Avodah Zarah, Daf Ayin Daled, Part 2

 

Introduction

Today s sugya clarifies what types of items are listed in the mishnah and which are not.

 

גמ׳ תנא מאי קחשיב אי דבר שבמנין קחשיב ליתני נמי חתיכות נבילה אי איסורי הנאה קא חשיב ליתני נמי חמץ בפסח

א"ר חייא בר אבא ואיתימא ר’ יצחק נפחא האי תנא תרתי אית ליה דבר שבמנין ואיסורי הנאה

 

GEMARA. The Tanna [of our Mishnah] what is he listing? If he lists objects which are [customarily] numbered, then he should include slices of meat from an animal which had not been ritually slaughtered; if they are objects which may not be put to any use, then he should include leaven during Pesach!

R. Hiyya b. Abba, and others say R. Yitzchak Nafha, said: The Tanna lists the objects to which both criteria apply, they are customarily numbered and may not be put to any use.

 

R. Hiyya b. Abba clarifies that to be on the list in the mishnah, the substance needs to be something customarily sold by number, therefore it does not included hametz, which is sold by weight or volume. It also needs to be something which may not be put to any use, and therefore the list does not include meat not properly slaughtered, which may be used and just not eaten. However, the halakhah in the mishnah is true with regard to these substances, even though they are not listed.

 

וליתני אגוזי פרך ורימוני בדן דדבר שבמנין ואיסורי הנאה הוא

הא תנא ליה התם הראוי לערלה ערלה הראוי לכלאי הכרם כלאי הכרם

 

Let him teach nuts with soft shells and the pomegranates of Baddan because they are customarily numbered and may not be put to any use! [The author of the Mishnah] taught them elsewhere (Orlah 3:7): To those to which orlah applies [they prohibit the mixture] as orlah, [to those of which] kilayim of the vineyard apply [they prohibit the mixture as] kilayim of the vineyard.

 

These nuts and pomegranates also could have been on this list, but the tanna taught them already in Mishnah Orlah 3:7. The nuts and pomegranates are listed there explicitly.

 

וליתני ככרות של בעה"ב לענין חמץ בפסח מאן שמעת דא"ל ר"ע הא תנא ליה התם ר"ע מוסיף אף ככרות של בעה"ב:

 

Let him teach loaves made by a householder with reference to the laws of leaven during Pesah!

From whom did you hear this opinion? From R. Akiva; and [the author of the Mishnah] has already stated there: R. Akiva adds the loaves of a householder.

 

Loaves made by a householder that are leaven are also an item that could have been in this list. But again, it is found in Orlah 3:7 where it is properly attributed to R. Akiva.

 

הרי אלו: למעוטי מאי למעוטי דבר שבמנין ולאו איסורי הנאה א"נ למעוטי איסורי הנאה ולא דבר שבמנין:

 

Behold these. What do these words come to exclude? To exclude things which are customarily numbered but are not prohibited for all use, or the things which are prohibited for all use but are not customarily numbered.

 

The Talmud reads the last clause as excluding any item that is not both customarily sold by number and prohibited from all use. This is in line with the explanation above.