Avodah Zarah, Daf Kaf, Part 1
Introduction
Today s section begins with a new mishnah.
מתני׳ ואין עושין תכשיטין לעבודת כוכבים קטלאות ונזמים וטבעות רבי אליעזר אומר בשכר מותר
One should not make jewelry for an idol [such as] necklaces, ear-rings, or finger-rings.
Rabbi Eliezer says, for payment it is permitted.
One should not make jewelry for an idolater lest they use it to decorate their idols. Rabbi Eliezer says that one may sell jewelry to them but not give it for free. This opinion is perplexing because usually if we are concerned that the actions of the Jew might encourage idolatry, the fact that he profits does not make it more permissible. There are some versions of the mishnah that do not include this line.
אין מוכרין להם במחובר לקרקע אבל מוכר הוא משיקצץ ר’ יהודה אומר מוכר הוא על מנת לקוץ:
One should not sell to idolaters a thing which is attached to the soil, but when cut down it may be sold.
R. Judah says, one may sell it on condition that it be cut down.
The mishnah now begins to discuss selling them land and things attached to the land. One should not sell them things attached to the land, such as trees, since this might give them a stake in the land as well. Once the item has been cut down, it is permitted. Rabbi Judah is more lenient and allows something to be sold while it is attached, as long as it is stipulated that it will be cut down.
גמ׳ מנהני מילי? אמר רבי יוסי בר חנינא דאמר קרא (דברים ז, ב) "לא תחנם" לא תתן להם חנייה בקרקע.
GEMARA. From where do we derive this?
R. Yose b. Hanina: For the verse says, Grant them no quarter (lo tehonem) (Deuteronomy 7:2): Do not give them a hold on the land.
R. Yose b. Hanina reads the verse from Deuteronomy as prohibiting giving or even selling land to non-Jews in Israel.
האי לא תחנם מיבעי ליה דהכי קאמר רחמנא לא תתן להם חן?
א"כ לימא קרא לא תחונם מאי לא תחנם שמע מינה תרתי
But this phrase lo tehonem needed to convey that the Torah taught not to provide them with grace?
If so, it should have said lo tehunem. What does lo tehonem mean? It means both.
The word tehonem in Hebrew is written without the vav. According to the rabbis this lets it mean two things. It is pronounced lo tehunem to refer to the prohibition of giving them grace, but it can also mean lo tehonem which here is understood to mean do not give them land.
ואכתי מיבעי ליה דהכי אמר רחמנא לא תתן להם מתנת של חנם
אם כן לימא קרא לא תחינם מאי לא תחנם שמע מינה כולהו
But still it is needed, to convey that the Torah teaches not to give them any free gift!
If so it should have said lo tehinnem. Why then does it say lo tehanem? So as to imply all these interpretations.
Evidently, the word can also mean not to give them a free gift. Powerful word it is!
תניא נמי הכי לא תחנם לא תתן להם חנייה בקרקע. דבר אחר לא תחנם לא תתן להם חן. דבר אחר לא תחנם לא תתן להם מתנת חנם.
It has indeed been taught in a baraita: lo tehannem you shall not give them possession on the soil. Another interpretation: lo tehannem you shall not give them grace; Another interpretation lo tehannem you shall not give them any free gift.
This baraita encompasses all of the meanings we saw above.
ומתנת חנם גופה תנאי היא דתניא (דברים יד, כא) "לא תאכלו כל נבילה לגר אשר בשעריך תתננה ואכלה או מכור לנכרי" אין לי אלא לגר בנתינה ולעובד כוכבים במכירה לגר במכירה מנין? תלמוד לומר "תתננה או מכור" לעובד כוכבים בנתינה מנין? תלמוד לומר "תתננה ואכלה או מכור לנכרי" נמצא אתה אומר אחד גר ואחד עובד כוכבים בין בנתינה בין במכירה דברי ר’ מאיר
רבי יהודה אומר דברים ככתבן לגר בנתינה ולעובד כוכבים במכירה.
The giving of free gifts [to idolaters] is itself a matter of dispute between Tannaim, for it has been taught: [The verse], You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death; give it to the stranger in your community to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner. We know only that it may be given away to a stranger or sold to an idolater. How do we know that it may be sold to a stranger? Because Scripture says, You may give it or sell it. How do we know that it may be given away to an idolater? Because Scripture says, You may give it that he may eat it or you may sell it to an idolater : It turns out that it may be given or sold to either a stranger or an idolater, the words of R. Meir. R. Judah says: The words should be taken as they are written, it may be given to a stranger, or sold to an idolater.
This verse refers to what a Jew may do with meat that was not properly slaughtered. According to R. Meir, it may be given or sold either to a ger the stranger, which here probably refers to someone who has accepted upon himself to observe some of the commandments, or to an idolater. But R. Yehudah says it must be given to the stranger, but can only be sold to the idolater. Thus we can see that there is a tannaitic dispute over whether one can give a gift to an idolater R. Meir permits and R. Judah does not.
שפיר קאמר ר"מ! ור’ יהודה אמר לך אי סלקא דעתך כדקאמר ר"מ לכתוב רחמנא "תתננה ואכלה ומכור" או למה לי? שמע מינה לדברים ככתבן הוא דאתא
But R. Meir’s interpretation is right! R. Judah could say to you: If you thought that what R. Meir said was correct, the Torah should have written: You shall give it so that he may eat it and you may sell it. Why then does it say or? It comes to teach that the words are written precisely.
R. Judah says that if R. Meir was correct, the verse should have read and instead of or.
ור"מ ההוא לאקדומי נתינה דגר למכירה דעובד כוכבים
ור’ יהודה כיון דגר אתה מצווה להחיותו וכנעני אי אתה מצווה להחיותו להקדים לא צריך קרא:
And R. Meir? [He might reply that or ] indicates that it is preferable to give it away to a stranger than to sell it to an idolater.
And as to R. Judah? He might say that, since you are commanded to maintain a stranger but you are not commanded to maintain an idolaters no verse is needed to give [the stranger] preference.
R. Meir argues that the verse is phrased in that way to suggest that it is preferable to give the food to the stranger rather than sell it to a non-Jew. But R. Judah says that we do not need a verse to do this since Jews are commanded to maintain strangers, it is obvious that it would be preferable to give the food to the stranger.