Avodah Zarah, Daf Kaf, Part 3
Introduction
Today s sugya analyzes the line from the baraita which prohibits looking at women s colored clothing.
ולא בבגדי צבע [של] אשה: א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל אפילו שטוחין על גבי כותל.
א"ר פפא ובמכיר בעליהן.
אמר רבא דיקא נמי דקתני ולא בבגדי צבע אשה ולא קתני ולא בבגדי צבעונין שמע מינה.
Nor at a woman s colored garments! R. Judah b. Shmuel said: Even when they are lying against the wall.
R. Papa said: But only if knows their owner.
Rava said This is also proved by the wording which teaches, Nor at a woman’s colored garments, but does not teach at colored garments. This proves it.
One may not look at a woman s colored garments, even when a woman is not wearing them. These too may be sexually arousing. However, this is limited to a case where the man knows the woman to whom they belong.
אמר רב חסדא הני מילי בעתיקי אבל בחדתי לית לן בה דאי לא תימא הכי אנן מנא לאשפורי היכי יהבינן הא קא מסתכל
R. Hisda said: This refers only to worn clothing, but in the case of new clothing it does not matter; for were you not to say so, how could women’s dresses be handed to a launderer; he must needs look at them!
The launderer referred to here washes clothing before the first time they are used. Obviously, he must look at the clothing first. This proves that the prohibition relates only to worn clothing. Furthermore, only worn clothing will probably be associated with a particular woman.
ולטעמיך הא דאמר רב יהודה מין במינו מותר להכניס כמכחול בשפופרת הא קא מסתכל! אלא בעבידתיה טריד ה"נ בעבידתיה טריד.
And according to your reasoning, that which Rav Judah said that in the case of animals of the same kind he may bring them to mate like putting a painting stick in the tube; surely he, too needs to look!
Rather, this is not a problem because he is occupied with his work, so too here he is occupied with his work.
The Talmud points out that when it comes to the prohibition of watching animals mate, the owner may bring animals to mate, and even watch the full intercourse to make sure that it happens. The prohibition is waived because the owner is not interested in sexual arousal, he is interested in his work. So too in the case of the launderer, he is interested in the work. But other men may not look at new colored women s clothing.
אמר מר ממנה מת נימא פליגא דאבוה דשמואל דאמר אבוה דשמואל אמר לי מלאך המות אי לא דחיישנא ליקרא דברייתא הוה פרענא בית השחיטה כבהמה! דלמא ההיא טיפה מחתכה להו לסימנין
The Master said: From it he dies. Shall we say that this differs from the statement of Shmuel’s father? For Shmuel’s father said: The Angel of Death told me, Were it not for the regard I have for people’s honor, I would cut the tear open the throat of men like that of an animal!
Possibly, that very drop cuts into the organs of the throat.
Above the baraita had stated that the drop of gall from the Angel of Death s sword kills people. But Shmuel s father seems to say that the Angel of Death kills with his sword.
The Talmud resolves this (rather weakly, in my humble opinion) by suggesting that the drop of gall may be what cuts the organs of the throat. Not the sword itself.
ממנה מסריח מסייע ליה לרבי חנינא בר כהנא דא"ר חנינא בר כהנא אמרי בי רב הרוצה שלא יסריח מתו יהפכנו על פניו:
From it the corpse deteriorates. This supports the view of R. Hanina b. Kahana. For R. Hanina b. Kahana stated: They say in the school of Rav that if one wants to keep a corpse from deteriorating, he should turn it on its face.
To keep the drop of gall out of the body, one should turn the body on its side. Perhaps this was also a way of letting some of the liquid out so that it would deteriorate a bit slower.