Avodah Zarah, Daf Kaf Bet, Part 4

 

Introduction

Today s section continues to discuss baraitot about concerns that non-Jews engage in bestiality.

 

אלא הא דתניא לוקחין בהמה מרועה שלהן ליחוש דלמא רבעה לה

רועה שלהן מתיירא משום הפסד שכר

 

Then what about that which was taught: One may buy cattle of from their shepherd let us be concerned lest he engage in bestiality with it?

Their shepherd would be afraid of losing his wages.

 

We need not be concerned lest their shepherds have sex with the animals they are watching for non-Jews because the shepherd is afraid of losing his wages. In other words, even though the animal does not belong to him, he ll still behave himself around it.

 

אלא הא דתניא אין מוסרין בהמה לרועה שלהן לימא רועה שלהן מתיירא משום הפסד שכרו

אינהו דידעי בהדדי מרתתי אנן דלא ידעינן בהו לא מרתתי

אמר רבה היינו דאמרי אינשי מכתבא גללא בזע רגלא בחבריה ידע

 

What then about that which was taught: One should not turn over cattle to a non-Jewish shepherd why not say that their shepherd would be afraid of losing his wages?

They who know each other, would fear. We who do not know about this, would not be afraid.

Rabbah said: This is what people, As the stylus penetrates the stone so the spy knows the other.

 

The problem with the above solution is that another baraita seems to imply the opposite we are concerned lest non-Jewish shepherds engage in bestiality, and therefore Jews should not turn over animals to them.

The solution is that non-Jews know a lot about bestiality and would know when one shepherd is taking his animal aside for a little more than just grooming. Therefore, they will be afraid of losing their wages. But when it comes to working with Jews, Jews are not so familiar with bestiality, so they won t know what the shepherd is doing. The non-Jew will not be afraid lest he gets caught.

Rabbah connects this to a folk saying, about how a spy (or perhaps gossip-monger/evil doer) knows what others plot.

 

אי הכי זכרים מנקבות לא ניזבון דחיישינן דלמא מרבעא ליה עילוה

כיון דמיגרי בה מרתתא

 

In that case, we should not buy male cattle from women, for fear that they will use the animal for bestiality!

She would be afraid of being followed about by the animal.

 

It is permitted to buy male animals from female non-Jews. The woman will not want the animal to form this type of bond with her.

 

אלא הא דתני רב יוסף ארמלתא לא תרבי כלבא ולא תשרי בר בי רב באושפיזא

בשלמא בר בי רב צניע לה אלא כלבא כיון דמיגרה בה מרתתא

כיון דכי שדיא ליה אומצא ומסריך אבתרה מימר אמרי אינשי האי דמסריך אבתרה משום אומצא דקא מסריך

 

Then what about that which R. Joseph taught: A widow should not rear dogs, nor accommodate a student as a guest ?

Now this makes sense in the case of a student, as she might rely on his modesty, but in the case of a dog why not say that she would be afraid of being followed about by it?

Since when she throws it a piece of meat, people will say that it is following her because of the piece of meat.

 

A widow should not take in young single men as lodgers because they may end up having sex with her and then covering it up out of modesty. However, if what we said above is true, that women won t engage in bestiality because the animal will follow after her, then why should she not raise dogs? The answer is that she could throw them some meat and then everyone will think the dog follows after her because of the meat. [I know, this is a difficult sugya.]