Avodah Zarah, Daf Kaf Aleph, Part 3

 

Introduction

We continue explaining the Mishnah.

 

בחוץ לארץ וכו’: שדה דאית ביה תרתי גזרו בהו רבנן בתים דלית בהו תרתי לא גזרו בהו רבנן:

 

Outside of the land, houses may be sold and fields rented to them. A field, which has two problems, the rabbis decreed; but in the case of a house, since there is only one problem they did not decree.

 

Once fully outside of Israel, the rules are even more lenient. One may sell them a house, because even in Israel there is only one potential problem with a house (giving them a foothold in the land). But one may only rent them a field because there are two potential problems (foothold and tithes).

 

רבי יוסי אומר בארץ ישראל משכירין להם בתים וכו’: מ"ט שדות דאית בהו תרתי גזרו בהו רבנן בתים דלית בהו תרתי לא גזרו בהו רבנן:

 

R. Yose says: In the land of Israel, we may let them houses but not fields.

What is the reason? In the case of fields, for which there are two problems, the rabbis made a decree, but in the case of houses, for which there are not two problems, the rabbis did not make a decree.

 

R. Yose is more lenient. In Israel they can rent houses to non-Jews because there is only one problem (foothold). But they cannot lend them fields because there are two problems (foothold and tithes).

 

ובסוריא מוכרין וכו’: מ"ט קסבר כיבוש יחיד לא שמיה כיבוש ושדה דאית בה תרתי גזרו בה רבנן בתים דלית בהו תרתי לא גזרו בהו רבנן:

 

In Syria, we may sell them houses and let them fields, What is the reason? [R. Yose] holds that the conquering made by an individual is not regarded as a proper conquering; hence in the case of fields, for which there are two problems, the rabbis made a decree, but in the case of houses, for which there are not two problems, the rabbis did not make a decree.

 

R. Yose does not consider Syria to be part of the land of Israel. Therefore, one may sell them houses there. But it is prohibited to sell them a field because in the land of Israel there are two problems with the field.