. If the first clause had read fragment of idol then we would have assumed that the hand or foot only if it was known to have been worshipped.
תנן מצא תבנית יד תבנית רגל הרי אלו אסורין מפני שכיוצא בו נעבד אמאי
והא שברים נינהו
תרגמה שמואל בעומדין על בסיסן
We learned [in the Mishnah]: if one found the figure of a hand or the figure of a foot, behold it is prohibited because such an object is worshipped.
But why [should they be prohibited]? They are only fragments!
Shmuel explained that [the prohibition only applies when the hand and foot] are standing on their base.
Shmuel s statement, that fragments of idols are permitted, seems to contradict the second clause of the mishnah, which states that a fragment that contains a hand or foot is prohibited. These fragments should always be permitted according to Shmuel.
Shmuel answers by limiting the mishnah to a case where the hand or foot is on a base. If it is on a base, we can see that this is not really a fragment but a full idol. This mishnah always reminds me of the giant foot in the television series Lost. Never really understood what that was, but it made an impression.